Union Township adds final wind turbine to collection; cost totals $47,738
Union Township’s triple threat is finally complete as three fully erect wind turbines stand south of the township hall building, 2010 S. Lincoln Road.
Zoning Administrator Woody Woodruff said the third and final wind turbine was installed by Block Electric Co. of Weidman Nov. 23.
Two Skystreams were installed in early October. Skystreams are horizontal access wind turbines resembling smaller scale commercial turbines, The third and final wind turbine, a WindSpire, is a vertical access turbine better suited for low-wind and residential areas.
Woodruff said the cost of the WindSpire was $15,500 of the combined cost of $47,738 for all three turbines.
Funding for this project was given to Union Township as a part of a $67,865 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth.
Though most of the metering equipment has not been fully installed on the third turbine, Woodruff said it appears to be working well and hopes the turbines will pay for themselves in 12 to 15 years.
“I don’t have a year’s worth of data yet,” he said. “We just need to get more data under our belt to know what that time period is.”
Woodruff said the third turbine is a great addition to the other two.
“It has a lower wind speed it kicks in at,” he said. “It’s been generating in these lower wind conditions where the other two have not.”
Student Government Association president and Garden City senior Brittany Mouzourakis is working to crunch that data as a part of her HON 499: Senior Project class.
Township supervisor John Barker said Mouzourakis’ research will determine which wind conditions the turbines work most effectively.
“We essentially are doing research about the effectiveness of residential wind turbines in our community,” he said.
Mouzourakis collects the turbine data from Union Township and graphs it, comparing statistics such as average wind speed per day with average kilowatt output per day.
“I’m looking at wind turbine feasibility in mid-Michigan,” she said. “I work with Woody and Union Township. He helps me retrieve the data from the system, but it’s my own research.”
Judging from the data she has collected so far, Mouzourakis said the turbines prove to be pretty efficient.
Mouzourakis said the average household consumes between 200-250 kilowatts a day.
“It’s been a good time and it’s working,” she said. “One wind turbine has generated over 200 kilowatts already and it’s been up for two months.”
