Climate and energy

Who are Climate and Energy Stars?

Everyday people working to address climate change in small but important ways.

Climate and Energy Star Garry Johnson is from Missouri. His quest to reduce his carbon footprint and his energy costs has led him and his family to make many lifestyle changes, from buying a hybrid car to investing in energy efficient appliances.

Johnson recently met with CEP’s Eileen Horn to discuss his family’s most ambitious project yet: installing their own wind turbine. It will both power their home, and create excess energy to sell back to their utility.

Wanting to save electricity and produce some of your own energy - this isn’t such a crazy idea. It’s even kind of normal. Look at Garry Johnson. He’s 54 years old, a happy grandfather, and lives with his wife Arlene out on Bass Lake in Bates City, MO.

“I’m not a treehugger or survivalist,” he says. In fact, this down-to-earth Midwesterner works for a local commercial real estate company. As Johnson explains his attraction to renewable energy, he says, “I’ve just always liked new technology - and the idea of not just going with the flow.”

Recently, the Johnsons have begun to experiment with many of the new energy-efficient technologies.

They’ve changed over all of the light bulbs in their home to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use 75% less energy than traditional bulbs.

When they replaced their refrigerator, they bought an Energy Star model.

They purchased a hybrid car to reduce the cost of Garry’s 44 mile daily commute to his job in Independence, MO. Besides the great gas mileage that their new hybrid gets, they also were able to take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit.

All of these changes have paid off. Garry estimates that their Energy Star refrigerator saves them about $200/yr on their energy bills. The CFLs alone reduced their monthly bill by $30.

These early savings convinced the Johnsons that reducing their carbon footprint could also save them money. Inspired by their success, the Johnsons explored other options. As landowners with a windy site, generating their own electricity with a wind turbine seemed like a great next step.

Garry’s first step was to contact his electricity provider, Aquila, to learn about the process of generating his own electricity.

At the same time, Johnson began determining his site’s actual wind potential. He studied wind maps of the state of Missouri, plus data on the season wind fluctuations in his particular area. He discovered that his average local wind speeds are 10 to 12 mph.

Garry’s energy provider, Aquila, provided him with a two year read-out of the family’s energy usage.He used this profile to begin researching what type of wind turbine would fit their needs. Small, residential wind turbines require average wind speeds of 10 miles per hour.

After many conversations with small wind turbine dealers in Kansas and Missouri, Garry decided to purchase the Skystream 3.7. Produced by Southwest Windpower, this small, residential-scale wind generator produces 1.9kW of electricity, and up to 2.6 kW at peak wind speeds.

With consistent wind speeds, the Skystream 3.7 can supply a typical home or small business with between 40-100% of its energy needs. The Skystream 3.7 is an all-inclusive wind generator (with controls and inverter built in), and it can operate in very low wind speeds.

For Johnson, one of the features he especially liked was the two-way remote display unit and software package that can be purchased with the turbine. It will allow him to monitor the turbine’s performance through his computer. Then he can keep track of how much energy the turbine generates on a daily and seasonal basis.

Garry also knew that the wind turbine would sometimes be producing more electricity than his family could use. Since Missouri has net metering, though, he can sell the excess power back to the grid. For Garry, the ability to sell energy back to Aquila was an incentive to invest in the Skystream 3.7.<

How does net metering work? The Missouri legislature passed the Easy Connection Act in 2007, and it went into effect on January 1, 2008. The Act requires retail electricity providers such as Aquila to credit Johnson for the electricity that his wind turbine produces on his next electricity bill.

For example, if the Johnsons are a typical household that uses 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month, and their wind turbine produces 500 kWh of electricity, on their next month’s bill the Johnsons would only pay for 500 kWh.Getting the net metering set up went pretty smoothly. From Aquila, Johnson had to request a contract for interconnection to the grid. This contract, which requires a one-time $130 fee, allows the Johnsons to sell excess electricity generated by their turbine.

Net metering policies such as Missouri’s Easy Connection Act can be found in 43 states. Kansas is not one of them. A net metering policy for both wind and solar was proposed in the 2008 legislative session, but it never made it out of the House Committee on Energy and Utilities.

Policies such as net metering are very attractive to homeowners considering investing in renewable energy. With the help of the Easy Connection Act, the energy savings that the Johnsons expect will pay off that initial investment in 5-6 years. Since the Skystream has a 20 year lifespan, it will save the Johnsons money for many years into the future.

According to Garry, the initial cost estimate for the turbine and construction was $12,000. However, by doing much of the work himself, and subbing out the different trades, Johnson has been able to bring the cost down to approximately $10,500. Johnson plans to put in the rebar, wiring, and conduit himself, and use a contractor to help him pour the concrete base and hoist the pole.

Poles (or towers) and turbines can also be sold separately. Johnson found a way to cut costs here, too. After researching several different towers, he decided on a 50′ Tec-Wind sectional tower as it was easily transported on a flatbed trailer. To save on shipping costs, he drove to Texas himself to pick it up.

While costs were important to the Johnsons, they weren’t everything. Says Johnson, “Even if the economics don’t work out in a short time frame, my children and grandchildren will get to enjoy the benefits of a self-sufficient, clean, and less expensive source of energy.”

In addition to providing a future clean energy source for future generations, the Johnsons also liked the idea of providing a model for their neighbors. Garry especially wanted to show that using energy efficiency and renewable energy doesn’t mean that you have to give up the things you’ve come to rely on, like computers, TVs, etc.

Instead, says Garry, “I believe that if we make simple changes now, we can continue to live comfortably, but with clean, less expensive energy.”

— Eileen Horn, www.climateandenergy.org

Resources/Links:

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, http://www.dsireusa.org/

Description of Net Metering and Missouri’s Easy Connection Act, http://www.dnr.missouri.gov/pubs/pub2238.pdf