Transporter Says Wind Power Shipments Took Off In March

From an article by Tom Content in the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel":

Suppliers to the auto industry may want to shift their focus to wind components, given incentives for renewable energy included in the federal stimulus package.

Wisconsin has always been a supply-chain state, to the farm industry with implements, then to the auto industry with motors. But the effort to woo the wind-power industry to the state is centered north of Milwaukee, the former machine shop to the world.

The focus on wind is coming from The New North, the economic development initiative of northeastern Wisconsin, home to Tower Tech in Manitowoc, Badger Transport in Clintonville and dozens of other suppliers to the wind industry.

The wind industry had been growing at a record pace year after year until it was hit by the economic slowdown like other businesses, said Jeff Anthony of the American Wind Energy Association.

The wind industry's growth has been something to watch, said Al Johnson, president of Badger Transport, which ships the wind industry's oversized components.

"We do everything," he said. "We do the towers and the blades and the cells."

Johnson's company has been involved in the wind industry since 1997, and seen it grow from less than one-third of his company's sales to more than 90% today.

"I was involved in it when it was feast or famine for quite a number of years."

Companies clustered

Across northeastern Wisconsin, 95 companies are supplying the wind industry, creating an economic cluster that the region seeks to capitalize on.

"When we focus on the wind industry, our message is not: 'Come to northeast Wisconsin and build your wind farm,' but rather: 'Come to northeast Wisconsin if you are involved with the supply-chain side of the wind industry,' " said Josh Morby, spokesman for The New North.

What Are The Break Even Points Of Sustainable Energy

Mat Jackson

We looked at small scale wind power turbines for a development we planned recently and the payback worked out to be relatively speedy.

We were fortunate in a few respects as the development was coastal, so good low level wind was a constant - which also forgave a lack of aircon (very power hungry); clever design allowed us to use the sea breeze to cool the villas naturally.

We opted for VAWT (Vertical axis wind turbines) which could be mounted in pairs on each villa roof, so no 10 mile visibility problems associated with the larger scale turbines. Sourced from a manufacturer in the Far East, they weighed in at a little over 3,000 a piece ( 6k per house). This also meant that each house absorbed the cost of its own turbine, rather than having a 1mw turbine for which no one wants to foot the bill.

Each set provided more or less for the entire electricity consumption for its associated house - although as a caveat there, users do tend to be more aware of consumption when such devices are fitted - no bad thing.

Pay back on these was estimated to be in the region of 5-7 years, but this time period has yet to pass, so I cant guarantee that that is cast in stone.

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