Winds of change blowing for turbines

After a winter of continuous wind on his Bedford County property, Roger Henderson wants to harness it to generate electricity.

He’d like to place a wind turbine next to his woodworking shop in Sedalia. But Bedford County, like other Lynchburg-area localities, does not have an ordinance for that use.

“Right now zoning is a roadblock to wind energy,” Henderson said.

That may soon blow the other way.

Bedford, Amherst and Nelson counties — all with significant land holdings along the Blue Ridge — are looking into regulating small wind turbines, which convert kinetic energy from wind into mechanical energy. They are not currently a permitted use in the counties due to lack of zoning.

Nelson and Amherst counties are the furthest along in the process, with officials in both counties currently drafting ordinances that would allow the construction of small wind turbines.

Bedford County, meanwhile, is looking at allowing turbines as a new type of use and including it with other new proposed uses as part of an ongoing process to update county zoning.

Under Bedford County’s current zoning, Henderson could build a tower as an “accessory structure” but it would be limited by height, said Mary Zirkle, Bedford County’s chief of planning.

The type of turbine he is interested in would stand from 45 to 60 feet next to his shop, where he has already installed solar panel technology that uses sunlight to generate electricity.

“The higher you get it in the air, the more electricity you’re going to make,” Henderson said of turbines. “If people are going to get into wind energy in Bedford County, they need to be able to be able to put up more than a 32-foot tower.”

Wind turbines have been drawing more attention in Virginia as the U.S. shifts its focus to more green energy alternatives. The regulations under consideration in Central Virginia would address wind turbines for use in supplementing residential electricity, and officials in all three counties say they have fielded a number of inquiries from residents interested in them as a means of reducing energy costs.

Jeremy Hayes of Skyline Turbines, an Afton-based business that is a dealer of the alternative wind turbine systems, said he already has performed wind studies at homes of Nelson County residents who now await a governing ordinance to purchase them.

Hayes, who answered questions about the turbines at a board of supervisors meeting earlier this month, said his company has fielded inquiries from more than 70 people in the county who are interested in a wind system.

Steve Crandall, another Nelson County distributor and installer of small wind turbines, said this is something county residents can use to help keep down energy costs.

“To me, if we can buy one less barrel of oil, it makes sense,” he said. “Yes, these systems cost a lot of money, but it makes sense.”

Small wind turbines generate electricity by converting kinetic energy from wind into mechanical energy. According to the American Wind Energy Association, the purchase and installation of a system large enough to power an entire home can cost $30,000, on average.

Smaller systems, to supplement but not replace utility usage, cost less.

Federal tax credits help make the purchase more cost-effective, Hays said, and depending on the size of the system and wind availability, owners can recover the cost of the system in a few to several years — the wind energy association says from 6 to 30 years.

While Bedford, Amherst and Nelson counties consider turbine regulations, other nearby counties are hearing about them, too.

Rockbridge County adopted an ordinance in November allowing small energy wind systems, or roof-planted devices, after a request from a local Howard Johnson’s hotel.

Albemarle County also is discussing allowing small turbines— the Board of Supervisors earlier this month asked county staff to research the matter and work on a proposal.

Living near the Blue Ridge is a much better spot for securing higher wind speeds than low ground, said Patrick Wilson, operations manager for the Virginia Wind Energy Collaborative at James Madison University.

“You want to be in the highlands, in the mountains,” said Wilson. “If you’re in the valley, you’re not going to have a high wind resource.”

Henderson, whose land near the Sedalia area of Bedford County is in close range of the mountains, said wind will accelerate when it comes down off the side of them.

“Sometimes you just can’t believe the way the wind blows up here,” he said.

During a recent cookout, Henderson said about 30 of his friends walked the roof of his shop to observe the solar panels he put in last December. Some were also interested enough to get quotes in prices from turbine manufacturers, he said.

Henderson said he is “bound and determined” to have a wind system up and running hopefully within the next year but for now is doing his “homework” until the county acts.

He said he would like to host seminars on his land for people to get useful information once it is up and running. “My hope is that a lot of people that have been real interested in wind and solar energy will do it.”

Bedford County officials have also recently visited Henderson at his shop to talk about the subject.

“I’m trying to get them thinking about alternative energy and doing things to make it easier for people to get on the bandwagon,” he said.

A wind turbine could produce electricity in non-daylight hours and compliment the solar technology, he said. He saw a 54 percent decrease in May’s electric bill from the previous year because of the solar technology, he said. His overall goal is to generate more electricity than he consumes.

In addition to cost savings, Henderson said he prefers wind and solar energy because they don’t contribute to global warming or depend on foreign oil.

“We just can’t afford to keep going the way we’re going,” he said. “The end result is we’re in a mess as far as energy is concerned. My goal here is to do my part.”

- Erin McGrath of the Nelson County Times contributed.