My mother has about 5 acres next to a freeway in a rather rural (well to me anyway, I have only seen a cow up close once and it was urinating and scared the bejeezus out of me) with a nice little field all backed up against the freeway surrounded by a couple stands of trees. I can’t tell if there are vernal pools yet on the property in that area but there are a couple pools that I have seen large tadpole develop in before they dry up.
I bring this up because for a couple of years my mother has been interested in putting up a small wind turbine to help take her farm/house off the grid a little bit more. I suppose my main concern is with pay back. She is only an educator, not a professional athlete, however with the new rebates (Thanks Ohio!) it seems more and more likely that she might be able to go in that direction. In fact, if planned properly, payback of all the costs could be as soon as 3 to 5 years!
Anyway, here is a Wall Street Journal article about the whole shebang including the usual NIMBY attitude, a brief discussion on the rumor of bird strikes and some cost to power output comparisons. Not the most exciting stuff but it IS only Sunday morning.
Also, for you other Ohioans who are thinking about putting up your own turbine, how about a handy Ohio Wind Speed Map to help you out?
And for you non-Ohioans who are now wind curious, how about a resource for you guys?
Remember these guides are just simple guides. You will have to take into account the height of the turbine you want to put up as wind conditions can change drastically at different elevations. Bowling Green's windfarm is a great example for you naysayers. Four turbines can provide power for 3,000 residents!
It would just be rude if I ignored the Great Lakes Science Center's very own turbine.
Hey Mom, if you read this, lets check out those ponds and put up a wind turbine!
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