Frequently Asked Questions
- Is a wind energy system right for our Municipality, School or Not-for-profit Organization?
- What is Net Metering?
- What size wind turbine do I need?
- What things should I know before buying a wind turbine?
- Who can I contact for more information on wind systems?
Is a wind energy system right for our Municipality, School or Not-for-profit Organization?
A wind electric system will work for you if:
- There is enough wind resource where your building is located
- Local zoning permits tall towers in your area
- There is adequate property to site a wind turbine
- You can determine how much electricity you need or want to produce
- It makes sense for you economically
Does the wind blow hard and consistently enough at your site to make a wind turbine system economically worthwhile? This is a key question and not always easily answered. Yet, there are steps you can take that will go a long way towards answering this and other questions.
As a first step, utilize the Long Island Wind Resource Maps to estimate wind resources in your area.
What is Net Metering?
Your electric meter spins forward when electricity is flowing
from LIPA into your home, and it spins backward when power is
flowing from your home back to LIPA. If more electricity
is generated through a wind energy system than your home requires,
your are billed only for net consumption - the amount
of electricity consumed less the amount of electricity distributed
back to the grid.
Learn more.
What size wind turbine do I need?
How much wind energy you can install will depend on many factors,
including your location and how strong the wind resources are
on your property. As a starting point, you might consider
how much of your present electricity needs you would like to
meet with a wind system. For example, if you would like
to meet 50% of your electricity needs with wind energy, you
would work with a wind installer to examine past electric bills
and determine the size of the wind system needed to achieve
that goal. Depending on the average wind speed in your
area, a wind turbine rated in the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts
(kW) would be adequate to meet the annual electricity needs
of the average Long Island homeowner.
Contact LIPA by calling 1-800-490-0025 and request the total electricity usage, measured in kilowatt-hours, for your household over the last 12 months. Ask your installer how much a new wind system will produce annually and compare that number to your annual electric demand to get an idea of how much you will save.
What things should I know before buying a
wind turbine?
Use the
Long Island Wind Resource Map to determine if your property
has a good wind resource (10 to 12 mph average annual wind speed)
- If your local zoning codes or covenants allow wind turbines.
- Wind energy makes sense if your average electricity bills are $150 per month or more.
- If your property is in a remote location without easy access to utility lines.
- When choosing the ‘best’ location for a wind turbine, remember to site it upwind of buildings and trees, and approximately 30 feet above any structure within 300 feet.
Who can I contact for more information on
wind systems?
For more information about LIPA’s Residential Wind Power Program,
please call LIPA’s Energy Infoline at 1-800-692-2626.
Questions?
Call the Energy Efficiency Infoline at 1-800-692-2626.
