First
How do I know if my company/school/community can benefit?
This does require a careful look at the load, electrical rates, wind resource, and site. There are many factors which can aid an installation, or stop it in its tracks. Waterline can help you navigate this, and ensure your project is viable, and moves forward on time and on budget.
Second
What is Commercial Scale Wind?
Typically, we are looking at systems ranging from 100 kW to 600 kW, but there may be opportunities to install turbines in the megawatt (MW) range. You can capture better wind and more of it the larger and higher you go, but again—it’s all related to the load and to the site specifics. Give us a call and we’ll come assess your site for free.
Third
Can I benefit without having to pay?
There’s no such thing as a free lunch. But there are all you can eat buffets for $5.99. There are good companies out there that will structure your project as a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), in which they pay for the cost of installation and annual maintenance. However, you do need to have a viable project. Typically this involves a feasibility study and wind data from your site. These do cost money, but there are incentives which make the out of pocket expense pretty appealing. From there, you can be the recipient of cheap, clean energy without having to pay the large capital costs. Waterline works with investors who invest in clean energy projects.
Fourth
What permitting do I need to worry about?
There are a number of considerations, especially if you are looking at a tower of 30-60 m (100-200 ft approx.). Local zoning, permitting, FAA restrictions, utility interconnection, and more. But unless you deal with this daily, you should not worry much about it. Waterline is positioned to help you through this process to keep your project moving forward.
Fifth
How long does it take?
Realistically, 18 months is a short period of time from the beginning data gathering to commissioning of a wind turbine. Some projects take a couple years to come to fruition. It starts with gathering wind data specific to your site, which typically takes 6-12 months. In this time, a lot of zoning and permitting work can begin. Once everything is gathered, the project is viable and ready to move forward, engineering a foundation, selecting a turbine, and preparing the site can all begin. Procuring a turbine can take 3-12 months depending on the size and manufacturer (large steel towers and long fiberglass blades take time to create). While this may seem long, it is important to have everything in order and done properly to ensure 20 + years of energy production.