WIND ENERGY > FAQ's

1. Is there enough wind in my area for a wind turbine?
2. How does wind energy compare to other sources of energy?
3. What makes Optiwind different from other wind turbines?
4. How do we know what size wind turbine we need?
5. How much do wind turbines cost?
6. What kind of payback should we expect from a wind turbine?
7. How tall are wind turbines?
8. Does the Optiwind turbine harm birds and bats?
9. How much land do we need in order to have a wind turbine on our property?
10. How long does it take to buy and install a wind turbine?
11. Are wind turbines noisy?
12. Is there government money available for wind turbine installations?

1. Q: Is there enough wind in my area for a wind turbine?
   A: Wind speeds are divided into classes, much like whitewater rapids. Wind classes range from 1 (low consistent speed) to 7 (extremely high consistent speed). These speeds vary by height and can be found in general terms by visiting one of the online mapping services (see Useful Links). However, to truly know the quality of your available wind, you need to install wind measuring instruments on the precise site you are considering for a turbine. Most conventional wind turbines require at least class 3 if not class 4 wind to make them economical, however, Optiwind‘s wind acceleration technology means that our turbines are often very efficient in only class 2 wind speeds, which are far more common.

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2. Q: How does wind energy compare to other sources of energy?
   A: Most of the electricity we consume today comes from coal and natural gas fired plants. The process of converting the energy from these “fossil” fuels into electricity emits large quantities of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere. Wind energy, like solar and hydro are called clean and renewable sources because converting their energy into electricity emits no pollutants and they are in constant, natural supply in the environment. And, unlike nuclear energy, there is no dangerous byproduct (like uranium) that must be carefully stored for centuries to come.

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3. Q: What makes Optiwind different from other wind turbines?
   A: Conventional 3-blade turbines are ideally suited to placement on large wind farms or in oceans, with high winds and few people. Optiwind’s turbines are designed to be installed in more populace areas where there is typically slower wind. To compensate for this and still generate abundant electricity, Optiwind has filed patents on its wind acceleration technology that funnels the wind into our blades and increases the power by over 75%. This also means that our turbines don’t need to be as tall as conventional turbines that must go up to higher elevations to find better wind. In addition, Optiwind deploys multiple 5-bladed fans that measure roughly 6 meters in diameter, as compared to traditional turbines that can have blade diameters over 80 meters – longer than 747 jumbo jets.

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4. Q: How do we know what size wind turbine we need?
   A: First, start with your electricity bill and find out how many watts you currently consume. This is your starting point. Then make some assumptions about how much your consumption will grow in the future. Next, look at the rated power of a wind turbine you are considering (Optiwind makes 150kW and 300kW models). This number is a theoretical number that assumes the perfect amount of wind is constantly blowing. Since this obviously isn’t possible, you’ll need to multiple by a discount factor, known as a ‘Capacity Factor’, that essentially tells you what percent of the time your turbine will be generating power. For most locations, this is about 15-30%. So, rated watts multiplied by your capacity factor gives you the approximate amount of power your turbine will generate. Matching this number with you electricity demand tells you the size turbine you will need.

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5. Q: How much do wind turbines cost?
   A: To know this to any level of detail you’ll need to contact Optiwind directly, but we understand that the price you pay for electricity from your local utility today is to your benchmark for pricing. Obviously, if we can’t beat the price you’re paying for electricity from the grid today, we’re not going to win your business, regardless of the significant environmental benefits that come with wind energy.

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6. Q: What kind of payback should we expect from a wind turbine?
   A: Payback on a wind turbine is directly proportional to the amount of wind you have and the current rate you pay for electricity. Since these numbers vary from location to location, we’ll need to work with you directly to know your number. As a rule of thumb, however, wind turbines typically have very attractive paybacks and are far more economical than solar.

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7. Q: How tall are wind turbines?
   A: Large 3-blade wind turbines can have pole heights over 300 feet high, with blade heights extending up to another 200 feet from there, for total heights of over 500 feet. Optiwind turbines are 199 feet 11 inches, just under the FAA mandate that all towers over 200 feet have a light on top.

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8. Q: Does the Optiwind turbine harm birds and bats?
   A: Conventional 3-blade turbine designs are difficult for birds and bats to see and navigate their way around. This is especially true when dozens of these large turbines are located together in wind farms. Optiwind turbines have a better situation because our turbines typically stand alone and our fan blades do not extend beyond the edge of our towers. Add to this the fact that our blades are less than 10% the size of conventional turbine blades and you can see that our design is far more bird and bat friendly.

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9. Q: How much land do we need in order to have a wind turbine on our property?
   A: This depends completely on your local zoning laws. These could range anywhere from needing a 100ft by 100ft parcel to more restrictive ordinances which may require that you have a clear circle around your tower equal to 110% of the tower height. For the Optiwind unit, this represents roughly 3.5 acres.

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10. Q: How long does it take to buy and install a wind turbine?
    A: All projects will vary in duration, but good planning and project management will help significantly. Many required tasks, including site design, permitting, turbine construction and utility planning can all be done in parallel. For a more detailed project timeline, contact Optiwind directly.

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11. Q: Are wind turbines noisy?
    A: The noise from conventional 3-blade turbine wind farms comes from the sound of 100+ foot blades repeatedly passing at high speed in front of their support poles. This makes a steady, low frequency ‘wooshing’ sound that is multiplied across the array of turbines in the farm. The sound from a single Optiwind turbine is very different. Our 5-blade fans use patent pending design innovations to minimize noise levels and our fundamental design eliminates the single pole support. This means that sound from Optiwind fans is at a much higher frequency (similar to a fan you’d have at home) and falls into more of a ‘white noise’ category that easily blends into the overall sound of the surrounding wind.

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12. Q: Is there government money available for wind turbine installations?
    A: The answer to this is most likely yes, however, you will need to check with your local government. A good starting place for this information is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (http://www.dsireusa.org/ )

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