There will be a broad range of sponsorship opportunities associated with this project. We will be updating those relationships on the Jeremiah Ridge site on a regular basis.
If you are interested in learning more about the details of the various types of sponsorships, contact Bill Jennings at BillJennings@jeremiahridge.com or call toll-free at 888-560-8080.
Wind Energy
From the beginning of recorded history, Man has harnessed the wind to provide power - power for pumps, power to move ships and power to mill grains. You may have an iconic memory of pictures of ramshackle, wo
In recent months and years many widely divergent groups seeking “greener” energy solutions have clamored to harness the wind again. Others have opposed its implementation in “wind farms” for a variety of reasons. Some experts claim that large groups of turbines are certain to affect weather forecasting. In a number of areas, these farms have created a radar signature that “look” like tornadoes on weather radar. Wildlife conservation groups have opposed the farms – or even single turbines – because of demonstrated killing of birds and bats in the vicinity of the installations. Other opposition has come from residents opposed to their presence off-shore or in line-of-sight of their homes. This has been the primary complaint as Anne Arundel County, Maryland Council members unanimously approved residential windmill installations and, most famously, off the coast of Nantucket, Rhode Island.
Rhode Island
Survey of Residents about Off-Shore Wind Farm
Maryland
Wind Farm Proposal Draws Criticism
While most of the turbine manufacturing is taking place in Europe and China, there is a growing movement to bring more domestic production on-line. GE shows as a domestic turbine manufacturer but the majority of their turbine production is in China, Canada, Norway, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom and, lastly, the United States. They have domestic production of turbine blades as this component needs to be made close to the actual point of installation because of the fragility of this part. You can see more detail about this in the Wind Turbine Manufacturers portion of the site.
Currently, the cost of transportation, when weighed against the labor costs, is becoming a larger part of the equation. Cheap labor in China versus more expensive domestic manufacturing costs is balanced against the cost of energy to ship the finished products. There are a number of Federal and State incentive programs currently in place to encourage the manufacture and use of energy-efficient technologies. These may be the opening act in a resurgent manufacturing sector in the U.S. economy.
New designs are coming into the marketplace that applies new thinking to turbine design. There are a number of smaller manufacturers that are developing new domestic production capacity. Companies are introducing and refining existing products suited to residential and small community applications.
In 2008, according to the Department of Energy – Energy Information Agency American households used an annual average of 11,040 kWh of electricity. Tennessee homes had the highest rate of consumption (15,624 kWh) while Maine had the lowest (6,252 kWh). That equals just under 1,000 kWh per month. Generally, you must be in a region that has consistent wind speeds of 33 mph to have the turbine producing at its rated capacity.
Most residential turbine output is usually rated between 2 and 10 Kw for turbines with a blade diameter of between 12 to 20 feet. Some residential units produce as much as 50 Kw and have a blade diameter much greater than 20'. The larger blades must be mounted higher from the ground to get them into the airflow. This blade dimension is becoming less of a factor for residential installations as manufacturers use vertical axis systems versus horizontal axis.
These links provide more detailed information about system
alternatives, measuring, sizing and case studies.
American Wind Energy Association – FAQ’s
How Stuff Works – Wind Power - Discovery Channel
General Wind Information - UP Michigan
Western UP, Michgan – Kinzel Residential Wind Power
Michigan Technical Univ. – Residential Analysis
Industrial Wind Action Group - Misc. Reporting – Domestic & International
The Kinzel link presents a study developed at Michigan Technical that includes, among other items, an interview with homeowners on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They seem to be saying that the wind system is, at best, a supplement to their lowest producing component. This is born out by a similar comparison conducted and published by the power company in the United Kingdom. While you may take issue with the messenger providing the information, the information is worth further evaluation and confirmation.
We're considering the inclusion of a wind turbine in this project. We have hilltop whose elevation is approximately 600'. The lowest point of the land is around 200'. This does create a certain convection phenomenon during the day. We have experienced quite a stiff wind blowing uphill in afternoon into the early evening on several occasions. There is standing timber on two sides of the summit – to the North and West. To take advantage of wind from those points, the turbine would need to be elevated some 100' or more. That seems to be a nominal height for residential installations but may conflict with the zoning in some areas. That would not be the case here. We simply have to decide if the electrical production that a turbine would afford us is balanced by the visual impact of a tower of this magnitude rising up 4 or more times the height of our residence. Storage batteries may be the best use as opposed to a grid-tied system.
The inclusion of this system may come down to our desire for this project to be a transparent technology test bed to help others who follow our path to know what their options are - what works and how well.
Wind Turbine Manufacturers
Coming Soon!
