Living Green

Bill Wegert of Gunnison, Colo., got a permit last week to put up a small wind turbine at his home, possibly a growing trend on the Western Slope.

Wegert’s permit request is the first of its kind to go through the county review process, said Neal Starkebaum, assistant director of planning for Gunnison County.

“I think it’s going to potentially be a trend as fuel costs increase and people look for alternative energy,” he said.

Wegert, who already has solar panels on his house, decided to add the wind turbine to reduce the amount of electricity he buys from the Gunnison County Electric Association.

“At the end of a 12-month period, they look at the meter and if they see you’re in the negative, they refund you at the wholesale rate,” he said.

Wind turbines have advanced technologically, Wegert said, and can generate electricity with winds as low as eight mph. The turbine shuts off when wind speeds reach 25 mph, he said.

Montrose County land use director Steve White said he’s has received several calls about residential wind turbines.

“I’m getting more and more calls about that type of thing, whether it’s solar panels or wind generation,” he said.

Wind turbines aren’t as viable on the Western Slope as on the windy, flat eastern part of the state, said Delta County development planner Dave Rice, but people here are still interested.

“There are a few around, and with energy costs going up, people are looking at it,” he said.

Wegert said he will put up a Southwest Windpower Skystream 3.7 wind turbine. He’s just waiting for the pole to arrive.

Southwest Windpower is the “premier company for small wind turbines,” said Lou Villaire of Atlasta Solar Center in Grand Junction, which sells the devices, although solar panels are the store’s biggest seller.

“They have been able to improve the technology so lower average wind speeds can still produce power,” he said.

The average cost of installing a residential wind turbine, including wiring, pole and cement, is around $9,000 or $10,000, Villaire said.