Thursday, October 22, 2009

Offering Financing and Energy Audit.

Well as of today we can now offer financing for you next solar or wind system. We can offer financing through Domestic Bank. Interest rates as low as 6.95%.

Also when you buy a new renewable system from us, we are also now including a home energy audit of your house. We feel that if you install a new system that you should do all you can to help maximize your new system. This energy audit will help you to save even more money.

So give us a call today and lets get your new system started right away. (231) 715-1170

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Our first solar project.

Today we started the first phase of construction on the first solar project in Glen Lake. This is a cutomer that I have been working with for awhile. We will be installing a 2 kw system with a tracker. This is the post that we installed for the tracker to mount on. It is 8" around and 21' long. We placed it down a hole 30" round and 7' deep. I will be starting on the electrical end of it later next week. We also are making provisions for a future additional 2kw of solar and a possible 3-5 kw wind turbine. So if you would like to do something like this then give us a call and lets talk about solar for you.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Pro and Cons of solar power (photovolatic or PV).

Pros of solar power:


  1. Solar is a renewable source of power.

  2. Solar energy does not give off harmful substances. Except for the process involved to manufacture.

  3. The sun is everywhere.

  4. The sun's fuel is free.

  5. Small systems are easily installed.

  6. The systems have low maintenance.

  7. The systems are quiet.

  8. The systems have no moving parts.

  9. The systems generally have twenty-five year warranty on the panels.

  10. The sun is more constant then wind.

  11. Solar is being advanced all the time.

  12. Solar has become more popular in the past few years.

  13. The cost of solar has dropped in price.

  14. Even when cloudy the panels continue to work.


Cons of solar power:


  1. The initial cost can be very expensive.

  2. No good way to store the power.

  3. Not ever location is good.

  4. Snow can cause the system to stop working.

  5. The panels need to be cleaned to minimize dust buildup.

  6. Cloud cover can slow power production.

  7. Solar does not work at night.

  8. Solar systems need room to be installed.

These are just a few pros and cons of solar systems. This the second part of a three series that I am blogging about. If you missed the first blog of this series the pros and cons of wind turbines here is that link.

The third and final part of this series will be on, "What is right for me here in Michigan." The next section will take a little long then the other two so please back periodically the latest blog.

You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest information.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Just ran across this today.

I will be bringing this up again in my three part series I am currently doing on the Pros and Cons of Wind and Solar systems and What works best for me in Michigan. The first part of this three part series is finished and has been posted on my blog. I am currently working on the second part which I hope to post in a couple of weeks. But in the meantime I am jumping ahead of myself when I ran across the post on another blog about Skystreams, the good, bad and ugly of this type of turbine. Someone had posted a picture of his wind turbine and 6- solar panels that the person had installed at his home. But the thing that I found interesting was the fact the solar panels had out performed the wind turbine. Here is a link to that post. Just scroll down a little bit on the log and you will see the post. The more I research information for this series I am doing the more I am changing my mind about some the renewable energy systems. This is just a tidbit of the things to come. So keep checking back for this three part series. One last thing, if you want to get the latest info you can follow me on Twitter which I post something almost everyday. I hope to see you on Twitter!!!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

#10 is complete


This the last wind turbine I had to do for the year. This particular turbine took us almost a year to complete. I ordered the material back in December of 2008. But because Tuscola Township had no zoning in place for wind turbines we had to wait. But she is up and will be online sometime next week. Now we have to wait for DTE to come do a couple of tests and then it will be good to go. We had two articles written on this turbine one was in Tuscola County Advertiser and the other is currently running in the Vassar Pioneer Times, front page. Our next project is a 2kw solar panel system mounted on a pole with a tracker on it. This will be going over in the Glen Lake area. I will blog and post pictures as we get going on this project. Once this project is completed I will have a link attached to my web site showing how this system is doing with power product, so keep a look for that in the near future.

Wind Turbines that I currently offer to customers

Skystream 3.7- Which is a 2.4 kw turbine which is grid connected and is a downwind system. It comes in tower heights 33', 45', and 60' tall. Other heights are available with permission from Southwest Windpower.


Raum 3.5- Which is a 3.5 kw turbine which is grid connected and is 5 blade downwind system. It comes in tower heights 40', 60', 80', 100' and 120' tall.


Hummer- Which comes in several sizes 500, 1kw, 2kw, 3kw, 5kw, 10kw, and 20kw turbines which are all grid connected and are upwind systems. But the thing about the Hummer is computer driven into the wind, not pushed into the wind. A computer samples the wind direction and speed and is always turning the turbine into best spot in the wind. 2kw and under are on 60' tower and everything lager then that start at 60', 80', 100, and 120'.


Bergey- Which is a 10kw turbine which is grid connected and is an upwind system. It comes in tower heights 60', 80', 100' and 120' tall.


I have much larger wind turbines if a farm or small business would need something larger. I have a 40kw and 100kw unit if I need something that large.


So if you are looking for a wind turbine system then is what I am currently offering as far brands. So give me a call today and lets see if your property is right for one of these turbines today. (231) 715-1170



Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Pros and Cons of wind trubines.

Pros of wind power:

  1. The use of wind turbines does not generate pollution or radioactive waste like most other forms of electricity generation.

  2. Wind energy is renewable.

  3. The wind is ample. It is everywhere on the planet.

  4. Are designed to last 20 - 30 years.

  5. Small wind turbines have very low to no maintenance on them.

  6. The cost of producing wind energy has come down by at least 80% since the eighties.

  7. Wind turbines can produce power all hours of the day or night.

  8. No need for fuel or other materials to be supplied. The fuel is free for harvesting.

  9. Wind can also generate power for large numbers of people.

  10. Many people find wind farms an interesting feature of the landscape.

  11. Remote areas that are not connected to the electricity power grid can use wind turbines to produce their own supply.

  12. Wind turbines have a role to play in both the developed and third world.

  13. Single households to small towns and villages can make good use of range of wind turbines available today.

  14. Wind turbines can produce more power for less money. As compared to other types of renewable energy sources.

  15. Man has been using wind for thousands of years. From everything to grinding grain, to pumping water. If the Dutch did not have their windmills their country would be under water.

Cons of wind power:

  1. When wind turbines are being manufactured some pollution is produced.

  2. The strength of the wind is not constant and it varies from zero to storm force. This means that wind turbines do not produce the same amount of electricity all the time. There will be times when the wind turbine produces no electricity at all.

  3. Many people feel that the countryside should be left untouched, without these large structures being built.

  4. Wind turbines can be noisy.

  5. Many people see wind turbines as unsightly structures and not pleasant or interesting to look at.

  6. Storing the power is a problem and expensive.

  7. Turbines can be hit by lighting.

  8. Can kill birds if they fly into the blades.

  9. Have moving parts that may need to be replaced over time.

Here are just a few pros and cons of wind turbines. I am sure there are more that we can add to these lists.

The next list that I am in the process of doing is the pros and cons of solar systems (photovoltaic or PV ). PV will be my second part of this three part series I am doing on renewables the pro and cons. It should be ready in a few weeks.

The final portion of these series will be,"What is right for me here in Michigan wind or solar."

So check back every once in awhile for the latest update on this continuing series of blogs, the pros and cons of renewable energy.