Wind turbine project on hold
Grande Prairie’s wind energy pilot project was disrupted because a wind turbine installed near the Pete Eagar Fire Hall had a manufacturing defect.
Golden Sheep Power installed the turbine in February for a six-month study that looks at how people react to the turbine in an urban setting, from a visual and auditory perspective.
The malfunctioning turbine was removed and a new one is expected to arrive by early August, extending the study’s completion date to about October.
“It was too stiff to turn,” said Drennen Hallett, Golden Sheep’s CEO.
“We were actually doing fairly well. I think the city got quite a bit of feedback from the visual representation, but nobody could assess the audible because it didn’t turn unless the wind was really blowing.
“Between the city and us, we figured out what the problem was. We are going to put it back up for another two or three months and hopefully we’ll get some audio representation as well.”
The renewable energy company and the city are conducting web surveys, where people can express how they feel about the turbine; for example, whether they would want it in their backyard or whether it impacts the value of the land.
Hallett said about 30 people gave the company feedback about the turbine and many people didn’t even know it was there.
“I think it’s a really good thing. If it’s so unobtrusive to the surrounding landscape that nobody even noticed it was there, it would probably be really easy to integrate it into the urban area.
“Nobody even noticed that it was on a giant field. Who is going to notice it in your backyard?”
The results of the study will be given to city council for a possible bylaw to allow residents to install small, renewable-energy generators at their homes.
With the help of CID Trenching, Pete Lance Concrete and Speedpro signs, Golden Sheep put up the four-kilowatt turbine, the size an average household would need to produce enough power to be self-sustaining.
The equipment would allow residents to produce their own energy and later sell extra back to the grid at market value.
Costs for a wind turbine installation vary according to various factors such as size, and range between $20,000 to $30,000 with all permits and applications included.
Paloma Migone
Herald-Tribune Staff
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune
9 July 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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