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Know Your Land

 

If you have plenty of wind flowing across your property, harnessing wind power can be a good investment. But to get the most out of your wind resource, you want to place a turbine, or several turbines, in the right place.

 

Where you place your turbine will depend on where the wind blows, the physical aspects of your property, and zoning regulations. It will also depend on environmental concerns and how you wish to use the wind energy you produce.

 

Neighbors may have questions about the way your turbine looks on the landscape, or the noise it may make. With proper planning, you can site turbines that harness the wind power efficiently and are an impressive addition to your community.

 

Connecting to the Grid

If you plan to connect your turbine to the existing power grid, you must make sure that your turbine is near a three-phase power line. Also, some utilities restrict how close a turbine can be to power lines, so make sure you know that ahead of time. The power lines you connect to must be big enough to handle the added generation of your turbine. You should start talking to local electric distribution company before you plan your project.

 

For large wind farms, the proximity to existing transmission lines is critical in minimizing infrastructure requirements and keeping costs down. High voltage lines can cost thousands of dollars per mile, so sites with good wind with access to transmission capacity can be very valuable.

Zoning and Permitting

Any wind turbine is subject to local zoning laws. You can learn more about these laws by consulting your local county officials or a lawyer familiar with your jurisdiction. If the zoning in your area doesn't allow high towers, you'll need to obtain a special permit from your local planning commission. Investigating zoning laws early on in the development of your wind project can help avoid unnecessary delays. Some states also have requirements based on the size of electric generating facilities. For example, 5 MW or larger projects to be installed in Minnesota must receive a permit from the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) which requires an environmental impact statement (EIS). State permits usually supercede local zoning laws.

Environmental Concerns

Wind energy is non-polluting and therefore a good environmental choice. But any time we produce energy, we run the risk of disrupting ecosystems. Wind turbines are no different. They are not allowed in wetlands or other sensitive areas, and they also should not be located in migratory bird flyways because, like any large structure, they can kill birds. You may not want to place turbines in scenic areas where they will detract from the view. If turbines are appropriately placed, however, they are a much "greener" alternative than burning fossil fuels or nuclear generation.

 

The Land

A good look at your land will tell you whether your property can support a wind turbine. Your land should be able to support the weight of the turbine itself and the weight of construction equipment required for larger turbines. A construction company or a geologist can help you determine this.

Turbines require lots of open space to harness the power of the wind, the land surrounding turbines can be used for farming and ranching. The turbine platform itself, for utility-scale turbines, occupies only a few square yards. You may also need room for an access road.

 

You'll want to place your turbine away from buildings. The site must be large enough to accommodate setbacks from a neighbor's property or buildings, which may be required by local zoning laws. It's a good idea to place your turbine back from property lines, in case your neighbor later builds an obstruction that affects the flow of wind.

Neighbors

Turbines do make some noise, and therefore can have an impact on humans. Be sensitive to your neighbors. Talk to them ahead of time and find out their concerns. If possible, place your turbines where neighbors won't see or hear them as much. Talk to other wind turbine owners to find out what concerns their neighbors had and how they addressed them.

 

In Summary

Just because a site is windy does not necessarily mean it is suitable for wind turbines. Once you have considered the full range of factors involved in siting a wind project, and received input from appropriate experts, you can decide whether your land is right for a turbine. Then you, too, may be able to harness the wind.

Wind Basics       

 

 

Wind FarmThe following fact sheets are part of the Windustry Info Series. They provide a solid resource on the basics of Wind Energy:

 

    * Introduction to Wind Energy

    * Why Wind Energy

    * Know Your Wind

    * Know your Land

    * Wind Energy Economics

    * Choosing a Business Structure