Living green
Menallen couple look for energy savings from newly installed windmill For one local couple, the gentle humming they hear in their yard translates into money in the bank.
To their knowledge, Jeff and Robin Bierer are the first couple in Fayette County to install a residential windmill at their home on Canistra Road, Menallen Township.
The 45-foot-tall Skystream 3.7 Wind Generator will supply from 40 to 90 percent of their home energy needs.
And, Jeff Bierer said, it appears to have made a difference in the short time they have had it connected to their home.
“I can’t say this is a real test yet but I looked at our electric bill for May 2009 and it was $130. Our electric bill for May (2010) was $12,” he said.
The Bierers said they began examining wind-powered electric generators about a year ago in an effort to be more in tune with the environment.
However, the project was not cheap.
The windmill cost $15,000, Jeff said, although “with state and federal government tax credits that comes down to about $10,000. But the manufacturer said it will pay for itself within about five years.”
Already he has noticed that when the turbine blade spins “at a good rate, my electric meter runs backwards.”
The Bierers, owners of the Blue Moon Cafe and Pub, 375 S. Mt. Vernon Ave., Uniontown, have been married for 12 years and built their home in Menallen Township three years ago. Pine Hollow Mechanical Inc. in Uniontown, owned by Brett Swaney, installed the machine. Manufactured by an American company, Southwest Windpower Inc. in Flagstaff, Ariz., the machine has a five-year warranty, but “it should last my lifetime” with proper maintenance and service every five years, Jeff Bierer said.
He also has the company’s computer program, Skyview 2.0, which will let him download and track the system’s energy production history. Skystream stores daily energy production to an onboard memory chip and has capacity for several years’ worth of data.
“That means I can go on my computer and see how much money I am saving,” Jeff added.
The Bierer’s neighbors seemed to have signed off on it. “No one has complained. We’ve had no problems with township officials. We had to deal with K2 Engineering (which represents the township) but they were very cooperative,” Jeff said.
“I feel we are doing something positive for the environment,” Robin said. “I know a lot of people won’t have the money for it, but, as time goes by, the price might come down,” she said.
That doesn’t stop people from asking questions.
“Sometimes I have a hard time getting the yard work done because people keep stopping and asking about it,” Robin said.
According to the company’s website, Skystream 3.7 was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Skystream was designed from the start for homeowners and businesses looking for a quiet, convenient and affordable way to protect themselves from ever-increasing electricity costs. The initial prototype has been operating at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado for almost two years and has undergone extensive duration, performance and reliability testing, the company said.
Criteria for those interested in buying a Skystream include having at least 10 miles per hour average wind speed, although best results come at 12 miles per hour; property size of at least a half-acre with unobstructed views; local zoning that permits a structure at least 42 feet tall; and an existing interconnection agreement with the local utility. The windmill also must be at least 45 feet from the house. The Bierer’s windmill is anchored in 12 yards (324 cubic feet) of cement. If the wind becomes too strong, the windmill will shut down to prevent damage. It comes on automatically and will pivot with the direction of the wind.
Skystream has a rated capacity of 2.4 kilowatts and can help offset a house hold or small business’s total energy needs.
“When the wind isn’t blowing, the utility supplies your electricity. But when it’s windy out, your Skystream pivots to catch the best wind and provides clean, quiet electricity. When it generates more electricity than you need, your meter can actually spin backwards – which means you’re essentially selling electricity back to the utility,” according to the company. Skystream also qualifies for a 30 percent tax credit through the American Recovery and Re-investment Act (2009 stimulus package).
For more information, go online to www.skystreamenergy.-com.