wind power in reno tahoe

the smart energy choice for a wind prone region

 

 

A wind turbine is a smart investment for home owners and businesses in the Reno and Tahoe area that will lower your utility expenses, increase your net worth, and help support a national movement of producing more renewable energy power. It's a way that you can help clean the air, slow climate and change and move us toward being an energy indepdendent nation.

For rural sites without grid power, a wind turbine can significantly lower operating costs over a diesel generator and provide sustainable power where the power grid cannot reach.  

Aspen Electric installs Bergey Wind turbines, the oldest and most experienced manufacturer of residential-sized wind turbines in the world.

For homeowners and small businesses connected to the utility grid, small wind turbines are usually the best "next step" after all the conservation and efficiency improvements have been made. A typical home consumes between 800-2,000 kWh of electricity per month and a 4-10 kW wind turbine or PV system is about the right size to meet this demand. At this size wind turbines are much less expensive. The Reno Tahoe area is blessed to have many wind corridors where wind power is optimal.

Is a Wind Turbine Right for Me?

How can wind help?

Here’s a quick test on wind power feasibility, assuming you don’t live in a State with a subsidy program and you want to recoup your investment in 15 years or less.  Given these conditions, you should consider wind power if:

• Your electricity costs more than 11 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)
• Your area has an average wind speed of 11 miles-per-hour (mph) or more, and,
• You have one (1) acre of property or more.

In areas where wind power is not feasible, we recommend investigating solar power systems.

 

What is Wind Power?

Wind energy is a form of solar energy produced by uneven heating of the Earth's surface. Wind resources are best along coastlines, on hills, and in the northern states, but usable wind resources can be found in most areas. As a power source wind energy is less predictable than solar energy, but it is also typically available for more hours in a given day. Wind resources are influenced by terrain and other factors that make it much more site specific than solar energy. In hilly terrain, for example, you and your neighbor are likely to have the exact same solar resource. But you could have a much better wind resource than your neighbor because your property is on top of the hill or it has a better exposure to the prevailing wind direction. Conversely, if your property is in a gully or on the leeward side of the hill, your wind resource could be substantially lower. In this regard, wind energy must be considered more carefully than solar energy.

Wind energy follows seasonal patterns that provide the best performance in the winter months and the lowest performance in the summer months. This is just the opposite of solar energy. For this reason wind and solar systems work well together in hybrid systems. These hybrid systems provide a more consistent year-round output than either wind-only or PV-only systems. One of the most active market segments for small wind turbine manufacturers is PV-only system owners who are expanding their system with wind energy.

What Type of Turbines Do you Install?

Most wind turbines are horizontal-axis propeller type systems. Vertical-axis systems, such as the the egg-beater like Darrieus and S-rotor type Savonius type systems, have proven to be more expensive. A horizontal-axis wind turbine consists of a rotor, a generator, a mainframe, and, usually, a tail. The rotor captures the kinetic energy of the wind and converts it into rotary motion to drive the generator. The rotor usually consists of two or three blades. A three blade unit can be a little more efficient and will run smoother than a two blade rotor, but they also cost more. The blades are usually made from either wood or fiberglass because these materials have the needed combination of strength and flexibility (and they don't interfere with television signals!)

What Type of Tower Do You Use?

A wind turbine must have a clear shot at the wind to perform efficiently. Turbulence, which both reduces performance and "works" the turbine harder than smooth air, is highest close to the ground and diminishes with height. Also, wind speed increases with height above the ground. As a general rule of thumb, you should install a wind turbine on a tower such that it is at least 30 ft above any obstacles within 300 ft. Smaller turbines typically go on shorter towers than larger turbines. A 250 watt turbine is often, for example, installed on a 30-50 ft tower, while a 10 kW turbine will usually need a tower of 80-120 ft. We do not recommend mounting wind turbines to small buildings that people live in because of the inherent problems of turbulence, noise, and vibration.

The least expensive tower type is the guyed-lattice tower, such as those commonly used for ham radio antennas. Smaller guyed towers are sometimes constructed with tubular sections or pipe. Self-supporting towers, either lattice or tubular in construction, take up less room and are more attractive but they are also more expensive. Telephone poles can be used for smaller wind turbines. Towers, particularly guyed towers, can be hinged at their base and suitably equipped to allow them to be tilted up or down using a winch or vehicle. This allows all work to be done at ground level. Some towers and turbines can be easily erected by the purchaser, while others are best left to trained professionals. Anti-fall devices, consisting of a wire with a latching runner, are available and are highly recommended for any tower that will be climbed. Aluminum towers should be avoided because they are prone to developing cracks. Towers are usually offered by wind turbine manufacturers and purchasing one from them is the best way to ensure proper compatibility.