In contrast to the bulk of blog postings relating to the Honeywell Windgate Wind Turbine by Earthtronics, I truly did some analysis for this article. In the process, it struck me that a house owner in Massachusetts might possibly end up paying solely $700 for a absolutely put in home wind turbine that might otherwise value around $half-dozen,000.

This magical worth reduction is the result of combining the currently familiar 30% IRS energy tax credit with rebates from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust (MRET). (Those of you living in alternative states can start here to investigate potential rebates, or call your state’s version of the Department of Energy for additional data).

Here’s the method it works. The MSRP for the Honeywell turbine is around $4,500 and I’ve guesstimated installation prices at around $1,five hundred for a total of $vi,000. I’ve low-balled the value of install since it needs only bolting the turbine to your roof with pre-designed hardware and wiring the all inclusive management package (inverter, etc.) to your home. If you opt to mount the turbine on a freestanding pole or tower the installation prices would be significantly additional relying on the kind and height of the tower.

Starting with the $6,000 estimated price, we tend to’ll first deduct the 30% tax credit ($1,800) for a remainder of $four,200. From this we’ll deduct $3,500 courtesy of MRET to arrive at the promised $700. The $3,five hundred MRET credit is the essential amount allowed for a tiny wind turbine rated at 2kW (kilowatts). On high of the $3,500, provisions have been made for added rebates based on the turbine’s subsequent verifiable power production.

In Massachusetts, the small wind rebate application is, by law, the responsibility of the installer. However, since the Honeywell turbine won’t be available till October 1, 2009, I can’t say for certain if it has been placed on the list of state approved turbines.

As of this writing, repeated phone calls and an email to MRET regarding the Honeywell’s eligibility haven’t been returned.

Power Output

As I discussed earlier, the Honeywell turbine it’s being marketed as a a pair of,000 kW (kilowatt) generator. In alternative words, it’s rated to supply 2000 kW over the course of a year, or approximately 166 kW per month – 18-20% of the average household’s annual power usage. In order for their turbine to generate this amount of electricity, the 5.seven’ prop would have to encounter average wind speeds of 16 mph.

But, as any wind surveyor can tell you, there simply isn’t that much wind blowing down around the typical urban/suburban home. The explanation is just too many buildings, trees, etc. obstructing the flow of wind and making turbulence – the #one enemy of wind power.

Of course there are exceptions. If you reside within the central plains states you’ll encounter a higher wind class attributable to the lack of obstructions just mentioned.

Sure, you will get wind at terribly low altitudes, however in most cases the velocity and consistency will not match the manufacturer’s predictions. At fifteen-eighteen feet (the height of a typical one story house) you’d be laborious pressed to encounter mean, average, or any other measurable wind speeds bigger than 12 mph.

At 12 mph, a 5.seven’ prop (the diameter of the Honeywell) would generate approximately 67 kWh of electricity per month, or about forty% of what is claimed in the ads. At $0.12/kWh this would translate to an estimated annual energy savings of $96.

Availability

In step with Earthtronics, the particular developer of the turbine, the units can be out there at Ace Hardware Stores around the 1st of October, 2009.

Once I visited the Ace Hardware web site I found no mention of the Honeywell turbine therefore I contacted customer service. The terribly pretty and useful gal who answered my decision told me though the turbine would indeed be sold by Ace Hardware, it might be up to the individual franchisee to stock the item.

She more went on to provide me a phonephone variety I might pass along to the owner of my local Ace store in case she or he did not know the way to order the turbine.

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