| 7/31/2009 10:52:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Energy conscious couple installs wind turbine
by Jennifer Denevan
Mail Staff Writer
Sharon King and Michael Brown are doing their part to lessen their carbon footprint by installing a 40-foot wind turbine at their home in Windmill Estates on CR 140.
"We want to be energy conscious," King said.
The final stage of installation happened Thursday morning, with ECO Depot personnel and DC Power Systems getting the turbine upright.
A 2.5 kilowatt system was installed. This includes wiring into the garage where the inverter and utility box are located.
The turbine spins at 300 revolutions a minute and doesn't make a sound, Michael Brown said.
It begins spinning when wind speed reaches three miles an hour and starts producing energy at six miles an hour, Mike Miller of DC Power Systems said.
The Scottish made Proven Turbine should produce about 5,000 kilowatts of energy per year, he said. How much King and Brown save depends on how energy efficient they are, he added.
The turbine was chosen in part due to how it's made. The flexible blades keep it from shutting down in high wind, he said.
Miller said most turbines will shut down when wind reaches 35 miles per hour but this one won't until wind reaches 155 miles per hour.
To remain turning in high wind, the blades will cone like a flower.
Keri Brown of ECO Depot said installation was about a month because two concrete slabs take a few weeks to be ready.
Once the concrete is ready, wiring and getting the turbine set up can take place.
The turbine collects wind energy and sends it to the inverter and the inverter then changes the DC power to AC for home use.
Energy is first sent to the home and anything extra is temporarily stored in the electric utility grid. All of it is monitored by the net meter, she said.
Michael Brown and King opted to not have a battery back up, which means if during a power outage, the system will shut down, Keri Brown said.
It takes .14 seconds for the system to recognize power isn't being accepted and then the turbine is stopped.
Shutting down keeps energy from being pushed back out and potentially shocking residents.
Once energy is accepted again, it takes about five minutes for the system to be fully operational.
Miller said more than 2,500 of the Proven turbines have been installed for residential usage since 1985 and about 50 are in the U.S.
"Small wind is still kind of wild west," Miller said.
Residents are beginning to catch on but it's still a growing industry, he said. Part of the slow start may be to some residents aren't getting optimal performance.
A wind turbine made sense for this home, Miller said because its out in the open and there is good, steady wind.
The bottom of the blades needs to be 30 feet taller than the nearest structure to get the optimal performance, he said. This means it's best to have the turbine 300 to 500 feet away from any structure.
ECO Depot worked with DC Power Systems so they could become licensed and begin installing on their own. DC is their supplier for other systems, such as solar.
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