Wind interest grows; Greenbush turbine going strong

Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative's Tony Washington and Heartland member John Needham talk about the installation of a new wind generator at Needham's home. The unit will be the third wind generator on the HREC system

The wind turbine at the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush has been turning for just over a year now.
In addition to the valuable hands-on example it presents to area students learning about electricity, kinetic energy, and the future of power generation, it also provides some practical data on the potential of wind generation in Southeast Kansas.
The wind turbine, which can theoretically generate a maximum of 1339 kilowatt hours each month under ideal conditions, has averaged about 300 kilowatt hours each month, giving it an efficiency of 22 percent. At Heartland’s current rate of 9.15 cents per kilowatt hour, that adds up to $27.45 saved each month on Greenbush’s electric bill.
As all Kansas residents know, we have our windy months, and then there are months where the breeze hardly stirs at all. That is reflected in the data from the Greenbush wind turbine.
The windiest month for the wind turbine this past year was March, when the wind
generated 507 kilowatt hours, offsetting $46.39 worth of electricity for Greenbush. December came in next with 436 kilowatt hours, followed by April with 429 kilowatt hours.
But there were the slow months as well.
July showed little generation, with the turbine creating just 108 kilowatt hours, offsetting only $9.88 in electricity. August was a little better with 139 kilowatt hours, followed by May, with 171 kilowatt hours.
At that rate, if the wind turbine continues to generate $330 annually, it would take about 35 years for a professionally installed wind turbine with a cost of $12,000 to pay for itself here in Southeast Kansas. (Click here to determine the financial details of your own wind turbine!)
Heartland member John Needham hopes to cut that payback significantly by putting a wind turbine like the one at Greenbush on top of a recycled light pole and doing all of the installation himself.
“I’ve been looking at wind turbines for quite a while now,” said Needham, who said technology and costs have finally arrived at the place where such an installation appears to be economically feasible.
“This is the only one I thought you’d return your money on,” he said.
By placing the wind turbine on top of a recycled municipal light pole, and doing the wiring and trenching himself, do-it-yourselfers like Needham may cut the installed cost to between $4,000 and $6,000.
While the Greenbush wind turbine is primarily there for education, and others go up due to concerns about climate change, Needham said his only motivation is saving money.
“I’m cheap,” said Needham. “My dad was really cheap and always had ideas of self-sufficiency.”
Needham’s wind turbine will provide power to a home built from super-insulating straw bales. He also utilizes solar power to heat water for his family.
“I’m not worried about the environment,” said Needham. “It’s cheapness for me.”
Considering all Needham’s cost-cutting and efficiency measures, he may be the first to generate excess power which would then be sold back to Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative.

More Heartland News >>