The Brennans have a masonry stove for heating their home, a range, water heater, and clothes dryer fired by propane, and the hybrid system for power generation. "We figured our money could be better spent on being off-grid." "We wanted to be greener consumers and we didn't want to have to rely on power companies." Another factor was location: the Brennans have a 68-acre property, and their home is 1,200 feet from the road, making installation of electrical poles and lines costly. "We decided to go completely off-grid with this home," Terry says. Having been without power for 17 days during the great ice storm of 1998, they made energy self-sufficiency a high priority. Dianne and Terry Brennan lived in PEI during the 1970s, worked in Ontario, and have now retired and returned to the Island. Stephen is currently installing a hybrid system at a new home construction in nearby Cardigan. "So instead of that, they opt for a green alternative." Hybrid systems are popular, although in the case of a cottage owner who may only spend a few weeks at a summer property, Stephen recommends just solar panels, because of the lower upfront cost and lower maintenance requirements. "In some cases, rural customers are far enough off the road that they'd have to pay thousands for the power company to run poles and lines into their new home," he says. He says many people are looking to be more green in their energy consumption, or to get right off the grid. Stephen Howard operates Renewable Lifestyles in Summerside, PEI, offering a number of wind turbine models, as well as other sustainable energy options, including solar panels. However, some homeowners opt for a fossil-fuel powered generator as a backup against discharged batteries. In the event of a cloudy, calm day, the battery banks normally provide power for several days. If the wind is not blowing, the solar panels can generate energy, and if it's cloudy and windy, the wind does the work. Smaller stand-alone turbines are used to generate power for communications purposes or for water pumping, or to power a home or farm.įor homeowners who want green energy, the best option is a hybrid system, combining a turbine with photovoltaic panels and a bank of batteries. The same basic technology is used in large-scale wind farms, where a number of massive turbines are erected in one area, generating electricity to be fed into the main electrical grid of a province. Just how does a wind turbine generate energy? The blades are mounted on a rotor, and when the wind blows, the rotor spins, turning a generator to create electricity. Whether local county bylaws will evolve to accept residential wind turbines is harder to say. "We're in the pre-Model T stage of home wind turbine development," he says, but as demand grows for wind power, we are seeing newer turbines that are more efficient and economical, designed with the homeowner in mind.Īs Atlantic Canadians become more familiar with wind turbines and the benefits of wind energy, this form of energy production will likely become as common as cordwood. He likens wind turbine development to the way cars have evolved over the century or so we've been using them. His windmill and tower cost about $40,000 including installation and connection to the power grid, but the television producer did it on principle, rather than for economy. Paul hopes to see the day when every residence has a small windmill generating household power requirements, as prices for small units continue to drop. "Using wind power is a rational way to put energy in a house since it's there for the taking, and since oil is a limited resource." Paul has strong feelings about wind power's worth. He put the small turbine up to provide heating for his family's pool, but it often generates enough energy to fulfill the home's requirements. There's seldom a lack of wind for the 10 kW Bergey windmill that Paul Donovan installed a few years ago on his property in Lower Canard, in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. Homeowners are installing wind turbines as an additional source of energy, and some are even using wind - and solar - to go off the grid.
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