Residential Wind Solutions for
Electricity

Our Wind Turbine Projects - Kansas City Area
Our Wind Turbine Projects - St. Louis Area

Why people love wind power:
Wind energy puts you in charge of your home’s energy needs with a beautifully efficient system.

Residential wind generators convert wind into electricity you can use. A windmill lowers your electric bill by between 30 - 80%, protects you against volatile electricity prices, reduces your dependence on foreign oil, and produces clean energy that doesn’t affect global warming. Most importantly, it provides independence and stability for you and your family.

Many places in Missouri and Kansas are especially well suited for a wind turbine /windmill system.

What it is and what are the options:
Your wind turbine works in tandem with your electric utility to power your house. When it’s windy, your wind turbine provides clean, quiet electricity: when the wind isn’t blowing, the utility supplies your electricity. When the wind turbine generates more electricity than you need, your meter turns backwards and you sell electricity back to the utility.

There are four main options: Grid Tied Systems, Grid Tied with Battery Backup, Off-Grid systems, and Direct Power.

• Grid Tied systems are used to directly power the home or put the excess energy on the grid, thus spinning your meter backwards. If your utility has a net metering program you receive credits for the exess energy you produce.

• Grid Tied with Battery Backup is used when power reliability is a concern. These systems produce energy that is first used to keep the batteries in a state of readiness. The energy is used directly in the home or put on the grid, turning your meter backwards. If your utility has a net metering program you receive credits for the excess energy you produce.

• Off-Grid Systems are for living off grid – the cost of installing these systems is relatively expensive. An energy efficient design is critical. These system produce energy to charge batteries, which power the home.

• Direct Power wind turbine systems are used directly to power direct loads such as power water pumping systems

Types of turbines: There are two types of wind turbines for residential applications. Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) and Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT). Each system has it’s own application characteristics. A HAWT is better suited for open area application since it relies on smooth laminar winds. A VAWT is better suited for Urban and Suburban settings where winds can be from multiple directions all at one time and space is limited.

How Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) work:
Simply put, you should install your VAWT wherever you have good wind. Trees and buildings can obstruct prevailing winds. Careful and considerate siting is suggested to help you generate more energy for every year to come.

In general, higher is better for wind energy generation because wind speed increases with height above the ground. However, in most areas where we live and work, we are usually limited to the height that the local community will visually accept. For this reason, the most VAWTs are specifically designed to work with a maximum height of 30 feet (9.1 m), or less than the 35 foot (10.7 m) limit prevalent in most US zoning restrictions.

How Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines work:
There are four important factors to consider to determine if using wind is a viable energy source for your house.

1. The site of a wind generator is extremely important to the performance of the machine. It is the difference between a machine that give you lots of energy and a garden sculpture. The ideal location for a wind turbine is 20 feet above any surrounding object within a 250 foot radius. This generally means your property should be at least one acre in size.

2. Wind is the “fuel” for your wind generator. You should have at least a 10 – 12 MPH average wind speed at your location. If you cannot find your wind resource on the map, there are other ways.

3. Determine if you have any local laws affecting wind towers by contacting your Home Owner’s Association, City or County. Contact your local County Planning and Zoning authority and ask about the use of towers and tall structures. Remember, the tower must be 20 feet above any surrounding object, if it is not, then performance will be lower.

4. Locate your electrical bill and then find the number for customer service. Ask them for a copy of the policy relating to “connecting a renewable energy system to the electrical grid”. By law, the local utility (company you pay your electrical bill to) must purchase any excess electricity from you. There are both utilities that encourage the use of wind systems and discourage it.

What it costs:
Call us for an estimate. Tax credit legislation will affect the final cost, as outlined below.

U.S. Small Wind Tax Credit:
Qualified small wind turbines eligible for 30% tax credit, homeowners and businesses benefit from American Recovery and Re-investment Act (2009 Stimulus Package)
Background On February 17, 2009 President Obama signed the American Recovery and Re-investment Act of 2009 into law. With a significant emphasis on renewable energy technology deployment and job expansion, the bill improved upon the 2008 tax credit, by removing “cost caps.” This change allows consumers and small businesses to take a 30% tax credit off the installed cost of a wind turbine. To a consumer or business purchasing a single 2.4KW residential wind turbine, it will double their credit. Additionally, businesses will also have the option of receiving their credit in the form of a cash grant.

Q: What does the stimulus package mean to me?
A: The entire cost of a wind turbine system (plus installation) is reduced by 30 percent provided you have a tax liability over the course of two years. Depending on where you live, you could save even more! States have also implemented rebates for small wind systems which can be used in addition to the Federal credit. Furthermore, in the last two months alone, more than 30 States have introduced legislation that either expands incentives for renewable energy and/or addresses market barriers.

Is it right for you?:
Wind energy is free. Purchasing a wind turbine system is likely prepaying for your electricity for the next 25 – 30 years, but at a fixed price. Electricity rates will continue to rise annually. Over the last 5 years national electric rates have increase an average of 6.7% annually! Assuming rates increase 5.5% and you are paying $1,100 a year for electricity, in 20 years you will be paying more then $3,600 a year for the same electricity! Peace of mind is achieved, no rate increases!

Wind energy reduces your dependence on non-local energy sources and helps you control your energy costs no matter what your rate increases your local utility passes on.
Adding wind turbine systems to your home increases its value. According to a 1998 – 1999 study by the National Appraisers Association, for every $1 dollar in energy savings, your home’s value will increase by $20. For example $500 in energy systems increases the value of your home by $10,000.

Contact a Wind Energy Expert for More Information or an Estimate

  
Residential Wind Turbine Installation    
   The Energy Savings Store          

  
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (L. in pic.)   
installed by The Energy Savings Store   
and Studio 804