Home or residential wind turbines may supplement up to 30% of a home’s electricity. However, the Daily Mail claims that home wind turbines “barely produce enough electricity to power a hairdryer in many houses,” “actually do more harm than good,” are “noisy and unsightly,” and are nothing more than an eco-fashion statement.  The Daily Mail’s report on rooftop microturbines is overly negative, and TreeHugger counters the claims here.

Additionally, the Daily Mail claims “turbines in towns suffer from a lack of wind – as tall buildings block the air supply.” However, I have lived in Britain, and there are residential and rural towns that seem to have a steady supply of wind, especially areas on the Norfolk coast.

The Daily Mail does advocate more traditional methods to save energy such as better insulation, “turning the thermostat down,” and “using low-energy light bulbs.” However, these traditional methods to reduce energy consumption can be supplemented by renewable energy projects such as home wind power and solar roofing. It is important to reduce consumption, because most energy is not wasted living comfortably, but most energy is unnecessarily wasted on “inefficient appliances, lights, motors and vehicles.” Certainly, technology continues to provide cheaper products that produce bigger energy savings, and the same is true for these microturbines. I believe coupled with traditional methods to save energy and solar roofing, microturbines can be a smart choice in some areas.  From MLive.com, MI:

According to Southwest Windpower, the Arizona-based company that manufactures the turbine, Skystream is capable of generating more than 40 percent of a home’s electricity, in some instances shaving more than $500 off energy bills every year.

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Purchasing a wind turbine doesn’t automatically make you energy independent, but it’s a start, said Miriam Robbins, marketing manager for Southwest Windpower.

Nationwide, 2,000 Skystream wind turbines have been sold, Robbins said, adding that she credits the turbine’s simple design for the steady sales.

“Compared to some other small wind turbines, it’s designed to be ‘plug and play,’ ” Robbins said. “It’s not very complex.”

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Unlike commercial wind turbines, which often rise more than 300 feet in the air, residential turbines are sometimes not more than a few feet high and capable of generating electricity at wind speeds starting at 3 mph.

One such model is being developed by E-Net LLC, a technology development company operating out of the Grand Valley State University energy center in Muskegon.

The model, which likely will be put into production in early 2009, could cost under $2,000 and be capable of generating up to 20 percent of a home’s electricity.

More from the NYTimes.com (including the graphic below):

“In an urban environment, more times than not you’re better off with a solar panel,” said Mr. Stimmel, of the wind industry association.

A recent British study of wind on home roofs found that turbines generate less power than installers projected because of lower-than-expected wind speeds. Ian Woofenden, a senior editor at Home Power magazine who teaches wind workshops, estimates that electricity from rooftop turbines may cost $1.50 a kilowatt hour or more. (That is enough electricity to run a hair dryer for an hour, roughly.)

Rooftop wind advocates argue that output will turn out to be healthy in windy areas, and they also think that prices for small turbines will come down as the market grows, altering the economics.

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AeroVironment officials say that rooftop turbines at windy sites in states with costly electricity could pay for themselves in four to eight years, but acknowledge that in places with low power prices, the turbines may never recoup their costs.

In May and June, the 20 Logan turbines combined produced just 1,430 kilowatt hours — less than the average home would use over that time. Airport authorities said, however, that the Boston winds pick up in the fall and winter. Mr. Leno thinks his turbine has generated about 725 kilowatt hours in six months of operation.

“You can say, ‘That’s not a lot,’ or ‘Every bit helps,’ ” Mr. Leno said.

British studies have recently suggested that making and transporting turbines for cities may lead to more carbon dioxide emissions than the turbines save.

Image Found Here

On the Net: AeroVironment, Inc. Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Energy Technology, Charging Systems

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