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If there is one thing that Central New Yorkers can agree on, it is that we have plenty of wind here. Large, utility-scale, wind farms have been in the news a lot lately. These projects come with their own benefits and drawbacks, which won't be discussed here.

Far less attention has been paid to small-scale wind turbines put up for private use. Small-scale wind projects make little noise and do not dramatically alter the landscape. Wind installations are a great way to provide renewable energy to your home - provided you have enough wind to keep them running and understand the need for regular maintenance.

First, determine your average annual wind speed. Then, fill out our secure Wind Client Information Form. Please note that this form requires that you provide a value for your average annual wind speed (step 1, remember?). We know... doing this requires some time and effort, but you're serious about this aren't you? That said, please don't hesitate to give us a call or send e-mail with questions.

How Much is Enough Wind?      (back to top)

Wind is a fickle resource. One side of a valley might experience very windy conditions, while the other side is comparatively still. The top of a hill might be a great place for a wind turbine, while a site 100 yards down from the top is not worth developing. Even sites that feel windy may be too blustery or turbulent. For these reasons, we cannot and do not rely on anecdotal evidence to assess a site. Fortunately, there are better ways to quantify the wind resource of a particular site.

To qualify for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) small wind system incentive program, your site must have an average annual wind speed of 4.5 meters per second (m/s), which is equal to 10.1 miles per hour (mph). From our experience, we strongly recommend an average annual wind speed of at least 5.0 m/s (11.2 mph) at a height of 30 m (98 ft). We consider an average annual wind resource of 5.5 m/s (12.3 mph) to be the threshold for long-term economic feasibility of a grid-connected small wind project.

To assess your annual average wind speed please follow the directions at the bottom of this page.

Site Evaluations      (back to top)

In order to design a residential or commercial grid-connected wind system, our system designers will come to your site to evaluate its potential. The fee for a residential site visit is $250 plus $1 per mile one-way travel beyond a 30-mile radius from Ithaca. The fee for a commercial site visit is $500 + travel for a single tower site and may increase with the number of tower sites involved. Please note that our Site Evaluation fee will be refunded in its entirety if you have us design and install a system for you.

A Site Evaluation allows us to investigate the details of your site prior to developing a design and proposals for a wind energy system. Equally important, the visit allows time to answer questions that customers always have. For all clients, we will do a preliminary wind resource assessment and discuss the results with you prior to a site visit - which only makes sense before you commit to the time and expense associated with a formal Site Evaluation.

For Residential clients, our Site Evaluation will result in the following deliverables:

1. Wind resource report - a detailed analysis quantifying your wind resource at the prospective tower site as well as an estimate of annual energy output (AEO) of the wind turbine(s) being considered.
2. Electric usage report - an analysis based on Customer-supplied bills or on a Utility-supplied usage summary showing what fraction of present or historical electric usage can be offset by wind.
3. Customer Purchase Agreement (CPA) - consisting of a detailed Project Description, datasheets for major system components, itemized materials and labor costs, anticipated incentive payments, and estimated tax credits.
4. Economic analysis - for the project described in the CPA.

For Commercial clients:

1. Wind resource reports - detailed analyses quantifying the wind resource at one or more prospective tower sites as well as an estimate of annual energy output (AEO) of the wind turbine(s) being considered.
2. Electric usage reports - analyses based on Customer-supplied bills or on a Utility-supplied usage summary for one or more electric meters at the buildings/sites visited.
3. Wind feasibility report - giving specific suggestions and estimated costs for the design, installation and commissioning of one or more wind projects at the sites visited. Next steps in the process are clearly articulated here.
4. Economic analyses - for all projects described in the Wind feasibility report.

For Off-Grid (OG) clients:

1. Wind resource report - a detailed analysis quantifying your wind resource at the prospective tower site as well as an estimate of annual energy output (AEO) of the wind turbine(s) being considered.
2. Project cost estimate - consisting of a detailed Project Description, datasheets for major system components, itemized materials and labor costs, anticipated incentive payments (if any - usually not), and estimated tax credits.

For all clients, Renovus will identify potential sites for wind tower(s), wiring distances, location for inverter(s), capacity of the existing electrical service, and point-of-connection to the utility. We will also explain the economic analysis showing return on investment (ROI) and discuss permitting issues at length (see below).

For off-grid wind systems, additional issues that must be addressed include load analysis, battery capacity, and identification of critical (backed-up) electric loads. Permitting, while usually less of a process for off-grid systems, must still be addressed.

Permitting      (back to top)

Obtaining the necessary permits from Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ's) will be the most time-consuming and frustrating step in the process of installing a small wind project in NY. AHJ's may include: local planning and zoning boards, local building department and code enforcement office, electric utility, NYSERDA wind incentive requirements (e.g., SEQRA), and possibly others.

Towns are rapidly adopting zoning ordinances regarding wind turbines and towers. Check with the Building Department and/or Code Enforcement officer for your Town or Municipality. Unless you are prepared to be very patient waiting for permits and approvals for your wind turbine, we do not recommend contacting us. To date, our experience has been waiting periods of between 6 months to one year from signed Purchase Agreement to an installed, grid-connected, operating wind turbine.

To qualify for NYSERDA's small wind system incentive, your property must have a minimum area of one acre. Moreover, the wind turbine must be centered in a circle with a radius equal to the proposed tower height + the length of the wind turbine blades, and this circle must not overlap with power lines, property boundaries, roads, offices or homes. For example, for a Fortis Montana 5.0 m turbine on a 120 ft tower, this is a circle with a 131 ft radius (262 ft diameter) centered at the tower base.

Fortis Wind Turbines      (back to top)

Due to less-than-optimal experiences with other brands of wind turbines, Renovus now exclusively installs high quality small wind turbines made in Holland and distributed in the U.S. by Fortis Wind Energy U.S.

Renovus has installed several Fortis turbines in upstate New York. We carry out real-time monitoring (via the web) of every wind installation to verify performance, minimize downtime, and avoid problems for our customers. If you have us design and install a wind system for you, monitoring is not an option, it is mandatory.

Before settling on any brand of turbine, we recommend that potential customers take time to compare production claims from the turbine manufacturers. The rated power (kW = kilowatts) output of a small wind turbine should be based on an 11 m/s (25 mph) wind speed. Annual energy output (AEO) estimates (kWh = kilowatt-hours) should be presented in a graph or table where you can determine how much energy the turbine will produce at your average annual wind speed. If you don't know your average annual wind speed (see below), then you won't have a clue how much energy your wind turbine will produce. Ask for a modeled estimate of turbine energy (kWh = kilowatt-hours) production based on your site's specific wind resource and terrain characteristics. Used and interpreted properly, these models will give you an idea of how much energy you can expect annually from a given turbine at your site.

Tower Height      (back to top)

An excellent rule of thumb is to size the tower so that the hub height (center of the alternator) is at least 30 ft above the tallest object within 500 ft (0.1 mile!). The 500 ft rule increases to 3000 ft (greater than 1/2 mile!) if your tower site is near an abrupt change in height of a contiguous object such as a cliff or a dense forest bordering a field.

Another rule of thumb for small wind turbines: Put it on the tallest tower you can afford (within reason, meaning less than 200 ft). The energy economics almost always get better as your tower gets taller.

Cost Estimates     (back to top)

The installed cost of a wind system varies widely and depends on many things including: the size of the turbine, the height and type of tower, and where the tower site is in relation to the point of interconnection to the utility grid. Contact us for more information about this - but please - do your homework first to assess your wind resource.

Based on our experience in upstate New York, costs for a permitted, fully-commissioned, grid-connected residential small wind system can range from a minimum of $15,000 to well over $100,000 before tax credits and incentives are applied.

Tax Credits and Incentives      (back to top)

The Federal government offers an income tax credit of 30% of total project costs for grid-connected or off-grid residential small wind systems. For more detailed information, refer to page 2 of Federal tax form 5695.

NYSERDA's small wind incentive program (PON-1098) offers incentives based on the individual qualified turbine, instead of the size or output of the turbine. This incentive helps offset the up-front costs of the installation. Renovus is an eligible installer in the PON-1098 incentive program. Other state and/or federal assistance may be available for agricultural and commercial operations.

Net metering of wind power is available in New York through the large investor-owned utilities (NYSEG, National Grid, Central Hudson, etc.). Net metering works like this - at the end of each month, net excess generation for wind turbines of 10 kW or less is credited to the next month's bill at the retail rate. Net excess generation for systems larger than 10 kW is credited to the next month's bill at the "avoided cost" (essentially, wholesale) rate. Total excess generation at the end of the year is paid for at the avoided cost rate. As a result of the net metering law, the utilities have prepared tariffs that are submitted to the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) for approval.

Finally, New York provides a 15-year real property tax exemption for solar and wind energy systems. The original law exempting solar, wind and farm waste energy systems from NYS property tax for a period of 15-years, and which expired on January 1, 2006, has been reinstated and now extends through December 31, 2010. To claim the exemption, the property owner must submit form RP-487 from the New York State Office of Real Property Services (ORPS) to the city or town assessor.

Service Plans      (back to top)

All wind systems installed under the NYSERDA small wind incentive program (PON-1098) have a five-year parts and labor warranty.

All wind turbines require maintenance. Period. As a minimum, any small wind turbine should be inspected and serviced every year. This is usually done by the original installer and will involve a separate service agreement beyond the five-year NYSERDA program warranty period. As important as the annual professional inspection is the day-to-day observation of the system by the owner. The system owner should be able to notice potential problems such as new noises, excessive tower motion or vibration, inverter error messages, or anything else that seems unusual. Unattended or unmonitored small wind systems are an invitation to problems - which is why Renovus requires web-based monitoring of all Fortis wind systems that we install (see above).

Finding Your Wind Speed      (back to top)

New Yorkers can look up the average annual wind speed at their proposed installation sites using the New York Small Wind Explorer. Detailed instructions on using the tool are available on the site.