Questions
Answers
What is the cost of the Wind Sphere™?
The cost of the Wind Sphere™ wind power system is $150,000-$225,000 plus the cost of installation. With the many rebates, tax incentives and wind energy tax credits available, businesses can experience a payback in as little as three years. Federal and state incentives can reduce the cost by as much as 50%.
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What types of rebates and incentives are available for the Wind Sphere™?
Rebates and incentives vary state by state. Refer to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org) for the most up-to-date specifics.
- Through 2016, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2012 allows owners of small wind systems with 100 kilowatts (kW) of capacity and less to receive an uncapped investment tax credit for 30% of the total
installed cost of the system. Previously, this incentive was capped at $4,000.
- 50% bonus depreciation is extended to most types of turbines placed in service during 2012.
Bonus depreciation is also available for certain turbines placed in service during 2010.
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How do I know if the Wind Sphere™ wind turbine would benefit my business?
The Wind Sphere™ is an attractive renewable energy option for:
- Commercial Office Buildings
- Industrial Buildings
- Big Box Retailers
- Government Buildings
- Educational Institutions
- Condominiums
- Ports and Airports
- Island Locations
With net metering, a utility customer that generates electric power on site is entitled to offset electricity that would otherwise have to be purchased at the utility's full retail rate.
Payback on the initial investment in the Wind Sphere™ rooftop wind turbine is based on:
- Average wind speed at hub height - wind speed increases with altitude, so the speed at ground level will not be the same as at hub height, on top of a building or tower
- Electric utility rates
- Federal and state rebates and incentives
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How does the Wind Sphere™ work when there is more or less wind than usual? Does it store the wind energy for times when there is not enough wind to generate power?
The Wind Sphere™ wind power system does not store energy. When there is no wind energy, the building reverts back to using energy from the grid. When more energy is created than the building needs, the energy generated is returned to the grid and users receive a credit for the energy returned.
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What if the Wind Sphere™ is facing in a direction where there is no wind?
The Wind Sphere™ is designed to harness the wind from any direction. The yaw system rotates the Wind Sphere™ into prevailing winds via onboard PLC and customized software. At wind speeds greater than 40 mph, the yaw system moves the Wind Sphere™ turbine away from the prevailing winds and activates the braking system. The uniquely
designed bearing requires minimum lubrication and preventive maintenance.
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How is the Wind Sphere™ different from other wind turbines?
The Wind Sphere™ is different from other wind turbines in a variety of ways, including:
- It works more efficiently: Because the Wind Sphere™ rooftop wind turbine generates electricity - with Direct Drive and Permanent Magents, there is no need for a gear box, a system that often provides the most problems to wind turbines.
- It has a much smaller footprint: Because the Wind Sphere™ does not need as much wind to generate electricity, the Wind Sphere™ has a smaller footprint than traditional wind turbines that generate the same amount of power. While the Wind Sphere's blade diameter is 15 and 33 feet, a wind turbine generating the same amount of electricity would need blades with a diameter of 50 feet.
- Direct and immediate benefits for its users: The Wind Sphere™ takes advantage of the concept of on-site generation, the use of small-scale power generation technologies, such as wind located close to the user they are serving. On-site generation allows users to generate their own energy, offsetting all or part of their electric bill.
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How do I know if my building is strong enough to support the Wind Sphere™?
The Wind Sphere© wind enery system can be built to suit various platforms for many different buildings. If the Wind Sphere™ cannot be supported by your building's structure, you can choose a mounted model that generates electricity for your building using the same technology. Green Energy Technologies offers a professional site analysis as part of its service.
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Does the Wind Sphere™ generate much noise pollution?
Because the Wind Sphere™ is suitable for urban and suburban settings, in most environments where the Wind Sphere will be placed, there is virtually no resulting noise pollution. Our tests have measured around 32 dB of resulting noise, from about 30 feet away from the sphere.
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Does the Wind Sphere™ endanger birds?
The Wind Sphere™ is one of the most bird-friendly modes of generating wind energy. Birds often fly into large wind turbines because they do not see the blades in the air. Because the Wind Sphere is different from traditional wind turbines, the birds are less likely to be injured as a result of:
- High visibility of the Wind Sphere's blades: Because the Wind Sphere itself is a stationary device, it is therefore more visible to birds flying, reducing the chance of birds flying into it.
- Encasing of the Wind Sphere's blades: The Wind Sphere's blades themselves are protected by the shroud, therefore the birds cannot fly directly into the blades.