1/13/2009 6:00:00 AM
Green power fails to generate savings
Kingman wind turbine has produced $80 worth of electricity since April
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| JAMES CHILTON/Miner
Paul Levesque and John Kirby stand in the yard of Dr. John Lingenfelter’s home at 1080 Riata Valley Road. Behind them, their 43-foot telescopic tower stands, several yards away from Lingenfelter’s own 33-foot Skystream 3.7 wind turbine. Kirby and Levesque hope to place an anemometer atop their tower to measure wind speeds at Lingenfelter’s home over the next month, in order to get an idea of why the turbine is producing only a fraction of its advertised capacity. |
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KINGMAN - Rumors of Kingman's windiness may have been greatly exaggerated. That, at least, has been the experience for Dr. John Lingenfelter.
Lingenfelter made ink in late April, when he became the first Kingman resident to purchase a Skystream 3.7 wind turbine for his home at 1080 Riata Valley Road. At the time the man who sold Lingenfelter the turbine, Scott Travis, told the Miner that the Skystream could be expected to produce anywhere between 30 and 85 percent of the doctor's electricity each month.
"The normal house uses approximately 3,000 kilowatts a month," Travis said at the time. "The generator will produce approximately 1,000 to 1,200 kilowatts a month at eight mile per hour winds, based on an eight-hour day."
But that has not been the case for Lingenfelter's turbine, which has produced only about 770 kilowatts of power since it was first activated June 1, according to John Kirby, the marketing director for the Gardens Rehab and Care Center and the nephew of Lingenfelter's special projects manager, Paul Levesque.
"It's far underperformed, and when you figure that a KW is 11 cents, we're at 770 kilowatts," Kirby said. "You're only talking $77, $80 that's been 'saved,' $80 worth of power in six months."
Considering the turbine cost Lingenfelter between $7,000 and $8,000 to purchase and install - and that's down from $14,000, thanks to rebates - Kirby said it would take many years for the turbine to pay for itself.
Even so, Kirby isn't sure the turbine manufacturers are to blame for the low output. He believes the reality may be simply that Kingman, despite a reputation for heavy winds, does not have consistent enough winds to allow the turbine to generate its advertised capacity.
The turbine, he noted, requires at least a constant eight mph wind to start generating power. It doesn't hit full production capacity until winds get at or above 12 miles per hour and stay there.
Kirby noted the Kingman Airport Authority's relocation guides have stated the highest average monthly wind speed in Kingman falls just under 12 miles per hour. According to data from the Western Regional Climate Center, the monthly reported wind speed at Kingman's airport averaged only 9.7 mph from 1996 to 2006, with June the windiest month at 12.3 mph.
"What we're interested in is finding out whether the wind is sufficient," Kirby said. "Everybody says Kingman is so dang windy, we just want to get a feel for it."
That's why Kirby and his uncle have, with the help of welder Don Jennings, constructed a telescoping steel tower designed to measure just how fast Kingman's winds are. For the next month, Kirby and Levesque plan to leave the tower, topped with an anemometer, on Lingenfelter's property set to a turbine-standard height of 33 feet to measure exactly how fast and consistently the wind blows there.
"We wanted to get a feel for exactly why we're producing as little as we are," Kirby said. "In this situation we're thinking we'll do it a month and compare it to what kind of power is being created. There's some thought here about perhaps going to the next size, the next taller pole."
Kirby said he and Levesque can raise the tower to as high as 43 feet currently, though they've considered eventually modifying it to extend to 60 feet, the maximum allowable height for wind turbines in Kingman. Over the next several months the duo hope to determine whether or not Lingenfelter's problem really is the turbine, or simply the location where it was built.
Kirby noted that once his experiments with Lingenfelter have concluded, he is considering lending the tower to other Kingmanites interested in knowing whether they have enough wind to make purchasing a wind turbine cost-effective.
"We think there may be an opportunity for folks that are contemplating using wind power," he said. "You get out north of town and you get into the Cerbat (Mountains) or something, and you may find it's perfect."
Kirby said he didn't intend for the measuring tower to threaten local wind turbine vendors' business, however, adding that it might even find use in helping to identify areas with suitable - or unsuitable - clients.
"I don't think we'd be making any enemies," he said. "I kind of think they could end up being our biggest customer."
For more information on John Kirby and Paul Levesque's wind-measuring tower, call (928) 715-0394.
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Posted: Thursday, January 15, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
I can go along with the argument on there not being enough consistant wind. I cannot go along with the eyesore comments. I consider trash and junk car filled property to be a eyesore. I consider trailers to be eyesores. Cheap and tacky strip malls are an eyesore. But we have plenty of all of those here in Mohave County.
Posted: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Article comment by:
Where's the meter at?????
You know I drove by Dr. Lingenfelter's home today, (Wed.) 1/14/2009, just to see the tower that measures wind. Funny I could not find it. Is this a story to bash the wind generators? I have had mine in only a short time, a month and a half and I have not been able to really get a good reading of the house except to compare my meter in December to my meter from last December. I saved 44.00. Is it really working I can't tell you now but I will be able to this time next year. By the way that was a 10% savings from last year even with the rate increase.
Posted: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
The so called common sense, and RESEARCH, that should be used needs to be taken out the equation. Should we constantly use common sense when dealing with the basic's of life? Do we have to constantly have to be in fear of wither our purchase, like that of the doctor, was based on some kinda common sense only to be bamboozled by our own need for survival, or some contractor? No, we don't, or we shouldn't be.
There was a time when we could get a telephone and there would be no question how it would work. You could depend on it to hear the other person at the other end, and you could depend on the fact that they could hear you. Now a days when you buy a phone you have to worry about wither or not it will do any of these things right. It has nothing to do with common sense and everything to to poor quality crap that is allowed to go on the market.
Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Welcome one and all to the "global warming" hoax. The largest scam ever-and it's being pulled on the entire planet. First, we were all going to melt the ice caps (not happening), now I just read a story that we are heading for another ice age. Anything to grant the government more power and control over our lives (and our money), and the willing lemmings march off the cliff of ignorance to their demise.
It's too bad this well-intended fellow wasted his money on the latest "save the earth" snake oil sales pitch.
But go ahead Kingmanites, eat up the hysteria and buy into the hype. Maybe we'll get to see hundreds of these ugly things marring the beautiful Hualapai landscape someday...won't that be nice?
Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
at my age of 64 I don't think an investment of windenergy would pay off for me.Can you tell me otherwise,we have a lot of wind in Dolan Sps.
Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Article comment by:
Peabody
@Common Sense --
Is 'common sense' just the name you're using, or was there supposed to be some in your comment?
Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Article comment by:
George
Good article and good information by Mark Hayes. Nice to see local citizens involving themselves in alternative energy sources.
Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Article comment by:
Common Sense
Wind generated power for "a private home or business" is an expensive scam to the individual buyer and an eye sore to the community.
Wind generated power belongs on a large isolated tract of land with many turbine fans to make a profit and serve the community as a whole. Hopefully placed in a part of Mohave County that will not be an eye sore to our greatest asset mother nature has provided us.
Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
The article refers to power consumption in "kilowatts", rather than the true reference, which is "kilowatt hours". In addition to the misinformation on the turbine performance, it seems rather far fetched that a "normal" home would consume 3000 kilowatt hours per month. I have a large solar power system for my home, which is above averge in size, and above average in power consumption. Our family of 5 uses an average of 1100 KWH per month. My 5.2 KWH solar system does indeed produce about 90% of that. And, it cost $24K, after all rebates, with a payback period of about 8 years. ($44K before rebates) Folks must do the research and run the numbers before making so significant a decision. Green is great! But be sure you are making a financially sound decision based on the facts...
Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Article comment by:
MS
I think solar has proven itself to be a better source of alternative energy. The reason I have not installed any alternative energy equipment is there is no government tested and approved solar systems that I know of. I expect a stamp of approval. I don't have the ability to experiment like Dr. Lingenfelter, even with the subsidy the government and UniSource offer.
On the subject of alternative energy; I tried to get information on tested and approved alternative energy equipment. I was referred to contractors by Unisource and the state of Arizona. This is unacceptable. As we can see the doctor spent $7,000.00 to save $80 over 6 mos. based on what a company said.
Posted: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Article comment by:
Mark Hayes
The problem is misinformation. If you look at the product info for the Skystream, it contradicts what Travis told the customer.
http://www.windenergy.com/documents/spec_sheets/3-CMLT-1338-01_Skystream_spec.pdf
According to the manufacturer, the Skystream generates about 200 KWH per month at average wind speeds of 11 MPH.
In this article Travis says "The generator will produce approximately 1,000 to 1,200 kilowatts a month at eight mile per hour winds, based on an eight-hour day."
Unless the article misquotes Travis, this turbine was sold based on really bad information, to say the least.
This is a shame. Wind power has lots of potential, but giving out bad information will only cause people to reject it.
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