"The electric transmission investments proposed in the new Obama administration’s stimulus plan would have a major impact on wind power development in the United States, according to Emerging Energy Research, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, advisory firm in the renewable energy sector." Study: Electric Transmission Investment, by Emerging Energy Research

Wind power has good potential to supplement our country's electrical usage but wind power will not replace the use of hydrocarbons. I am a proponent of a multifaceted approach to manage our energy use. Wind power is part of this belief in exploring many means of electrical generation. Solar voltaic generation is another potential supplement to the use of hydrocarbons. Roof top solar panels tied to the utility grid is more practical for most homes in urban/suburban areas, but the return on investment period needs to be shortened. Wind turbines need to be mounted on a tall enough tower to take advantage of available wind energy.

"Wind development in the United States remains constrained by an inadequate and aging transmission infrastructure that hampers the delivery of wind generated power from regions of wind-rich resource to population centers with growing clean energy demands." Continues the Study: Electric Transmission Investment, by Emerging Energy Research therefore, grid-tied wind power on the homeowners scale is probably more feasible in urban areas but, as our aging electrical grid is rebuilt, rural regions will contribute more with large scale wind power generation. If the wind power resources are available to a homeowner, with the space available to erect a wind turbine system and tie it to the grid, then this is totally desirable.

The American Wind Energy Association, AWEA, has many resources if you are thinking about wind energy generation for both large capacity and smaller home sized generation systems. Wind turbines of less than 100 kilowatts power capacity are considered as being Small Wind Power systems. The experts advice on checking into the feasibility of the Small Wind turbine for the homeowner are as follows: Evaluation

1. How's Your Wind Density?
"The Department of Energy measures wind power on a scale of 1 (weakest) to 7. If winds on your site are at least class 2 (annual wind speeds averaging 9.8-11.5 mph), it may be suitable for wind generation, subject to other conditions also discussed on this site." By AWEA Small Wind Toolbox
2. Do You have the Clearance?
"A good small wind turbine site is typically at least one acre in size. Turbines must be mounted at least 30 feet above any physical wind barriers (i,e., trees, buildings, or bluffs) within 300 feet to avoid air turbulence. Winds are faster at higher elevations, and wind power increases by a factor of three as speed increases, so even a small boost in height greatly enhances a turbine's output." By AWEA Small Wind Toolbox

Here is a good"Primer on Small Turbines" by Michael Bergey of Bergey Windpower Company. As I read his treatise and the superb information published by the AWEA, I see great progress in wind power technology, tax incentives, improved permit provisioning, and greater return on investment.

Tags: Wind-Energy Alternative-Energy Wind-power Renewable-energy

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