TALKING IN THE WIND, THE TALE OF A 10 KW WIND TURBINE
By Anton Schoenberger,
Anton's Electromotive

I`m a 10 kW Wind turbine and I`m going to tell you about my life experience.

My job is to convert wind into electricity. That helps to reduce pollution and protects my owner from increases in Hydro rates, as well as to eliminate his hydro bill. I`m proud to show people what can be done. I`m also housing a starling family in my tail boom.

Let`s get a bit technical, some of you may like it.

My perch is atop a 103 ft tower, which is held upright by two sets of guy wires. My three blades are exposed to the wind by my tail vane. Each of these Blades is 12 ft long and they are of a fixed mount. Toward the blade tips are counterweights which twist the blades at high RPM toward a finer pitch. This is one of my overspeed controls. If the wind is very strong I`m built so that I can swing away and wait for the wind to decrease.

Now to the hidden mysteries inside of me.

There are 3 sets of copper windings for 3-phase output. The rotating outer drum is fitted with bar magnets. As the rotor is turned by the wind and the magnets travel across the windings, a voltage is induced in these windings. You guessed right, stronger wind, turning faster and higher output. The current comes out of this permanent magnet alternator, through the slip ring set and brushes and travels down the tower in a cable to a fused disconnect- and brake switch. There is also an overvoltage protection device, in case I should get teased by some lightning. On goes the trip to the power inverter. Since I run at varying speeds, my Voltage output and Frequency are varying, too. That could be used to operate heaters or to drive a three phase water pump at varying speeds. In the inverter the voltage gets rectified into DC and remade into single phase, 60 HZ, 240 V AC. This electricity flows through a kilowatt-hour meter, a disconnect switch and a 70 Amp breaker into the grid. Depending on my speed and the consumption on the farm, the utility meter will slow down or even run backwards. That sure gets my owner smiling.

I have been operating for over two years, except for two days, when a lightning surge had damaged the inverter. But capable hands fixed it and also installed additional protection devices. In the first 12 month I produced 14,000 kWh of electricity, about 12,000 kWh in the second year. Feeding my electricity into the grid is very efficient. My owner is very pleased with me, since I`m always on duty and so far have fared well in those wild storms. I`m built very sturdy and of the best materials by the American company Bergey and can be seen on Highway 86, about 6 km inland from Lake Huron.

Hopefully, you have a Wind turbine in your future.

More info on www.Bergey.com

DEMONSTRATION SITE TOUR: RENEWABLE ENERGY SITES

Host: Solwind Enerco Inc, Goderich

Date: Saturday, July 28, 9:30 am to mid_afternoon

Itinerary: The tour will take in quite a wide range of installations varying from a rather modest 850 watt system, which just operates a ham radio and computer equipment, up to a 4000 watt system which provides all of the electricity for a farm. Travel will be by carpool.

Cost: $15 per person, $12 for sustaining members. Please bring your own lunch.

Please preregister by July 20, and be sure to arrive on time!

To register: Call Ziggy at 519_795_7725 or Solwind at 519-524-8703

Please go to the Workshops page for more information.

FROM THE CO-ORDINATOR...

Accepting an offer from my sisters in Germany to recuperate after my hip replacement surgery, I returned just before Easter. It didn't take me long to get back into full swing as the Thursday after the Holiday saw me making a presentation before the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) at their hearing in Kincardine on the Bruce Power application for an operating licence for the Bruce 'A' and 'B' nuclear reactors.

We presented strong arguments questioning the operational and financial qualifications of British Energy plc to lease and operate CANDU reactors without previous experience in this Canadian Technology. I appreciated the support of a number of CFRE members who had taken the time to attend and observe the proceedings.

The next day I had to travel to Ottawa (a 7 hour drive) to be on hand to facilitate a workshop there on the Saturday before Earth Day, which was co-hosted by the Seventh Generation Community Projects organization based in Carp. They had done such a great advertising job that we filled the hall to capacity. The presentations were well received and we gained a number of new members.

Another event where I represented CFRE took place in Barrie, in early May. The 2-day Ontario Environmental Network Spring Eco-gathering had as theme the provincial downloading and how municipalities need to cope with limited funds. A meeting of the diverse caucuses also took place at this event.

Some of our members came to see us at the Natural Life Expo in St. George, where we had a display and where I also gave a workshop on my experiences living off the grid. Some people commented on the front page article in that Saturday's edition of the Kitchener-Waterloo Record, featuring me and my pioneering lifestyle.

Our workshop and 5th Annual General Meeting took place on May 27 at the beautiful Paradise Lake Environmental Learning Centre west of Waterloo. The weather was not too kind to us, but 35 people braved the rain and enjoyed four powerful presentations as well as a site tour. The AGM found 4 of the 5 board members willing to carry on with their volunteer work while Cindy MacDonald was forced to step down due to personal reasons. Our sincere thanks goes to Cindy for all her help during her term!

Another change is coming as Karen Gventer, our Executive Assistant, who was as of last October working on an 8 hour per week basis for CFRE, is leaving us to go into the restaurant business with her fiancé. That leaves a big void in my communication department and I will be hard pressed to find a computer expert like Karen! Thank you for your contribution, Karen, to make CFRE a better known entity in the environmental movement.

Looking ahead, we are going to be represented at quite a number of events, starting with the World Environment Day in Creemore, June 2, the Great Lakes United AGM in Windsor, June 9-10 and thanks to our volunteers, also at the Eco-Festival in Oakville the same weekend; then at the Natural Life Festival taking place at the Kortright Centre near Toronto this year on July 7 and 8, and finally at the Feast of Fields culinary event in Milton, September 9.

We are happy to have another demonstration site tour hosted by the Solwind Enerco people in Goderich scheduled for Saturday, July 28; thanks to them all for giving their time and facilities!

Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge some generous donations from members with an especially generous one coming from the Waterloo region. Our heartfelt thanks for this great show of support!

Happy Summer Solstice to you all!

QUOTABLES...

-Jonathan Brock
(on the work of Doctors Without Borders)

MINISTER HAD DIM MINDSET ON ELECTRICITY
By Cameron Smith
from: The Toronto Star, March 24, 2001

For 90 years we've been living off the foresight of those who brought cheap electricity to Ontario by taming Niagara Falls. They laid the groundwork for industry, for prosperity and, unfortunately, for the mindset that still prevails today.

That mindset is locked into supply-side economics, which holds that more growth requires more electricity. Why else would Ontario Power Generation, the generating company that formerly was part of Ontario Hydro, be spending billions of dollars to refurbish nuclear generating plants? Why else would Energy Minister Jim Wilson be a fervent supporter for producing more electricity regardless of cost?

But the mindset of 1910 no longer makes sense in 2001. Technological innovation has changed the world. We now have a multitude of ways to limit the amount of energy needed - everything from high-efficiency electric motors, through advanced power-management systems and vastly improved building designs, to increasingly low demand household appliances.

We now can do a lot more with far less. Or, to quote Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, "Saving fuel is generally cheaper than buying fuel." And saving fuel, in this case electricity, comes through demand-side management - reducing use by promoting energy efficiency among users.

Did you know, for instance, that:

• If existing buildings were retrofitted, and new ones were designed, to be energy efficient, Toronto and all of Ontario would need no more electricity than what is produced at Niagara Falls and at the various hydro dams around the province?
• Two-and-a-half to five times more jobs are created by developing energy efficiency than are created by building and operating a new power generating station?
• It is cheaper to increase energy efficiency than it is to continue operating a thermal generating plant - regardless of whether it is run on coal, natural gas or nuclear energy - even when the cost of building the plant and delivering its power are not counted in the equation?
• Through energy efficiency, Seattle saved twice as much energy as Chicago did. As a result, its energy prices were half those in Chicago?
• Nearly 70 per cent of the energy in the fuel used to generate electricity at Ontario's coal-fired and nuclear generating stations is wasted and released as heat emissions?

None of this is new or surprising. We've known of these relationships for at least 30 years. During the oil crisis of 1973-86, energy efficiency was heavily promoted in the United States; by 1986 the energy consumed was about equal to that used in 1973, even though GDP had grown by 35 per cent, the population had increased by 14 per cent, industrial production had jumped by 29 per cent, and the number of cars had multiplied by 33 per cent.

However, in 1986, oil prices plummeted. Cheap oil was back and gone from North America was the urgency for energy efficiency.

But in Ontario in 2001, the need for energy efficiency is again urgent. Wilson has finally acknowledged publicly that electricity prices are going to go up, despite all the benefits that he has been claiming will come with the province's forthcoming deregulation of electricity.

Again, this is no surprise. People outside government have been predicting that electricity prices will skyrocket. How could they not, with billions of dollars being poured into nuclear plants and with Ontario's decision six years ago to cancel support for the highly successful Green Community programs, which offered homeowners advice on how to conserve energy?

For more information, go to these Web sites: http://www.rmi.org ; http://www.tellus.org ; and http://www.eren.doe.gov . Also available are publications from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy in Washington; and a report called "A Sustainable Energy Plan for Toronto, (1999)" prepared for Toronto City Council.

Read the information and then weep, because we're all about to pay through the nose for the mindset at Queen's Park.

Cameron Smith is an author and environmentalist living in Landsdowne, Ont. (Reprinted with permission from the author)

ADVICE FROM AN ARCHITECTURAL EXPERT IN REGARD TO THE MARCH "ASK THE EXPERT" REPLY

If a roof rafter or truss is spaced at 24" on centre, one foot length of that rafter or truss may carry somewhere between 34 and 164 pounds live load, plus dead weight load of the lumber according to the location. The addition of a PV array with mounting brackets may well require stiffening of the roof, or extra structure to safely carry the load. I would be very surprised if a municipal inspector would agree that the roof would not have to carry the code specified snow load PLUS the panel weight.

Wind loads are accounted for in much the same way. The OBC provides wind load data with maximum forces for 10, 30 or 100 year maximums. In general structural designers can get away with using the 30 year load, but as our weather gets more extreme due to climate change, the 100 year load may be a thing to consider. There is also a multiplier that takes into account increased exposure at height increases levels (i.e. above two storeys, above 5 storeys etc.)

If strong wind loads are an issue, builders can safely assume that merely screwing anchors into plywood roof sheathing is not going to be enough. In northern areas, wall mounted collectors may be a viable alternative.

PV or thermal system designers must get the equipment weights for collector arrays and mounting hardware from the manufacturer and ensure that the person responsible for the roof design is aware of the additional weights.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - CFRE has published it's first document!

CFRE has published it's first document! You Asked Us is full of answers to questions which are commonly posed to us. It is written in lay-terms, so that it is understandable, but it provides a solid base of knowledge.

You can order this 39 page publication by sending $8 ($5 plus $3 for shipping and handling) to CFRE.

You Asked Us will also be available at our display tables and events.

You may want to purchase a few and give them as gifts to your friends!

QUOTABLES...

Maurice Strong

NOTABLES Commercial utility-scale wind turbines

Commercial utility-scale wind turbines are mature technology, although evolutionary progress continues in reducing costs and improving energy yield. Most commercial plants are reported to be operating with availabilities of between 97% and 99%, and with capacity factors as high as 50% at the best wind sites. The "La Venta" project in Mexico achieved a 49% capacity factor over a two year period.

The average size of unit being installed continues to increase, with most 1999 installations in the 660kW to 750kW class. Several commercial machines with ratings between 1MW and 2MW are now entering the marketplace; Germany has consistently utilized these large machines in recent wind plants. A few manufacturers offer direct-drive-generator units thereby eliminating the gearbox which has been a source of unscheduled maintenance on some machines. Turbine design tools and aerodynamic models are also being improved, thus increasing energy production and reducing wind energy costs.

Constraints on land-based windfarms in various European countries have increased emphasis on off-shore wind energy technology. Initial installations are in relatively shallow waters (up to about 10m water depth) and units for such applications are expected to be rated at 1MW to 5mW.