Q&A

DEAR NEW FARM:

With regard to on-farm wind power, how do you convert the turbine power into electricity for the house and farm? Can you sell any unused amount of electricity back to the power company, and, if so, at what price? Is this calculated into the payback for the system? What equipment is needed to hook up the house with this and have regular electricity as a backup when the wind is not blowing? Where can I buy this equipment, and how expensive is it?

Thanks,
Robert Norman
Texas

DEAR ROBERT:

A few years back, after attending an Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference (www.mosesorganic.org) Organic University workshop about on-farm wind power, we wrote a series on the subject:

Generating electricity is a breeze
Farming the wind
Wind in the silos

They should cover your questions and then some. “Alternative energy” is always an up-front investment, with payback to your bank account—and to the environment—realized over time. Each state and utility has its own policies with regard to how one interfaces with the grid, whether you are allowed to sell excess power back to the utility and for how much.

NF

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