A 50-foot conversation-starter: MSU installs wind turbine on campus
The crew worked through snow and cold weather for three days to install the turbine, said Robb Larson, who heads MSU's Wind Applications Center and was in charge of the installation.
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The turbine stands as tall as a light pole. Its 12-foot diameter blades operate at 45 decibels -- about as loud as someone whispering. In all, the turbine will produce 1.9 kilowatts, "enough to run a hair dryer, toaster and microwave, but not at the same time... and on a windy day," Larson said.
Larson knows that the turbine will not put much of a dent in the university's power bill -- some buildings use light bulbs that need 500 watts, a third of what the turbine can generate -- but he hopes that the machine will get more people talking about wind and other alternate energy sources.
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1 comment:
Fantastic.
Electricity there costs an average of 7.83 cents per kilowatt hour according to the Energy Information Administration.
So if this tower produced all 1.9 kilowatts at a capacity factor of 40% of the time (which is the optimistic, top of the range, figure, for for a turbine perfectly sited on a hill, which this isn't) it will pay for itself in 43.7 years.
($60,000 dollars / 5 turbines ) / (365.25 days * 24 hours * $0.0783 price per kilowatt hour * .4 capacity factor )
That's without any maintenance added in over 43 years. Anyone think you could run this for 43 years without replacing the generator or bearings, at a cost lower than at least another $12,000?
Bueller? Anyone? )
Never mind the possible Future Value of $12,000 over 43 years. Jeesh.
Glad I don't pay taxes in Montana.
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