Wind-Driven Local Wind Energy Workshop Draws Global Interest By Whitney Heavner Appalachian State University’s appropriate technology program has been around since the time “green,” as a character trait, simply meant envious. The program, a division of Appalachian’s technology department since 1984, continues to be a leader in implementing renewable energy projects, attracting attention from around the world. Participants in a workshop on wind energy hosted by the Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative and Southwest Windpower help to assemble a Skystream wind generator on Beech Mountain. Southwest Windpower joined with the Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative (WNCREI), an ASU-lead program, to host a workshop on installing wind generators for homes and small businesses. The conference, which took place October 21st and 22nd at the Beech Mountain Research and Development Facility in Avery County, brought in over forty attendees from sixteen states and four countries. Residential Power Plants Southwest Windpower is the world’s largest producer of small wind generators, selling 100,000 over twenty years. Last weekend marked the third year the Flagstaff, Arizona-based company has journeyed to Beech Mountain to conduct hands-on installation training, and each of its products is currently set up at the Research and Development Facility. According to Josh Levinson of Southwest Windpower, the goal of the company is to change the way the public views wind energy. “We’re trying to get people to see our products as residential power plants, using terms such as ‘generator’ instead of ‘turbine’ and ‘sound’ instead of ‘noise.’” Southwest Windpower’s newest wind generator, the Skystream, was the focus of this year’s workshop, and participants were able to assemble and erect a Skystream at the research site. The product, which was just released last week, embodies the company’s stated mission: “The Skystream is affordable, quiet, and blends in with its environment. It’s something acceptable to homeowners,” Levinson said. The Skystream, which is as “easy on the eyes” as a light post, directly connects to the main electric panel of the home, supplying up to the full energy demand of the building. “The wind generator works with the regular utility for the home, so when there is not enough wind available, the utility kicks in. You’re never without power,” Levinson assured. J.M. Yeager, a sales engineer for Southwest Windpower, added, “The Skystream is all self-contained, and it’s cost-efficient to install. It’s also battery-less and elegant looking.” According to Yeager, the product has a peak power capacity of 2.4 kilowatts, and is rated at 1.8 kilowatts in winds that are 9 meters/second — a lower wind speed than previous standards of evaluation. “We’ve taken a step forward by rating the Skystream in lower wind regimes, which encourages our competitors to do the same,” Yeager said. A Logical Choice Not only is the Skystream cheaper to install than older wind generators, but it is also grid-tied, which means the extra energy it generates is fed back to the electrical grid. Through “net metering,” the utility company then buys back this extra energy. With net metering, government incentives, and tax rebates, the payback time after installing a small-scale wind generator is now less than ten years, and sometimes as low as five years. Levinson pointed out, “It’s hard to calculate payback, because there are so many factors involved. But the benefits to the environment are immediate.” North Carolina offers a 35% renewable energy tax credit to single-family dwellings. “All in all, wind offers an exceptionally low cost of energy,” Yeager said. Appropriately Technological With support from the Tennessee Valley Authority, the North Carolina Energy Office, the U.S. Department of Energy, and Appalachian State University, the Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative, which was originally the Western North Carolina Small Wind Initiative, has been able to hold 22 workshops on renewable energy over the past three years. Dr. Dennis Scanlin, the director of Appalachian’s appropriate technology program, said “Wind is a very viable method of energy consumption, and we estimate that there are 60,000 residential and farm sites in the 24 western counties that can benefit from small-scale wind generators.” Indeed, western North Carolina experiences some of the highest average wind speeds in the United States, and the U.S. Department of Energy has inquired into the feasibility of wind energy in this area. Appalachian culture has a rich tradition of environmental stewardship, and the university attracts students who are interested in environmental issues. According to Dr. Scanlin, “there has never been as much interest in renewable energy as there is today, and our program is receiving a lot of attention from colleges that would like to model their programs after ours. People are calling us who are actually installing their own systems.” And graduates of the ASU appropriate technology program are working all over the world in support of renewable energy. “They’re starting their own businesses and stimulating the economy, creating new industries and new jobs worldwide,” Scanlin said.