|
|
|
Wind energy blows into Iowa townBy Jennifer Bremer 
The gentle swooshing sound of the wind turbine fills the air just north of the Greene County, Iowa town of Jefferson. Hardin Hilltop Wind farm, Iowa's first locally owned wind farm, can provide enough electricity to power the central Iowa town of 4,500 people. "Wind power is such a great way to provide energy for the community in an environmentally safe way," said David Ausberger, member-owner of the Hardin Hilltop Wind farm. Making it a reality Ausberger said the idea for a wind farm in the area came about six years ago when Jefferson resident Bill Sutton wanted to run his own farm on wind energy. "At that point, he realized it would be better to spread the cost among several people and he decided to get the assistance of another Jefferson resident and nationally known wind energy expert, Tom Wind," he said. Wind and Sutton spent many hours analyzing maps and technical documents to determine the best placement for the wind turbines. That was the point when they decided to discuss the project with other local farmers and landowners, who were skeptical of the idea at first. But the duo convinced them the concept was worth pursuing. "We look at it as a long term investment--something that can help the community for many years to come," said Ausberger. Original plan Originally, the group planned to put up eight smaller turbines, but when they realized getting any turbines would be such a challenge, they looked for alternatives. The first step of the process was putting up a meteorological tower to collect weather information, including wind speed and frequency. Data was collected for nearly two years, at which time it was determined the ridge north of Jefferson would be a great site for the wind farm. "We could use actual data instead of estimates to know we had the right site," said Ausberger. After many meetings and teleconferences, a partner was found who sold turbines. Most turbines are spoken for prior to manufacturing, and are difficult to find off-the-shelf. Cost was still up in the air, however. "The seven partners decided it was a good investment and to continue on with the project," he said. Each of the partners formed their own limited liability corporation and the project started to really get going once they were awarded rural development grants from the United States Department of Agriculture. State production tax credits were awarded to the group, as well, which allowed the work to begin in the summer of 2006. Economic feasibility Tom Wind, owner of Wind Utility Consulting in Jefferson, is an engineer and wind energy expert, as well as a partner in the Hardin Hilltop Wind farm. Wind helps groups all over the country look at the economic feasibility of building wind farms in certain areas. "I help determine if there is enough wind speed to construct turbines and then look at how they can be connected to the electric grid," he said. "Followed by looking at the economics of the project and incentives for the investors." He said a project must be able to show a good return for investors through the sale of the power it generates, along with tax benefits and incentives. Wind travels the country through work with the United States Department of Energy, talking to groups about how to interconnect wind energy into the electric grid. "All states want to add wind energy to their grid, but many don't know how to do it or if it is feasible for them to do it," he said. "I help educate them so they understand what has to be done for wind energy to work and that they understand it's a long-term investment." Wind said education is the key to getting more wind energy in the country. "We must educate legislators about the benefits, which in turn gets good public policy to support the industry," he said. Construction During the summer of 2006, heavy equipment started moving into the area to work on the seven turbine sites in the corn and soybean fields about four miles north of Jefferson. Foundations were dug and each was filled with 380 yards of concrete and 48 tons of rebar. Ditches and corners of the roads were filled with gravel in order to accommodate the long, heavy trucks. The blades, hubs and nacelles were shipped from India and the tower sections came from Texas. The loads continued to be shipped in throughout the fall and early winter, according to Ausberger. Underground power lines to connect the towers to the Alliant Energy interconnect were installed. In December of 2006, an international crew gathered with a 400-ton crane to assemble and erect the turbines. "As the activity picked up, so did the visits from the locals. People were lined up for miles just to watch the turbines being constructed," said Ausberger. "We even had to tell people to stay back so no one would get hurt. I guess they were just curious." Despite numerous weather delays, the turbines were finally completed. Other crews and technicians had to then hook up all the software in order to be sure the turbines would work once production began. Vibration and heat sensors are hooked up to the Internet for technicians to monitor up to 855 different mechanics related to running the turbines. Production begins Commercial production at the central Iowa facility began on May 25, 2007. Power from the turbines travels via an underground cable to a transmitter box, which then interconnects with Alliant Energy's lines. "During peak power output, the turbines can power the city of Jefferson. However, at certain times of year, when the wind isn't as strong, that might not be completely possible," said Ausberger. Each tower stands on its own and has a different owner. Besides Sutton, Wind and Ausberger, the other owners include Jay Ostrander, Jim Hinchliff, Jerry Ostrander and Jamie Ostrander. If something would happen to a specific tower, it is the responsibility and expense of the owner to repair it. The actual towers are approximately 285 feet tall, and 407 feet tall to the highest point of the blade. Ausberger said wind speed needs to be about 12 miles per hour to get the one-and-a-half acre blades moving. "You can be on the ground and think there is not any wind, but when you get 300 feet in the air, there's a lot," he said. "The blade speed at full load is about 161 mph. They sure don't seem to be moving that fast until you are right up next to them." Air density seems to make a difference in speed of the blades, also. Cool air seems to generate more wind. So, the wind in the wintertime doesn't have to be as strong as it does in the summer time. Although other factors are taken into account. Over the 25-year wind turbine life, the three blades will revolve 175 million times and the blade tips will travel the equivalent of 75 round trips to the moon. "The blades work like an airplane wing, providing lift which is translated into rotational energy. Over the course of the year, the blades and wind turbine will physically be able to capture only about one-third of the power in the wind going through the blades," he said. Ausberger said there have been some problems with lightning strikes to the blades. "The blades are very durable and can take a lot of abuse, but, when they do get damaged enough, we are responsible for repairing our own turbine," he said. Future The Hardin Hills Wind Farm is currently maxed out on the amount of energy it can transmit through its current line. And, for growth in the future, a bigger line would have to be added. "We may grow bigger in the future, but for now we are going to concentrate on transmitting electricity through the seven turbines we currently have," said Ausberger. The owners realize the profitability process for the wind farm is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but rather a long-term investment that could get bigger and better in the future. "It's an investment in my community and my family," he added. "It's the beginning of my children's college fund." Ausberger said it is also reassuring that their investment is a good choice, since so many area colleges are adding wind energy to their technological studies. "The pay is good. Advancement and travel is available. There is nearly a 100 percent placement for workers trained in wind energy technology," he said. "That is very encouraging." Green power In the day and age of relying on green energy to power the world, wind power is a good example of renewable energy that won't give off any emissions like fossil fuels can. The wind energy produced from the seven turbines at the Hardin Hilltop Wind farm will save enough coal every year to fill a train three miles long. "Any power the wind turbines produce will reduce electricity that would have been produced using the fossil fuels of coal and natural gas," said Ausberger. The Hardin Hilltop Wind farm group feels fortunate to be in a community that has embraced the idea of renewable energy. "We know it is good for our community, now and in the future. We'll be able to rely on wind energy to power our homes and our farms for many years to come," he added.
Jennifer Bremer can be reached by phone at 515-833-2120 or by e-mail at jbremermaj@hotmail.com. 3/17/08 Date: 3/13/08 Advertisement
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2009. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
Market Snapshot Inside Futures |
