Small wind systems
The energy demands of Glen Jacobsen´s turtle and tortoise farm in Bird Island, Minn., sent him looking for alternative ways to power the special ultraviolet heating and lighting necessary to raise his 30-some threatened and endangered reptiles.
“Since the western plains of Minnesota are notoriously windy, I got my wind speed readings and realized that I had a viable wind resource on my property,” said Jacobsen, who invested about $60,000 in erecting a 20-kilowatt wind turbine. It started producing power in August 2007, and in its first year churned out close to 30,000 kilowatts, offsetting 29.8 tons of carbon dioxide.
“With wind power, all of the costs are basically upfront — to put in foundation, erect it, to put in the wiring, with the exception of annual maintenance and ongoing insurance,” Jacobsen said. “Once that´s done, you just wait for the wind to blow.”
Harnessing the power of small wind energy systems is something that is gaining momentum among businesses looking to make investments in clean and renewable energy sources, said Ron Stimmel, small wind advocate at the American Wind Energy Association, in Washington, D.C. Read more here at waste and recycling news.
2009 The American Wind Energy Association Conference in Chicago
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