Windpower
Andy Kruse and David Calley co-founded Southwest Windpower 21 years ago. They are determined to bring their Skystream 3.7 to semi-suburban and rural neighborhoods that can accommodate windmills.
Many small wind turbines have been purchased by backwoods mavericks disconnected from the power grid who want to supplement the electricity they draw from solar panels or diesel generators. Most require at least an acre of land so gusts aren’t blocked by nearby homes.
The $12,000, Skystream is largely for people with as little as a half-acre of land who are hooked to the grid but want to shave their electric bills by making their own power or selling it to the utility.
The sleek 170-pound turbine is as short as 34 feet and works with average wind speeds as low as 10 miles an hour. Blades spin quietly so as not to annoy neighbors. The turbine is suitable for 13 million homes and possibly up to 20 million if houses on less than a half-acre receive coastal wind.
Since November, Southwest Windpower has sold about 700 Skystream turbines and is poised to grab a big chunk of a $1 billion worldwide market for on-grid residential turbines.
After the Reagan administration phased out a tax credit for small wind turbines, most of the nation’s 25 small-turbine makers closed. Today, companies faces opposition from some town zoning boards and the lack of a federal tax credit that would make small turbines more economical for customers.
The average savings for turbine-equipped homes nationwide is about 40% and the typical payback period for a Skystream is 15 years. The company has sought a $4,000 federal tax credit for small wind systems in the energy bill which would reduce the average payback to nine years. However, Senate Republicans last month narrowly blocked an effort by refusing to let the measure come up for a vote as part of a renewable energy package.
Southwest Windpower plans to continue seeking support in Congress for the tax credit, but even without the tax credit, the company expects that small turbine economics can be improved by cutting installation costs.
Many small wind turbines have been purchased by backwoods mavericks disconnected from the power grid who want to supplement the electricity they draw from solar panels or diesel generators. Most require at least an acre of land so gusts aren’t blocked by nearby homes.
The $12,000, Skystream is largely for people with as little as a half-acre of land who are hooked to the grid but want to shave their electric bills by making their own power or selling it to the utility.
The sleek 170-pound turbine is as short as 34 feet and works with average wind speeds as low as 10 miles an hour. Blades spin quietly so as not to annoy neighbors. The turbine is suitable for 13 million homes and possibly up to 20 million if houses on less than a half-acre receive coastal wind.
Since November, Southwest Windpower has sold about 700 Skystream turbines and is poised to grab a big chunk of a $1 billion worldwide market for on-grid residential turbines.
After the Reagan administration phased out a tax credit for small wind turbines, most of the nation’s 25 small-turbine makers closed. Today, companies faces opposition from some town zoning boards and the lack of a federal tax credit that would make small turbines more economical for customers.
The average savings for turbine-equipped homes nationwide is about 40% and the typical payback period for a Skystream is 15 years. The company has sought a $4,000 federal tax credit for small wind systems in the energy bill which would reduce the average payback to nine years. However, Senate Republicans last month narrowly blocked an effort by refusing to let the measure come up for a vote as part of a renewable energy package.
Southwest Windpower plans to continue seeking support in Congress for the tax credit, but even without the tax credit, the company expects that small turbine economics can be improved by cutting installation costs.
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