Page last updated Oct 20, 2021 @ 10:08pm
Before calling about wind power...
Thanks for your interest in wind power. Before calling us about the SkyStream or about generating electricity with wind power please take a few minutes to gather the following preliminary estimates. This will save both you and us needless time on the phone.
(print this table and fill in the third column for your site)
Step | Instructions | Example | Fill in for Your Site |
1 | Look at a wind map for your site and determine the wind class number. Click here for the best maps on the DOE web site. Maps for most US states are available there. If a map for your state is not listed then click here for another list of lower resolution wind maps. We recommend a wind class of 3 or better. Sometimes a class 2 site is also acceptable. |
assume wind class 3 |
wind class ___ |
2 | Lookup the wind speed based on your wind class number and proposed tower height. Click here for the table. | A wind class 3 has an average wind speed of 11.5 to 12.5 mph at 33 feet tower height. | average wind speed ___ to
___ mph
___ft tower height |
3 | Now go to the energy output chart for the wind turbine you are considering and read the kWH (kilowatt-hour) output per month expected at the average wind speed from in step 2 above. Here are some links for this type of chart: SkyStream 3.7, WhisperLink200, AIR-X. | Use the SkyStream 3.7 as the example.
The SkyStream chart shows almost 400kHW per month. |
generator model _________
_____kWH per month |
4 | Look at one of your recent electricity bills. Take the total charges and divide by the kWH used for the month to estimate your cost for electricity. | $200.00 bill for 1,000 kWH
$200.00 ÷ 1,000 kWH = $0.20 per kWH or 20 cents per kWH. |
bill month ________
electric bill charge $_______ electric bill usage _____kWH calculated $0.___ per kWH |
5 | Calculate the value of the electricity generated by the proposed wind turbine at your site. To do this simply multiply the output from step 3 by the value of the electricity from step 4. This is the estimated average monthly savings on your electric bill. | 400kWH x $0.20 per kWH = $80.00 | ____kWH/mo x $0.__/kWh = $__.__ |
6 | Estimate the installed turbine cost. Click here for a list of our wind turbine models and their costs. Don't forget to add the tower cost at this link. Remember that this is just the equipment cost. Balance of system costs, foundations, wiring and installation are additional. For an approximation add 25% for installation. | Assume the installed cost of a SkyStream is $9,000.00. | equipment cost $_______
installed cost $_______ |
7 | Determine the federal and state financial incentives that might apply to the installation and operation of system at your location. Click here for a summary of these incentives. | Assume total tax credits of
$1,000 for installation plus $0.0085 per kWh annual tax credit for
electricity generated. $9,000 - $1,000 = $8,000 |
installed cost after credits $_______ |
8 | Finally, calculate a rough estimate of the payback time for the wind turbine. Do this by dividing the installed turbine cost by the savings per month. If there is a tax credit per kWh add that to the savings using the kWh from Step 3. |
400kWh x $0.0085/kWh = $3.40/mo savings So, $8,000 ÷ ($80.00/mo + $3.40/mo) = 96 months |
Step 3: ____kWh/mo simple payback period: ______ months ______ years |
Note that this is a very simplified preliminary evaluation. It does not consider factors such as actual site wind measurements, elevation effects, present value of money, future costs of electricity, environmental benefits, etc. But this does provide a starting point that will allow you to determine if wind power is worth considering further.
If the results of the above evaluation look promising, give contact NoOutage.com for further assistance! And click the following links for more information...
Are YOU ready for the next power outage?
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