Small-Scale Wind Energy on the Farm

Wind-generated electricity is attracting the interest of farmers, ranchers, and other landowners across the country. People find wind energy attractive for a variety of reasons, including its lower impact on the environment than other fuels and its potential economic benefits, writes Cathy Svejkovsky, National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) Energy Specialist.

In some situations, wind-generated electricity can help farmers and ranchers reduce their energy costs. This publication introduces small-scale wind energy to help farmers and ranchers decide whether wind energy is the right option for them.

Wind energy systems convert the power of the wind to electric power.

The machine that does the conversion is called a wind turbine (it is also sometimes called a windmill).

Wind energy systems are the fastest- growing technology in the energy sector: in the last 10 years, wind energy growth has averaged over 25% per year worldwide (World Wind Energy Association, 2012).

Small wind electric systems can make an important contribution to our nation?s energy needs.

Similar to the trend of wind power in general worldwide, small wind energy systems are being installed in ever-greater numbers, with an estimated 35% growth rate (World Wind Energy Association, 2012).

Many rural areas have sufficient wind speeds to make wind energy an attractive alternative, and farms and ranches can often install a small-scale wind energy system without a significant impact on their ability to plant crops and graze livestock.

Most farms and ranches have enough open land (generally an acre or more) to be able to use a wind turbine to provide a significant portion of their electricity from wind power.

Why Should I Choose Wind?

Wind energy can be a cost-effective small-scale renewable energy system.

Depending on the wind resource and the electricity consumption of a farm, a small wind energy system can lower electric bills, help avoid the high costs of extending utility power lines to remote locations, prevent power interruptions, and provide a non-polluting source of electricity.

How Do Wind Turbines Work?

Wind is created by the unequal heating of the Earth?s surface by the sun.

Cold and warm areas make pressure differences in the atmosphere, and air moves from higher-pressure areas to lowerpressure areas, creating winds.

Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical power that runs a generator to produce electricity.

Wind turbine blades are aerodynamically designed to capture as much energy as possible from the wind. The wind turns the blades, spinning a shaft connected to a generator that makes electricity.

Is Wind Energy Practical for Me?

A small wind energy system may provide a practical and economical source of electricity if:

• Your property has a good wind resource
• You have at least one acre of land in a rural area
• Your local zoning codes or covenants allow wind turbines
• Your have high electric energy (kWh) rates
• Your property is in a remote location that does not have easy access to utility lines
• You commonly experience utility power outages
• You are comfortable with long-term investments

It?s important to examine your reasons for wanting to purchase a wind energy system.

If your reasons are purely economic, you could be disappointed, since wind energy systems can have long payback periods.

If you are also interested in benefits such as environmental protection, independence, reliability, or energy security, you may find the cost and payback period perfectly acceptable.

Make sure you fully understand the results you can expect, as well as potential obstacles, such as zoning laws, generation capacity, maintenance requirements, and warranty coverage.

January 2013

Source: http://www.thebioenergysite.com/articles/8/wind/1358/smallscale-wind-energy-on-the-farm

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