A business in southern Kansas has added an up to date method of harnessing wind that still has the look of an old time windmill.
RSI Corp, based in Kiowa in Barber County, has added RSI Wind to their business. Their wind turbines look like the old time windmills that used to be everywhere across the county.
With the addition of the wind turbines, RSI expects to provide green jobs setting up the new wind generators that are produced in Nebraska and are one of a few wind generators that are produced in America, said Justin Myers, Renewable Resources Director for the wind division.
“This is not some foreign concept,” Myers said.
The new units cost from $4,000 to $8,000 per kilowatt-hour and can run about $80,000.
The stimulus bill will provide a 30 percent tax credit to 2016 for building a wind generator. The United States Department of Agriculture also as a 25 percent grant available for rural businesses. The entire cost of the units can be deferred the first year as an incentive. Farms and businesses are really interested in tax credits. If someone is eligible the government will pay about 50 percent of the bill.
It is a turnkey system when the owner gets the units.
The new units have net metering. Electrical companies are required by law to provide bi-directional meters that run forward or backward. If a generator is producing more electricity than the home or business is consuming, the meter will actually run backwards also called net metering. It actually reduces the amount of electricity on the meter.
Utilities have to have 20 percent of their power from a renewable energy source so they are anxious for net metering units.
The units can be hooked into the grid or can be set up for off line directly to the home or business. A bank of batteries can be used to store electricity if the wind isn’t blowing.
“There’s a lot of ways it can work,” Myers said.
This is a new venture for RSI that installs the units, does maintenance work and provides warranty work. The new wind generator line was added about a month ago and they will install one on the west edge of Kiowa and have it fully functional in about two weeks.
The response to the new business has been positive in spite of the current economic situation.
“Business is going amazingly well. We were concerned about business in the recession,” Myers said. “People are interested in getting something more self sufficient.”
The new wind units have impressive figures. They are 92 feet tall from base to the top of the pinwheels that are 25 feet across. The base is 18 feet by 18 feet and the machines generate 10 kilowatts on the average with a top end of 15.8 kilowatts, Myers said.
That is enough electricity to serve three average households if the machines run at 35 mph continuously. It will easily serve a single house that doesn’t have a large energy bill.
The units can pay it self off in about seven to 10 years.
The units are heavy steel while other systems use fiberglass bodies or plastic housing.
“It (steel) makes it a little heavier but it keeps it in place a little bit longer,” Myers said. “It’s a tried and true design that works.”
This unit is geared lower than the other models. The RPMs are slower to reduce wear and tear. They have been wind tunnel tested up to 150 mph. It is designed to withstand high winds and won’t blow over.
Kansas is an ideal place for the wind generators with ample wind and the generators fit the need.
“I think it’s a really, really good program and a good product,” Myers said.
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A business in southern Kansas has added an up to date method of harnessing wind that still has the look of an old time windmill.
RSI Corp, based in Kiowa in Barber County, has added RSI Wind to their business. Their wind turbines look like the old time windmills that used to be everywhere across the county.
With the addition of the wind turbines, RSI expects to provide green jobs setting up the new wind generators that are produced in Nebraska and are one of a few wind generators that are produced in America, said Justin Myers, Renewable Resources Director for the wind division.
“This is not some foreign concept,” Myers said.
The new units cost from $4,000 to $8,000 per kilowatt-hour and can run about $80,000.
The stimulus bill will provide a 30 percent tax credit to 2016 for building a wind generator. The United States Department of Agriculture also as a 25 percent grant available for rural businesses. The entire cost of the units can be deferred the first year as an incentive. Farms and businesses are really interested in tax credits. If someone is eligible the government will pay about 50 percent of the bill.
It is a turnkey system when the owner gets the units.
The new units have net metering. Electrical companies are required by law to provide bi-directional meters that run forward or backward. If a generator is producing more electricity than the home or business is consuming, the meter will actually run backwards also called net metering. It actually reduces the amount of electricity on the meter.
Utilities have to have 20 percent of their power from a renewable energy source so they are anxious for net metering units.
The units can be hooked into the grid or can be set up for off line directly to the home or business. A bank of batteries can be used to store electricity if the wind isn’t blowing.
“There’s a lot of ways it can work,” Myers said.
This is a new venture for RSI that installs the units, does maintenance work and provides warranty work. The new wind generator line was added about a month ago and they will install one on the west edge of Kiowa and have it fully functional in about two weeks.
The response to the new business has been positive in spite of the current economic situation.
“Business is going amazingly well. We were concerned about business in the recession,” Myers said. “People are interested in getting something more self sufficient.”
The new wind units have impressive figures. They are 92 feet tall from base to the top of the pinwheels that are 25 feet across. The base is 18 feet by 18 feet and the machines generate 10 kilowatts on the average with a top end of 15.8 kilowatts, Myers said.
That is enough electricity to serve three average households if the machines run at 35 mph continuously. It will easily serve a single house that doesn’t have a large energy bill.
The units can pay it self off in about seven to 10 years.
The units are heavy steel while other systems use fiberglass bodies or plastic housing.
“It (steel) makes it a little heavier but it keeps it in place a little bit longer,” Myers said. “It’s a tried and true design that works.”
This unit is geared lower than the other models. The RPMs are slower to reduce wear and tear. They have been wind tunnel tested up to 150 mph. It is designed to withstand high winds and won’t blow over.
Kansas is an ideal place for the wind generators with ample wind and the generators fit the need.
“I think it’s a really, really good program and a good product,” Myers said.
