A wind turbine is a structure that requires a building permit. Zoning regulations often limit the height, placement, and other characteristics of "appurtenant" structures, so a conditional (special) use permit or variance may be necessary. It's usually best to let your neighbors know about your installation. Be prepared to answer questions and clear up common misconceptions with well-documented facts about small wind turbines.
General Starting Information: Contact County Planning or Permitting Department Find out what zoning regulations apply to appurtenant, or non-dwelling, structures on your property. Ask if small wind energy systems are specifically addressed by local ordinance, and if so get a copy of the ordinance. You'll need to know the permitting procedures and find out what documentation is required for your turbine. You may have to submit a structural plan drafted by an engineer, but documents from your turbine manufacturer or dealer may be enough. (A checklist of common permitting issues is available for California residents.)
Conditional (Special) Use Permits If zoning rules list small or residential wind turbines as an approved "conditional" or "special" use for your property, you need only comply with the relevant conditions -- which usually pertain to minimum lot size, maximum tower height, setbacks, and electrical code compliance. The manufacturer or dealer may be able to help with the documentation.
If small wind turbines are not an allowed use, you may have to apply for a conditional use permit, which could involve public hearings before you local planning board.
Check local land-use codes carefully for special zoning ordinances that authorities may have overlooked. A turbine owner in California avoided turbine tower height restrictions through a forgotten wind energy zoning ordinance that had been passed decades earlier.
Variance A zoning variance is a project-specific exception from existing zoning regulations. If the zoning code prohibits structures more than 35 feet, tall, for example, a wind turbine will probably need a variance from the rule unless special provisions have already been inserted for wind energy systems. Local county or city planning boards usually have to approve variances.
An application for a variance should cite the specific rule and list reasons why a structure should be excepted. Height restrictions are a common barrier for wind turbine applicants, who often find height limits set at 35 feet because fire trucks could not pump water higher than that when the code was written. These rules are now obsolete, but residents may nevertheless insist on preserving them because they feel taller structures would negatively alter the neighborhood's appearance. You should be prepared to explain that the impact of your wind turbine will be minimal. Take note of other tall structures neighbors already accept: water towers, rooftop satellite dishes, cellular communications towers, etc.
Letting Your Neighbors Know...Tips on Public Hearings BE PREPARED to answer questions about your project, especially if you have to appear at a public hearing seeking a conditional use permit or variance (Conditional or special use permits do not always require hearings, but a variance will). A hearing may turn out to be a mere formality, but be ready for anything that might come up. Here are some tips:
Seek the support of your neighbors before the hearing. See AWEA's "Sample Letters"
Compile documented factual information to reassure anyone worried about noise, visual impact, possible affects on wildlife, and property values. See AWEA's "Factsheets."
Planning and zoning officials may be unfamiliar with small wind energy systems, so be prepared to explain the basics. It's helpful to have photographs of similar installations. See AWEA's "Success Stories."
About Permitting Fees ... Permitting requirements, procedures, and fees vary widely among counties. Fees for building permits, use permits, zoning permits, and "plot plans" can range from $400 to $1,600. There may be other fees for public notification, hearings, and environmental impact studies costing from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
Remember, if a fee seems inappropriate or excessive, you may be able to get it reduced or waived. Find out what you are being charged for and offer to provide documentation or information that makes the fee unnecessary.
Current Status: A handful of states provide some incentives for small wind, but the federal government has not provided any assistance since 1985. The federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) covers only large utility-scale wind projects, not individuals who want to install their own wind power systems for on-site power. In 2005, Congress passed an energy bill that included an investment credit for residential solar energy applications, but did not include small wind systems.
This year, identical bills were introduced in the Senate by Sens. Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) (bill number S. 673), and in the House by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Tom Cole (R-OK) (bill number H.R. 1772), that would provide $1,500 per ½ kilowatt of capacity for small wind systems. This bills would make the credit available for 5 years for all wind systems 100 kilowatts (kW) of capacity and under, and there would be no cap on the amount of the credit granted per system.
In addition to this tax credit, the bill would provide for:
Carry-over of credit: In the event that using this credit puts the consumer’s taxable income below the minimum threshold, this provision would allow the unusable excess credit to be carried over to the next tax year. This would essentially allow a consumer with a low annual income to take full advantage of the credit.
Accelerated depreciation of three years.
Current Legislation: S. 673 (Senate) and H.R. 1772 (House). The bills would create a small wind systems tax credit.
Take Action: Ask Congress to support a small wind systems tax credit. You can help us make a difference. Click on the Legislative Action website to send FREE messages to Congress.
Urge your Senators to cosponsor S. 673, and your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 1772 to create an investment tax credit for small wind systems.
How does Net Metering work?
Q. What is net metering?
A. “Net-metering” is a simplified method of metering the energy consumed and produced at a home or business that has its own renewable energy generator, such as a small wind turbine. Under net metering excess electricity produced by the wind turbine will spin the existing home or business electricity meter backwards, effectively banking the electricity until it is needed by the customer. This provides the customer with full retail value for all the electricity produced. Without net metering the excess production is sold to the utility at a much lower price. Under existing federal law (PURPA, Section 210) utility customers can use the electricity they generate with a wind turbine to supply their own lights and appliances, offsetting electricity they would otherwise have to purchase from the utility at the retail price. But if the customer produces any excess electricity (beyond what is needed to meet the customer’s own needs), the utility purchases that excess electricity at the wholesale or ‘avoided cost’ price, which is much lower than the retail price. The excess energy is metered using an additional meter that must be installed at the customer’s expense. Net metering simplifies this arrangement by allowing the customer to use any excess electricity to offset electricity used at other times during the billing period. In other words, the customer is billed only for the net energy consumed during the billing period.
Q. Why is net metering important?
A. There are three reasons net metering is important. First, because wind energy is an intermittent resource, customers may not be using power as it is being generated, and net metering allows them to receive full value for the electricity they produce without installing expensive battery storage systems. This is important because it directly affects the economics and pay-back period for the investment. Second, net-metering reduces the installation costs for the customer by eliminating the need for a second energy meter. Third, net metering provides a simple, inexpensive, and easily-administered mechanism for encouraging the use of small-scale wind energy systems, which provide important local, national, and global benefits to the environment and the economy.
Q. What are the benefits and costs of net metering?
A. Net metering provides a variety of benefits for both utilities and consumers. Utilities benefit by avoiding the administrative and accounting costs of metering and purchasing the small amounts of excess electricity produced by small-scale wind energy facilities. Consumers benefit by getting greater value for some of the electricity they generate and by being able to interconnect with the utility using their existing meter. The only cost associated with net metering is indirect: the customer is buying less electricity from the utility, which means the utility is collecting less revenue from the customer. That’s because any excess electricity that would have been sold to the utility at the wholesale or ‘avoided cost’ price is instead being used to offset electricity the customer would have purchased at the retail price. In most cases, the revenue loss is comparable to having the customer reducing electricity use by investing in energy efficiency measures, such as compact fluorescent lighting, efficient heating and cooling equipment, or other highly-efficient appliances. The bill savings for the customer (and corresponding revenue loss to the utility) will depend on a variety of factors, particularly the difference between the ‘avoided cost’ and retail prices and the amount of excess electricity produced. In general, however, the difference will be between $10-40 a month for a 10 kilowatt residential wind energy system. Moreover, any utility revenue losses associated with net metering are at least partially offset by administrative and accounting savings, which are not included in the above figures. These savings can exceed $25 a month because, absent net metering, utilities have to separately process the accounts of customers with wind turbines and issue the monthly checks. In practice, these checks can be for as little as 5 cents.
Q. Can I really use my existing meter to take advantage of net metering?
A. The standard kilowatt-hour meter used for most residential and small commercial customers accurately registers the flow of electricity in either direction. This means the ‘netting’ process associated with net metering happens automatically — the meter spins forward (in the normal direction) when the customer needs more electricity than is being produced, and spins backward when the customer is producing more electricity than is needed in the home or building. The meter registers the net amount of energy produced or consumed during the billing period.
Q. What is the current status of net metering?
A. Currently, 28 states require at least some utilities to offer net metering for small wind systems, althoughthe requirements vary from state to state. Most state net metering rules were enacted by state utility regulators, and these rules apply only to utilities whose rates and services are regulated at the state level. In recent years many states have enacted net metering laws legislatively, including California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. In most of the states with net metering statutes, all utilities are required to offer net metering for small wind systems. To find out whether net metering is available in your location, contact the American Wind Energy Association at the address below, or go to the policy area of the AWEA web site, <www.awea.org/policy> and follow the links regarding net metering.
source: Kathy Belyeu, American Wind Energy Association, (202) 383-2504, kath_belyeu@awea.org
How much does electricity cost?
The cost of electricity depends on where you live, how much you use, and possibly when you use it. There are also fixed charges that you pay every month no matter how much electricity you use. For example, I pay $6/mo. for the privilege of being a customer of the electric company, no matter how much energy I use.
Check your utility bill for the rates in your area. If it's not on your bill then look it up on the utility's website.
The electric company measures how much electricity you use in kilowatt-hours, abbreviated kWh. Your bill might have multiple charges per kWh (e.g., one for the "base rate", another for "fuel") and you have to add them all up to get the total cost per kWh.
Most utility companies charge a higher rate when you use more than a certain amount of energy, and they also charge more during summer months when electric use is higher. As an example, here are the residential electric rates for Austin, Texas (as of 11-03):
First 500 kilowatts
5.8¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh)
Additional kilowatts (May-Oct.)
10¢ per kilowatt hour
Additonal kilowatts (Nov.-Apr.)
8.3¢ per kilowatt hour
These figures include a fuel charge of 2.265¢ per kWh.
The average cost of residential electricity was 9.86¢/kWh in the U.S. in March 2006. The average household used 888 kWh/mo. in 2001 and would pay $87.56 for it based on the March 2006 average rate. (Dept. of Energy)
The cost of electricity varies by region. In 2003 the price ranged from 5.81¢ in Tennessee to 12¢ in California, 14.314¢ in New York, and 16.734¢ in Hawaii. In Summer 2001, electricity was a whopping 20¢/kWh in parts of California.
The rate of electrical use at any moment is measured in watts. For example:
A 100-watt light bulb uses 100 watts.
A typical desktop computer uses 65 watts.
A central air conditioner uses about 3500 watts.
If your device lists amps instead of watts, then just multiply the amps times the voltage to get the watts. For example:
2.5 amps x 120 volts = 300 watts
Watt-hours
To know how much energy you're using you have to consider how long you run your appliances. When you run a 1-watt appliance for an hour, that's a watt-hour. It's abbreviated Wh. For example:
One 100-watt light bulb on for an hour is 100 watt-hours (100 Wh)
One 100-watt light bulb on for five hours is 500 Wh
Five 100-watt light bulbs on for an hour is 500 Wh
Kilowatt-hours
1,000 watt-hours is a kilowatt-hour (kWh). For example.
One 100-watt light bulb on for an hour, is 0.1 kWh (100/1000)
One 100-watt light bulb on for ten hours is 1 kWh (1 bulbs x 100W x 10h= 1000Wh = 1 kWh)
Ten 100-watt light bulbs on for an hour, is 1 kWh (10 bulbs x 100W x 1h= 1000Wh = 1 kWh)
Ten 50-watt light bulbs on for an hour, is 0.5 kWh
Ten 100-watt light bulbs on for 1/2 an hour, is 0.5 kWh
Running a 3500-watt air conditioner for an hour is 3.5 kWh.
Take a moment to understand the difference between kilowatts and kilowatt-hours. The former is the rate of power at any instant. The latter is the amount of energy used A light bulb doesn't use 60 watts in an hour, it uses 60 watt-hours in an hour.
The "-hours" part is important. Without it we'd have no idea what period of time we were talking about. If you ever see a reference without the amount of time specified, it's almost certainly per hour.
Easier to maintain because most of their moving parts are located near the ground. This is due to the vertical wind turbine's shape. The airfoils or rotor blades are connected by arms to a shaft that sits on a bearing and drives a generator below, usually by first connecting to a gearbox.
As the rotor blades are vertical, a yaw device is not needed, reducing the need for this bearing and its cost.
Vertical wind turbines have a higher airfoil pitch angle, giving improved aerodynamics while decreasing drag at low and high pressures.
Mesas, hilltops, ridgelines and passes can have higher and more powerful winds near the ground than up high because of the speed up effect of winds moving up a slope or funneling into a pass combining with the winds moving directly into the site. In these places, VAWTs placed close to the ground can produce more power than HAWTs placed higher up.
Low height useful where laws do not permit structures to be placed high.
Smaller VAWTs can be much easier to transport and install.
May not need a free standing tower so is much less expensive and stronger in high winds that are close to the ground.
Usually have a lower Tip-Speed ratio so less likely to break in high winds
Disadvantages of vertical wind turbines
Most VAWTs produce energy at only 50% of the efficiency of HAWTs in large part because of the additional drag that they have as their blades rotate into the wind. This can be overcome by using structures to funnel more and align the wind into the rotor (e.g. "stators") or the "vortex" effect of placing straight bladed VAWTs closely together.
There may be a height limitation to how tall a vertical wind turbine can be built and how much sweep area it can have.
A VAWT that uses guyed wires to hold it in place puts stress on the bottom bearing as all the weight of the rotor is on the bearing. Guyed wires attached to the top bearing increase downward thrust in wind gusts. Solving this problem requires a superstructure to hold a top bearing in place to eliminate the downward thrusts of gust events in guyed wired models.
Advantages of horizontal wind turbines
Blades are to the side of the turbine's center of gravity, helping stability.
Ability to wing warp, which gives the turbine blades the best angle of attack. Allowing the angle of attack to be remotely adjusted gives greater control, so the turbine collects the maximum amount of wind energy for the time of day and season.
Ability to pitch the rotor blades in a storm, to minimize damage.
Tall tower allows access to stronger wind in sites with wind shear. In some wind shear sites, every ten meters up, the wind speed can increase by 20% and the power output by 34%.
Can be sited in forests above the treeline.
May be self-starting.
Disadvantages of horizontal wind turbines
HAWTs have difficulty operating in near ground, turbulent winds because their yaw and blade bearing need smoother, more laminar wind flows.
The tall towers and long blades (up to 180 feet long) are difficult to transport on the sea and on land. Transportation can now cost 20% of equipment costs.
Tall HAWTs are difficult to install, needing very tall and expensive cranes and skilled operators.
Supply of HAWTs is less than demand and between 2004 and 2006, turbine prices increased up to 60%. At the end of 2006, all major manufacturers were booked up with orders through 2008.
The FAA has raised concerns about tall HAWTs effects on radar in proximity to air force bases.
Their height can create local opposition based on impacts to viewsheds.
Offshore towers can be a navigation problem and must be installed in shallow seas. HAWTs can't be floated on barges.
Downwind variants suffer from fatigue and structural failure caused by turbulence.
What are the dimensions?
Helix wind turbines currently come in two sizes, the Helix 1 kw home for residential applications, which stands 9' feet tall by 4' feet in diameter (2.74m x 1.21m). The commercial turbine, the Helix 2 kw measures 12' feet in height by 4' feet in diameter, (3.6m x 1.21m).
How tall is the mounting pole?
The overall height includes the mounting pole and turbine. The poles come in 5 foot increments which attach together plus 9 feet for the 1 kw turbine and generator. Pole length is determined by local zoning regulations and site characteristics.
What are rotor startup/shutdown speeds?
The low speed Helix Wind turbine will start generating power at a little over 1 m/s (3.5 mph). It is self-starting and requires no power or input to spin up. It does not need over speed control because of its design and will continue to output power as wind increases up to 35mph. The unit will continue to spin with no damage to the system in winds as high as 80 mph (this is a sustained speed, it can withstand gusts up to 125 mph), however no additional electricity will be generated above maximum output at 35 mph due to restrictions on the inverter.
Is it safe for Birds and Bats?
Helix Wind turbines are completely safe for wildlife because they spin at much lower speeds than horizontal turbines and appear as a solid mass rather than a sharp blurring blade that a bird or bat cannot see or detect.
