Wind power in your backyard

GOLDEN - Colorado ranks fourth nationally in wind generating capacity. However, if a company that makes back-yard wind turbines has its way, we'll soon be moving up in the rankings.

There is a way to leave the power grid and ride the air currents to lower energy bills.

A Golden resident is the first in Colorado to get one of the turbines. "Skystream" is the first device of its kind to come out of the U.S. Department of Energy's "Wind Energy Program."

When we first visited the backyard of Chuck Courtad in Golden last October, his new Skystream Wind Generator was still going together. Courtad was being asked by a lot of people about how attractive it might be.

"It would look attractive on a site especially if you knew that your energy bill was going to plummet and you were going to help out the atmosphere for the future of your family," Courtad answered with a smile.

At about that moment, Courtad's future energy source was hooked to a winch and raised into place.

There was a lot of picture taking and speech making, and once it was up and the bolts were tightened, there was even a christening of sorts.

So you might wonder - how much did all of it cost?

Manufacturer representative Josh Levinson says the cost of an install is around $10,000, but he says, it's a quick return on your investment.

"If the system can have a payback of five years, all of a sudden then the customers has free energy," Levinson said.

The principal of operation he says is simple.

"If the Skystream is spinning because it's windy, that customer will take the power from the wind generator. If they're using a little bit more energy than what the Skystream can produce, they'll take power from the utility at the same time," Levinson explained.

Courtad is not hoping for total independence from the power grid. Just a little help from Mother Nature.

"We're looking at between probably a 20 and 50-percent reduction in electric usage," he said.

So how has it gone in the weeks since the turbine caught its first breeze?

"Beautifully," said Courtad.

He's a careful record keeper, and his Xcel Energy power bills tell the story.

"What we see is reduction," he said as he held up his bills.

Take the number of kilowatt hours in the cold month of February, for example. We looked at his bill before and after the wind turbine.

"And you can see that there were 255 used this year, this past year, verse last year which was 448," said Courtad.

That is a reduction of just less than half. Courtad says his average reduction will probably be closer to one-fourth to one-third. That is still a significant savings over time. He also likes that the turbine is very quiet.

"The best part of the system is that it's almost non-noticeable from the stand-point of sound," he said.

Courtad by the way is an orthodondist. It's actually Dr. Courtad, and he's turning his house and this project into a demonstration project for others to watch and learn from.

A Web site is coming, but to visit the home, you can find it at the Southeast corner of 14th and Jackson in Golden. The address of the office for the project is 623 14th Street in Golden.

There should be some level of activity at the site in the coming fall for more informative tours.

FAST FACTS:

*The Skystream, from Southwest Windpower, has unique curved blades for quiet operation. Mounted on a 35-foot tower, the appliance costs between $8,500 and $11,000 installed (½ to ¼ the cost of previous wind technologies). Depending on the wind resource, Skystream generates between 40 to 80 percent of the power required by a typical home.

*In 2006 the Colorado Public Utilities Commission held public hearings Oct. 12 and Oct. 23 to take public comment on Xcel Energy's request for a $209.9 million electric-rate increase. In between the two hearings a settlement was reached. The rate hike amounted to $4.34. This year, due to the Electric Commodity Adjustment Rate customers are averaging $58 bills according to Xcel Spokesman Tom Henley.

*Skystream is the first device to come out of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Energy Program, a program offering technical assistance and the use of such facilities as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Wind Technology Center, in Boulder.

*According to the American Wind Energy Association, U.S. sales of small wind systems jumped 62 percent to $17 million last year.

About Southwest Windpower (SWWP)

Flagstaff Arizona-based Southwest Windpower is the world's largest producer of small wind generators (400 to 3000 watts). The 20-year old company has been a pioneer in the development of wind technology and has produced over 90,000 generators that provide power to residential homes, remote cabins, telecom transmitters, offshore platforms, water pumping and sailboats. Southwest Windpower distributes in more than 88 countries.

On the Web: www.skystreamenergy.com.