Terms
Yes. Wind turbines produce no air, water, or thermal pollution and emit no greenhouse or smog-causing gases. By using wind power you will also be offsetting pollution that would have been generated by your utility company. Over its life, a small residential wind turbine can offset approximately 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gas pollutants (carbon dioxide and other gases which cause global warming).
Small wind is defined as turbines 100 kilowatts and smaller. These turbines are best suited for residential, farm, school, or small business use. Having a small wind turbine can help protect the environment and reduce energy bills. Popularity has grown for such turbines over the last few years as the cost of energy rises and the demand for energy increases.
“In designing the Endurance Wind Turbine we took the average electricity usage of a household in North America and found that it was somewhere between 9,000 and 12,000 KWH per/yr. We then focused our design and engineering to create an affordable yet efficient wind turbine that in a Class 2 or Class 3 wind zone would generate this amount of energy for an American Household, with the objective of essentially eliminating the costs of utility power for a family.”
Net Metering
For electric customers who generate their own electricity, net metering allows for the flow of electricity both to and from the customer – typically through a single, bi-directional meter. With net metering, during times when a customer’s generation exceeds the customer’s use, electricity from the customer flows back to the grid, offsetting electricity consumed by the customer at a different time. In effect, the customer uses excess generation to offset electricity that the customer otherwise would have to purchase at the utility’s full retail rate. Net metering is required by law in most U.S. states, but some of these laws only apply to investor-owned utilities – not to municipal utilities or electric cooperatives.
Interconnection Standards
Interconnection standards govern the technical and procedural process by which an electric customer connects an electric-generating system to the grid. Interconnection standards specify the technical, contractual, metering, and rate rules that system owners and utilities must abide by. Standards for systems interconnected at the distribution level are typically adopted by state public utility commissions, while the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has adopted standards for systems interconnected at the transmission level. Not all states have adopted interconnection standards, and some states’ standards apply only to investor-owned utilities – not to municipal utilities and electric cooperatives.
Refer to the following site for Net Metering and Interconnect Standards for your State
Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE)
Definitions
Kilowatt - a power unit consisting of 1000 watts -kW
Renewable energy - energy produced by a naturally replenished source like wind, rain, sunlight and geothermal heat
Wind Turbine - is a rotating machine which converts wind energy into electrical power and is made up of the following:
- Rotor - Usually a set of 3 Blades at the front of a Wind Turbine.
- Shaft - The Blade Assembly which is connected to the ROTOR turns a SHAFT which is connected to the NACELLE and transfers the motion into the housing unit that is located at the top of the TOWER.
- Nacelle - The housing unit that is at the top of the tower holds the GEAR BOX and induction generator - in the Endurance Turbine all the controls are at the bottom of the tower to make is much easier for installation and servicing.
- Gear Box - the GEAR BOX increases the shaft speed which is connected to a GENERATOR that converts the rotational movement of the SHAFT into electricity.
- Induction Generator - The endurance wind turbine is unique in that it uses an induction generator which produces grid compatible electricity eliminating the need for costly, unreliable inverters that are used in almost all other small wind turbines.
- Control Box - the Controller and other components that direct the flow of electricity produced by the turbine and manages all other working aspects of the Wind Turbine is situated at the bottom of the TOWER - this is a unique design advantage of the Endurance Wind Turbine over other units that house controls in the NACELLE atop the TOWER.
- Tower - The tower height is extremely important. Wind velocities are much greater at higher heights, directly affecting power output.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will it help the environment if I install a wind turbine at my home?
Yes. Wind turbines produce no air, water, or thermal pollution and emit no greenhouse or smog-causing gases. By using wind power you will also be offsetting pollution that would have been generated by your utility company. Over its life, a small residential wind turbine can offset approximately 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 200 tons of greenhouse gas pollutants (carbon dioxide and other gases which cause global warming).
How do residential wind turbines work?
A wind turbine, which is installed on top of a tall tower, collects kinetic (motion) energy from the wind and converts it to electricity that is compatible with a home's electrical system.
In a normal residential application, a home is served simultaneously by the wind turbine and a local utility thru an Interconnect Agreement. If the wind speeds are below cut-in speed (7-10 mph) – the minimum speed to spin the blades - there will be no output from the turbine and all of the needed power is purchased from the utility. As wind speeds increase, turbine output increases and the amount of power purchased from the utility is proportionately decreased. When the turbine produces more power than the house needs, many utilities institute a policy called “net metering” whereby the extra electricity is banked by the utility, for later use. This banked energy will be available as credit over a 12 month period. All of this is done automatically. There are no batteries in a modern, grid-connected residential wind system.
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What is an Inverter?
All DC generating turbines require an inverter to transfer the DC current that is produced by the turbine into usable AC current that can be hooked up to your home. Having an inverter will decrease the output of the turbine by 20-30% due to loss and heat. The Endurance Wind Turbine produces AC “grid ready” current that requires no inverter. This makes the 5kW unit more effective and efficient then higher kW DC units.
Do I have enough wind where I live?
To determine your site’s wind potential please check out our getting started page. It will lead you to some links to help you determine wind speed in your area.
Do I have the space for a wind turbine?
Our 105 foot, tilt down, tower requires a base foot print of 82 feet 4 inches in diameter. It is not recommended to place the tower near homes and buildings and never should be installed on rooftops or attached to buildings. The height of the tower insures that obstacles such as trees do not cause turbulence. By having the tower tilt proper maintenance can be done on a yearly basis.
How safe are the wind turbines?
Most small wind turbines today have an excellent safety record. An important factor is to consider how does your wind turbine control itself and shut itself down.
Can you shut it off and stop the turbine when you want or need to?
The Endurance turbine has a dual pneumatic brake calipers which operate independently to ensure redundant, failsafe protection against over-speed and a large 16" brake disk providing high torque capacity close to the turbine rotor for maximum safety. It also contains a manual shut off at the base of the unit.
Do wind turbines make noise or interfere with TV reception?
Small wind turbines do make some noise, but not enough to be found objectionable by most people. A typical residential wind system makes less noise than the average washing machine. Small wind turbines do not interfere with TV reception.
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