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Published August 26, 2008 09:02 am - Rising electricity costs spark a lot of coffee-shop talk among homeowners and farmers about erecting small wind-power generation systems. Farmers, homeowners should do math before installing wind systems By Mike Surbrugg
msurbrugg@joplinglobe.com Rising electricity costs spark a lot of coffee-shop talk among homeowners and farmers about erecting small wind-power generation systems. Wind is a domestic source of renewable — and free — energy that does not pollute. Large utility companies are putting up hundreds of commercial turbines throughout the Midwest to supplement their coal- and natural-gas-based electricity. Technology makes installation costs 30 percent less than they were 10 years ago, said Jim Crawford, University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineer at Rock Port in northwest Missouri. But are small systems practical for farms, businesses and homeowners? The economics of a small wind turbine differ with each location, the cost of electricity, the size of the system and other factors. “If your goal is to get lower electricity costs, the economics show the turbine is not practical,” Crawford said. The cost of a system for a home or farm could be as much as $70,000, he said. “The price can be for a turbine kit that does not include all parts needed to get a finished and operational system,” Crawford said. And a crane for erecting a tower can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars a day to rent. Travis Creswell, president and owner of Ozark Energy Services in Joplin, generally has the same answer for people who wonder whether wind power would be cost-effective for their farm, home or business: probably not. One reason is because electricity rates in the region are generally low. He calculates the cost of a 10-kilowatt system at around $65,000 including a 100-foot tower. At the windiest sites in the state, such a system might generate $1,000 worth of electricity a year, or about half of what a home might need, Creswell said. The simple payback, he figures, is about 70 years for a system that he said probably has a life span of 20 years. “That’s not going to be a trouble-free, maintenance-free 20 years,” he said. 
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