Wind energy turns urban http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/arts/013781.html#

Wind energy turns urban
by Shayla Durrett, staff writer
October 21, 2009 5:00 PM

Iconic locations throughout San Francisco will soon capture the energy of the bay winds and assist in making the city carbon neutral by 2030 with the implementation of small-scale wind turbines on buildings.

"It is important for everyone to use as much renewable energy as possible," said Robin Wilson, founder of Whirligig Inc., a San Francisco company that sells and installs turbines. "San Francisco is a very windy city and we should take advantage of this free and endless renewable source of energy."

A 44-member team of wind energy experts, politicians, business representatives and environmentalists was assembled to assess the potential of urban wind power through a study that began in April 2008.

The study produced a plan of 29 recommendations for promoting and implementing wind turbines, including offering cost refunds and city outreach to promote turbine installations.

"We think it's great that San Francisco is taking the initiative to use green energy," said Ron Stimmel, a small-wind advocate for the American Wind Energy Association.

San Francisco is working to implement wind turbines at locations throughout the city, including Ocean Beach, Twin Peaks and the San Francisco Zoo. The sites will be used as demonstrations to educate the public, provide data on small wind technology and show a commitment to clean energy in the city.

The W Hotel in San Francisco has been very active in Mayor Gavin Newsom's urban wind power task force and helping to create city legislation.

"We want to be part of the pioneers in the city," said Michael Pace, general manager of the hotel.

The W Hotel plans to install two to four turbines in the early half of 2010 in an effort to inform the public about the power of wind turbines. The roof of the hotel is too small to generate enough power for the hotel, but the wind turbines will offset the energy usage for one of the bars at the hotel.

"The turbines will be more of a demonstration site and not a substantial energy source, but it will show other businesses in San Francisco how wind energy works," Pace said.

The W Hotel will share information about the process of installing wind turbines and will allow people on the roof to observe the turbines.

Pace said the wind turbines cost an average of $20,000 to $60,000. The federal government offers a 30 percent credit for the installation of wind turbines, which can be combined with a state incentive of 10 to 15 percent to drastically reduce the price.

Currently, small wind generators have been installed at six locations in San Francisco, including the Mission, the Castro and Twin Peaks, according to Wilson.

According to Stimmel, utilizing small wind generators in an urban environment is a challenge because of the obstruction of the flow of wind.

"The biggest challenge is finding the right places where wind is good enough," Stimmel said. "In urban locations there's a lot of wind turbulence where buildings can block the wind. Wind power works best in open spaces."

Small wind vendors in California have expressed concerns about the state permitting process, which includes over-restrictive codes, inconsistent regulations and high permit fees.

"The biggest challenge has been dealing with permitting issues although our mayor has been great in helping with this," Wilson said.

Newsom has been supportive in reducing this problem by telling planning and building inspection departments to accelerate the permitting process and reduce costs.

Another problem facing small wind generators is the lack of public awareness about urban wind opportunities.

"Most people are aware that there are large turbines but don't know there are turbines available and can be used for residents, business and municipal applications," Wilson said.

An average house needs one turbine to generate energy. The homeowner's gas and electric bill is analyzed and the turbine is chosen based on the data and the wind speed at the site.


» E-mail Shayla Durrett @ sdurrett@sfsu.edu