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His Personal Windmill Saves Energy

BLOOMSBURG, PA (AP) - Dan Broadt has turned to the wind to power his home, saying the new turbine towering over his backyard can cut his electricity bill by 50-75 percent a month.

Broadt sells the turbines at his business, but he’s a customer, too, erecting one of the $7,500 windmills at his home along Ridge Road.

It may take five to 10 years for a customer to recoup the initial investment, he said. But as energy costs rise, the payback time becomes shorter.

Monthly savings depend on the amount of electricity a household uses and the wind potential of an area, Broadt said.

One benefit to renewable energy is that prices will hold steady, unlike traditional utility rates, which can go up, according to Tom Tuffey of the environmental advocacy group Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future.

Broadt is using the same model - 33 feet tall and over 600 pounds - that spins outside TPC Power Center along Route 11 in Scott Township, the business he and his brother operate.

Despite the long-term advantages, Broadt said some of his customers still balk at paying $7,500 for a turbine, which doesn’t include installation equipment or paying someone to erect it.

“ It’s kind of a tough sell,” he acknowledged.

He’s quick to point out that energy savings aren’t the only benefit of wind power.

“ Everybody likes to save money, but we need to reduce our dependence on coal and foreign oil for energy,” he said.

From an environmental perspective, turbine owners can rest assured that they are decreasing the size of their carbon footprint by using “clean energy” to partially power their homes.

It’s like using energy-efficient light bulbs, but on a larger scale, Broadt explained.

A typical household uses about 1,000 kilowatt-hours of energy every month, statistics show. A wind turbine, on average, will generate 500 to 700 kilowatt-hours monthly, according to Broadt.

“ This is not something that’s going to take care of all your energy needs,” he said. “It’s just a good way to offset costs.”

A kilowatt-hour means 1,000 watts of energy produced for one hour. A 50-watt light bulb left on for 20 hours, for instance, would use one kilowatt-hour of energy.

The turbine manufacturer, Skystream Energy, says the windmill can save up to 80 percent on electricity costs.

Here’s how the process works, according to Broadt:

The turbine’s blades begin turning once winds reach a speed of 6 mph, and an inverter inside the turbine begins generating energy when wind is blowing at 8-10 mph.

Energy is sent through an underground wire to the home’s power grid, which is still the primary source of power for the house.

The turbine generates energy even when it is not being used. At night, for instance, when all appliances are turned off but a breeze is still blowing, excess energy is stored on the grid for use during the day.

Energy from the turbine that feeds into the grid can actually turn the meter backward.

Any unused energy can be sold back to the electric company. PPL customers in this area pay between 10 and 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to Broadt, but can sell excess energy back to the company at a rate of 2 to 3 cents per kilowatt-hour.

An early concern for Broadt was how PPL officials would react to wind-energy initiatives, but he said they have been supportive.

Paul Wirth, a spokesman for PPL, said the company buys energy from two wind farms in the area and “would applaud any effort” to generate additional renewable energy.

That might be because PPL can sell excess energy to other states, including New York, at nearly twice the price it charges Pennsylvania residents.

At wind speeds of 20 mph, the turbine reaches its maximum output.

However, the turbine is designed to withstand winds of up to 140 mph, according to Broadt.

The blades automatically start to slow down once winds hit 23 mph, and the turbine will automatically shut itself off at about 55 mph, to avoid overproduction, Broadt said.

In case of a power outage, the unit also shuts down so it won’t be pumping electricity into the grid - a safety feature to prevent electrocuting someone trying to reboot the grid.

“ It has a lot of built-in protection,” Broadt said. “It kind of has a mind of its own.”

The turbine also comes equipped with an external, wireless remote display that indicates the wind speed and energy output. Using the remote, the owner can shut down the turbine from up to 1,000 feet away.

Installing a wind turbine increases property value by about $10,0000, according to Broadt.

But residents who are interested in one must first obtain permission from a local zoning board, which was Broadt’s biggest obstacle.

That was because there are no codes in place regarding wind turbines, since they are a relatively new phenomenon, Broadt explained. And officials are wary about setting a precedent that could open the door for larger-scale, commercial wind farms, he said.

The Skystream 3.7 turbine sits about 190 feet from Broadt’s house on his one-acre property. The company recommends that turbine owners have at least half an acre of land.

Broadt said he hasn’t heard any complaints from his neighbors so far. The whirring sound of the turbine’s generator tops out at 40 to 45 decibels, Broadt said.

By comparison, a normal conversation is about 35 decibels; external air conditioning units and pool pumps can emit more than 80 decibels, Broadt said.

“ You have to get right up next to (the turbine) to hear it,” he noted.

Some critics have argued that turbines pose a hazard to birds, Broadt said. But experts say turbines account for only about 1 percent of all bird strikes, whereas household windows and doors are responsible for about 4 percent.

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