An option for Lakewood to consider

[Donald Farris]

Hi,
I have read and heard on the radio (yesterday on NPR) several discussions regarding alternative energy in general and wind powered energy generation specifically that I wanted to share with you.

I did read about the efforts in upstate NY to install wind generators throughout the land and in some cases very close to people’s homes. I would not want to see our beautiful city littered with these machines throughout the neighborhoods. I would not want to see people have to live in close proximity to them. I do support NY state’s goal of being 100% self sufficient on their energy needs. But that must be done in a manner that respects their citizens.

What I see that is different from what is being discussed here is the placement. The best place for the wind generators in NE Ohio is out on the Lake. That is far away from people’s homes. We have the choice of them being located within site or out of site. Located within site we become a tourist attraction. In the case we elect to place them out of site, I can not think of a way they would impact our lives in a negative fashion. Can you?

Some of my friends don’t feel that wind generators are practical yet. I know in Europe they are used more and more. Why I even understand Ireland has built a small wind farm off shore. Have any of you seen it? See: http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/wind_turbines/en/downloads/ge_36_brochure_new.pdf (Note: That’s a big PDF so wait for it to come up.) In it there is a picture of the Arklow Wind Farm which consists of 7 GE 3.6 mw generators. I have read that GE is field testing a 5mw generator in Ireland. Bigger is more efficient and easier to do off shore where barges can be employed for installation. Off shore wind generation doesn’t make sense everywhere. But by my limited understanding of it, I see a perfect fit. Granted we will need experts to agree before we actually do it.

In the US other cities are reaping the benefits of wind generation now. See: Catching knots for watts This was in the Boston Globe earlier this week. It mentions Hull, MA:

“Squeezed by rising energy costs and inspired by Hull's two wind turbines, communities south of Boston are looking to the wind to power their schools, municipal buildings, and waste-water treatment plants.â€Â￾

That’s amazing! Some of us are thinking about it while other communities are doing it. They tested it on a small scale and it worked so they are building more.

â€Â￾ Hull's 660-kilowatt turbine, or ''the little guy," was installed in 2001 and has produced over 6 million kilowattt-hours of energy, saving the town an average of $185,000 a year, according to John MacLeod, operations manager of the town's light department. The new 1.8-megawatt machine, installed at the town's landfill this spring, is projected to save half a million dollars each year."

Please reread that Lakewood voters and members of City Council and the School Board. They are going to save $ 500,000 a year from that Wind generator alone. As conventional energy cost rise they will save more. That’s with a less efficient generator than is available now on a site that is probably not as good as Lake Erie.
The other thing that I really like about Wind generators is their modular nature. You put 1 in and it generates some energy and saves you some money. For instance, we could “testâ€Â￾ wind generators by building 1 off shore to service our waste treatment plant and suddenly Lakewood is the first site in the nation to have off shore wind power and we are saving on the cost of our waste water treatment. With that experience under our belts we could look at addressing other energy needs in other places in our City. The schools come to mind. We could calculate how much energy they need, place an appropriate number of generators off shore so the net usage works out to 0 and save all that money. Anyone know the electric bill of the Lakewood School System?

If the 1 wind generator does not reveal unacceptable negatives and it proves to be cost effective, we can keep adding more. All the time we are doing this, starting with just that first wind generator, America and the World will be learning of this progressive little town in north east Ohio that is doing something about addressing their energy needs other than just raising taxes again. Why the PR alone would pay for the effort of that first Wind generator. But that will be an added bonus. Please think about it. But the clock is ticking. There will only be 1 place in America that is the first to produce energy from the wind off shore and many places are actively working on being that place as I type. Can you tell me where the first plane was flown? Can you tell me the second place?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and please tell me what you think about it.

[Tom Bullock]

FYI--The Sherrod for Senate campaign is picking up on the wind/clean power message. See story in PD below, plus view press conference below.

Note that Sherrod cites the job growth potential of wind power, ethanol, and other green energy at 3:35-3:50 on the time track.

http://e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic ... af1b402865

http://www.sherrodbrown.com/story/2006/5/20/172042/952

[Michael Donnelly]

Agree with you that turbine wind generation deserves to be looked into more, and I think off-shore sites would make the most sense, perhaps as part of a breakwall project of some type. Not sure that it's a project to attempt on the city level.
You might be interested in the new turbine that has been set-up downtown at the Great Lakes Science Museum. I believe that the Cleveland Foundation is interested in promoting this technology.

[Lynn Farris]

I am fascinated at the wide range of appeal that Wind Energy has. Where I disagree with you Mr. Donnelly is that if cities like Bowling Green can do it - so can Lakewood. I believe that we can get grants to do this on the Lake as a test and an experiment - if it works as well as anticipated we can do more.

As I understand it the city is looking for options for energy for the waste water treatment plant. A good test would be using this for the energy needed and the savings would save all of Lakewood. We would still be on the grid like we are now. But when we are generating power the meter runs backwards and we sell power to First Energy instead of buying it. And it is my understanding that it is at the same rate.

When the wind blows, Dollars flow.

[Donald Farris]

Hi,
Meet Tusli Tanti,

That's him standing in front of a Wind Generator. Twelve years ago Mr. Tanti's textile business was straped with rising cost of energy. (Looking back it appeared to be cheap then). He found the answer blowing in the wind. He started back then with 2 windmills to power his factory. Now his main business is Suzlon Energy with annual revenues of $ 850 million.

You can read the full article at: http://www.forbes.com/business/global/2006/0605/042.html

I wanted to point this person out for several reasons. First he has been doing it for 12 years. That's well into the life cycle of a windmill and it still seems cost effective.

The second reason for the post is think about what the City could do with a surplus of inexpensive energy. We could encourage a citizen (or group of citizens) of Lakewood to start producing windmills and maybe one day compete with Vestas with an enterprise running here in Lakewood. like Mr. Tanti is. Perhaps instead of offering businesses tax abatements to move to Lakewood we could offer homes and businesses cheap reliable energy.

Finally our government could start to operate and provide more services for less tax dollars.

More services for Less taxes, that's what I want to see Lakewood do!

What's the annual energy budget for the City?

What's the annual energy budget for Lakewood Hospital?

And again I have to ask, What's the annual energy budget for the Lakewood School System?

Come on, somebody out ther has to know this?

[DougHuntingdon]

inexpensive? Is this a serious post? Do you secretly own stock in a windmill factory already? Do you even have a tiny amount of evidence showing that wind power can be generated in Lakewood at a cheaper cost than other methods, such as coal-generated power? The Forbes article states: "India's power is woefully inadequate during summer months when temperatures soar to 115 degrees Fahrenheit and demand peaks. In Delhi, the national capital, a recent heat wave compelled the government to mandate early shuttering of stores and to ban home air-conditioner use until after 9 p.m." Lakewood is much different than Mumbai or Delhi or even Toronto. I know that our neighbors on the other side of the lake have supposedly pushed their power supply to the limit at times, but that was their own fault.

I know windmills are cool and are getting a lot of press lately, nationally and internationally as well as locally, but it sounds like another money pit.

The windmill at the science center is still not plugged in. Does anyone know the timetable?

Doug

Vote NO on the Lakewood Windmill Levy!

[ryan costa]

Where does Mr.Tanti manufacture these windmills?

[DougHuntingdon]

It looks like they just opened up a plant in Minnesota, at least for the blades. The other parts are probably from Asia.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<With orders worth $600 million in hand from U.S., Chinese and Australian customers, Suzlon has invested in a service support facility and a workshop in Pipestone, Minnesota to manufacture rotor blades. At 140 feet these are longer than the wing of a 747 plane, so they are too expensive to transport across continents. Building them closer to the customer location obviates the logistical issues of transporting them from India."We're an Indian company that's creating 300 jobs in the U.S.," boasts Tanti.>>>>>>>>>

It also says in the article that they are very noisy and require 20 acres of land (for one megawatt).

Doug

Vote NO on the Lakewood Windmill Levy

[ryan costa]

At this scale it would seem that producing 1 megawatt on 20 acres would fit in well with Jim Kunstler's suggestion of downscaling American society. Towns of between 5 and 25 thousand people will become more ideal places to live and manage. At least, the ones without too many Meth Heads, doo-raggers, and wiggers(they say that on Saturday Night Live's weekend update. Is it ok here?)

I've been reviewing the numbers again. There are 2 billion people in China and India without cars, refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines. The argument for globalism is that it will allow them to live the way Americans are supposed to live. Last I heard there were 100 million automobiles in the U.S. That's one for every three people. It would take 666.7 million automobiles to get India and China living like Americans are supposed to live. 40 percent of the energy an automobile uses in its lifetime is spent merely manufacturing the automobile.(For you MBAs...This doesn't translate into man hours). Making an allowance for greater fuel economy of smaller cars and a deduction for the energy cost of creating any alternative fuels or energy generating devices, let us say this translates into 500 Million additional Automobile Energy Demand Units. Africa and the Middle East are far closer India and China than to here. India and China have far more in material goods and intellectual services to trade than the United States. India and China to not rile up the Middle East by propping up Israel. India and China can potentially police the region better, because they have the potential to station far more pedestrian ground troops who work for less and don't sweat casualties like we do.

We can look forward to not importing any oil from the Middle East and the Eastern half of Africa. Unless the arguments for Globalism were a lie. Oil will get far more scarce here, regardless of how expensive it gets.

It may be a better idea to build an array of smaller windmills for some flexibility in the event of break downs.

[Donald Farris]

Hi,
Here's a new design small wind generator out of England. It is designed for use in a urban area. It's a 6kw that costs about $ 50,000



it can also have ad on it.

Full story at: http://www.quietrevolution.co.uk/

From the experts the bigger the wind generator the more efficient. The latest one's being built over water are generating 5mw.