Blown Away: Rooftop Home Wind Turbines on the Rise

The winds of change are blowing in the direction of clean energy, including turbines for individual home owners. In that sense, we’re heading back to the future.  It wasn’t that long ago that windmills were a common site beside farm houses across the country.  It may become commonplace again.

The recent news  is that the county council in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, approved an ordinance yesterday that will allow the construction of windmills up to 125 feet tall on the properties of homeowners, according to a report in the Annapolis Capital.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy is planning to raise an almost 200 foot test wind tower just north east of Annapolis Harbor, on a point of land with prominent radio towers called Greenbury Point. The idea is to test the winds to see if generation is practical.

Some critics of Anne Arundel County's wind bill claimed that allowing turbines in the suburbs would look ugly and drive down property values.   But, in the end, the council voted unanimously in favor of the measure, with some admitting that existing electricity towers are similar, but cause little harm.

"It's the first avenue into alternative energy," said Council Vice Chairman Ron Dillon, a Republican from Pasadena, who pushed the wind turbine proposal through the council. "We have to do something different to reduce our dependence on oil."

Wind power is a valuable tool.  But, to be honest, more wind generation will do little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil –- because very little electricity is generated through the burning of petroleum.  In Maryland, for example, only 2 percent of our electricity comes from the burning of oil, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. By contrast, 61 percent of the state’s electricity comes from the burning of coal, 29 percent from nuclear power, 6 percent from natural gas, 2 percent from hydroelectric, and 1 percent from “other.”

So, wind power is good -- but let's be clear about the reasons why. More wind power could cut down on our burning of coal and natural gas, which contribute to global warming.  Burning coal is especially bad, because it adds mercury and nitrogen pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.  Those are good reasons to celebrate the vote by the Anne Arundel County Council.

We may be seeing the edge of a wave.  The blog e360 reports that construction of small-scale wind turbines is growing rapidly across the country, and not just in rural areas – but also atop buildings in cities including New York

“In 2009, despite an abysmal economy, the U.S. small wind market (turbines with rated capacities of 100 kilowatts or fewer) grew by 15 percent, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). That growth included an increase of 20.3 megawatts of new capacity and $82.4 million in sales,” the blog reports.

The total amount of electricity generated from small-scale windmills is still small – 100 megawatts total in the U.S., about the equivalent of one-fifth the output of an average coal-fired power plant. “But more than half of that capacity came online in only the last three years, making small wind one of the fastest-growing renewable energy resources around,” the blog reports.

On my vacation recently, I was reminded of the longstanding role that wind power has played in American life.  My family stayed on the farm of a childhood friend in rural southwestern Wisconsin.  Next to the farmhouse, a century-old windmill rises up, serving as a landmark but no longer functioning.  It looked scenic and historic, with vines crawling all over it.

Perhaps soon such monuments will be a fixture of the future, as well as the past. And maybe they will start springing up all over Anne Arundel County, as well as the rest of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Why not, for example, build wind turbines in the public right-of-way along highways?  How about on empty industrial properties in cities like Baltimore and Richmond? Turbines are not just for the vast open spaces anymore.

By Tom Pelton

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

(Photo purchased from iStockphoto)

Comments

[Mary D]

Tom, thanks for the info re: the sources of electricity used by Maryland. Do you know where I could find that info for Florida? I came across stats for 2005 on the Department of Energy's site but couldn't find anything more recent.

[Tom Pelton]

Thanks for the question, Mary.

Florida gets 48.3 percent of its electricity from natural gas, 23.7 percent from petroleum, 18.5 percent from coal,7.1 from nuclear power, 1.8 from renewables, .1 from hydroelectric and the rest from "other."

This is according to the US Department of Energy

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profiles/florida.html

[Tom Pelton]

I posted a link to this Bay Daily article on CBF's Facebook page, and asked the question: "Would you object if your neighbor raised a wind turbine on his property? Would you object if a wind farm was built in the Chesapeake Bay?"

50 people responded, with 41 of them suggesting they favor turbines next door and in the Bay, 5 expressing opposition, and 4 posting comments that did not answer the question.

Here is a sampling of some of the responses:

* I remember them in western PA. They look great. For people that compalin about scenary, ask them about smog, or oil in the water, or nuke towers, etc. No objections.

* I'd like to have some myself.

* would have NO problem with either

* We visit Lewes, Delaware each summer....where they recently raised a wind turbine. It looks very pretty and my family appreciates what a wonderful thing it is doing for clean energy!

* NIMBY. On second thought, I live on a golf course...which I think would be an excellent location for wind turbines...kind of like a large scale miniature golf course.

* Solar Panels and turbines....Constellation Energy would want a cut so Mayo Shattuck could get his pound of flesh out of it.

* I think its a great idea... Or turbines that turn with the current in the ocean?? Could someone do that? If we can harness the power of the wind and the water, and make ourselves less reliant on fossil fuels... Its a win-win situation...

* I don't know about a wind farm since we have large ships that come through. I made a comment once that perhaps it could be done off the coast of Poquoson or another area where large ships do not pass close to the shore. I would be find with them on the roof since we do have neighbors in my area with them.

* That would be so cool!!

* everyone should have one at their house. energy made at the source.

* I would much rather see a windfarm built around or in the chesapeake bay than an oil well. we've seen what has happened in the gulf. clean energy.

* I suppose a bunch of windmills are preferable to a set of nuclear reactors or new coal plants belching smoke.

* I'm good with it

* I've always read structures are good for marine life.

* sounds good to me! and i'm a science teacher and marine biologist.

* great to me! but of course I install turbines so I am biased. But then again I got into the business because I felt we need more of them around!

* Not a problem

* Wind turbines are better that drilling off the shore, especially in case something goes wrong, or a nuclear power plant slightly heating the bay water and throwing off the entire estuary.

* I'd like to see a row of helical turbines along Waterside drive, powering downtown Norfolk.

* This is one form of energy production that WON'T harm the environment around us. And, if handled correctly, there would be minimal visual impact for those who object. I, myself, kind of like the look of these things, but I can see (no pun intended) how you might get too much of a good thing.

[Rich Johnson]

I have a 20 Kilowatt Wind Turbine on a 100 foot tower in Saint Mary's County. It is not for everyone, but Government should not prevent one from installing one. I ran into this problem with Maryland Critical Area. I had the Governor on one side of his mouth saying Green was good, but when I first started the process, I ran into many roadblocks in doing it. After 2 years, I have my turbine up and running, and my utility SMECO was very supportive. You can read the story below.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/money/md-man-builds-wind-turbine-at-his-home-to-save-on-energy-expenses-060210

[Tom Pelton]

Your case sounds symptomatic of the problems faced in general by wind power: Everyone acknowledges that it’s good in the abstract, but when it gets down to the concrete local level, too often barriers get in the way.

[Ian Worrall]

wind power will be a part of the solution to using fossil fuels like coal. The dangers of nuclear power are evident in that we've had 3 major meltdowns of reactors around the world.