Power generated from wind is the fastest growing renewable energy source in America. Wind power, as an alternative to fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, and produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation.

Your municipality buildings can get wind power from three sources – microturbines, wind generators (turbines on towers or buildings), or contract with a wind farm. Power is generated and either used on site, stored in a battery system, or sold to the utility.

Microturbines
Microturbines have become small, light, compact, and attractive. They employ an array of small turbines and can generate power on wind speeds as little as 2 m/sec.

Some arrays integrate into the parapets of buildings, taking advantage of aerodynamics to catch wind as its speed escalates up a structure's side.

Wind Generators
Wind generators have a more familiar wind-mill look, and can be both small and large. Every day improvements technology and lower cost are coming on line.

Newly designed large wind systems are also being built, such as vertical axis systems. They have no flicker, no bird issues, very limited noise, less than 40 foot high, installable at ground level or on top buildings of almost any height.

Many municipalities are placing vertical wind access systems in closed, reclaimed landfills, many of which are small mountains with great wind, no trees and near large urban areas. No extensive transmission lines needed and the project would be reclaiming the land. Each state has hundreds or more of these ideal locations.

Manufacturers / Products / Links

Wind energy is available is most of the country, but some areas are ideally suited to it. The Wind Map at the US Department of Energy can give you an idea of the wind ratings in your area.

The WindBuster from Seabenergy is a small 5kW vertical axis wind turbine with 5 blades designed for maximum energy generation and minimum noise. All our electrical components are off-the-shelf, simplifying maintenance.

Aeolos Wind Energy produces 1kw, 2kw, 3kw, 5kw, 10kw, 20kw, 30kw, 50kw horizontal axis wind turbines and 300W to10KW vertical axis wind turbines for the world. Aeolos is a leading small wind turbines manufacturer in the world.

Urban Green Energy is a worldwide leader in small wind turbines having sold products in over 35 countries. The company is focused on providing high quality, high performance and attractive vertical axis wind turbines and hybrid lighting solutions. Urban Green Energy owns a full service manufacturing facility, including advanced R&D and production capabilities, and its industry-leading capacity is helping UGE in achieving its goal of being the world's premier supplier of small wind turbines.

Want to start small and get a demonstration project going for your municipality? Try a 400 Watt wind turbine from Sunforce.

Contract with a Wind Farm
If you are not in an area suitable for wind power generation, one option is to contract with a wind farm to supply your electricity. With a wind Power Purchase Agreement (PPA),

• No capital investment - the power company owns the equipment
• No maintenance cost - they maintain the equipment.
• Keep energy costs under control - with a wind PPA, your company locks in long-term electricity rates, putting you in control if utility prices soar.
• Enhance your public image - with a wind PPA, you can avoid the risk while highlighting your company's long-term commitment to renewable energy and the well-being of the environment.

Municipalities have been utilizing solar power not only to reduce their utility bills, but also to take the opportunity of selling their solar renewable energy credits (SRECs). The additional income received from selling SRECs increases the economic value of a solar investment and assists with the financing of solar technology.

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are the familiar panels that can be small to large. The smallest are often used for individual lights or callboxes, like those on the highways. The standard size panels, roughly 3x5 feet to 8x20 feet, can be used alone or in large arrays. For utility sized solar power plants, concentrated solar power solar systems are used. Another option is a Power Purchase Agreement, whereby a town partners with a solar company to install and manage a solar system.

Small Solar Panels
Remote or difficult to reach locations such as a streetlight, safety call box, meter, or a sign are perfect locations for a small solar PV panel to supply power independently of the grid. Imagine: no ground wiring, minimized maintenance, and no utility bill for each light in a large parking lot or remote park setting. Small PV panels can supply inexpensive power for safety and shelter lighting, too.

Panel Arrays
Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight into electricity, powering everything from lamps to electronic devices and even electric cars. Some panels provide electricity, heat, or electricity and heat. Contrary to popular belief, solar systems do not need strong sunlight to function properly.

Many municipal sites are ideal locations for producing solar energy. Big, open spaces like the transit authority bus yard, the water treatment plant, reservoirs, libraries, and the municipal justice center can all be fitted with solar arrays. Designed for their locations, the type of panel array can be fixed axis, flexible, or sun-trackers. They can be mounted on roofs, mounted on ground structures, or even float.

Some arrays are specialized to provide for Solar Air Heating. These attach to the vertical wall spaces or roofs of a building, and produce both electricity and heated air.

Solar Power Plants
Large solar plants using Concentrating solar power (CSP) are usually developed and managed by individual corporations in partnership with large utilities, and are therefore out of reach of most municipalities. CSP uses large arrays of mirrors to generate large amounts of heat from concentrated sunlight. The heat is then used in a conventional power cycle or other heat engine to produce mechanical power that drives an electrical generator. The heat can also be efficiently and cheaply stored to produce electricity when the sun is not shining. Typically, CSP power plants generate large amounts of power (hundreds of megawatts) for utility-scale applications.

A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is a long-term contract between an energy provider and an municipality to build and maintain solar power equipment at a municipal site using the energy company's source funds. As the PPPA goes forward, the customer pays a rate that is usually equal to or less than the market rate for energy. That way, the customer can enjoy all the benefits of clean, renewable energy without the cost of installing and maintaining expensive solar equipment.

Energy Storage Systems
The inherent intermittent nature of wind and solar energy means that this energy is often not available when you need it the most. Most municipal solar systems will be tied to the grid through a meter that records energy flows to and from the local utility. This precludes the need for a robust power storage system.

There are, however, four good renewable energy storage technologies:

• Compressed air storage for wind energy
• Pumped hydroelectric
• Fuel cells with catalyst
• Solar thermal energy storage

Silent Power focuses on making renewable energy more valuable. By combining energy storage with their patented inverter technology, Silent Power makes renewable energy available when it is needed the most.

Wind and solar energy installations offers a number of significant benefits:

• Immediate reduction in energy costs.
  On-site energy can cost 5% to 25% less than the rate charged by your current energy provider. Your municipality will also realize tremendous energy costs savings over the course of the lease!

• Positive impact on your balance sheet.
  With MLC lease financing for your energy project, you have no capital investment and you can get your project started now and reap all of the cost-savings benefits. This makes sense because you can make better use of your capital for other important needs.

• Wind and solar power provides clean, cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy.
  Wind and solar electric power generating systems provides you with your own supplemental electrical power, working in concert with power from your electrical utility. Solar power is produced when there is sufficient sunlight falling onto your solar panel array. Electricity is converted from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) by an inverter, and the resulting flow is routed to your electric service through a special circuit allowing immediate use.

• Power that is always on and always available.
  Even when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing, your 'smart' system still makes sense. Because our installations are connected to the power grid, electricity is always available, no matter what. However, when your production exceeds your demand, power is automatically "sold back" to the utility. Commercial solar power systems are installed with both a production meter, which monitors the amount of electricity produced from your solar array, and a net meter, which enables the energy sales to go both ways.

• Proven, reliable solar systems.
  Today's solar panels are often come with a 25 year warranty or more — your solar panels may outlive you! They are also modular meaning you can start with a small system and expand it over time. Solar panels are light (weighing about 20 pounds), so they don't usually necessitate modifications to the installation site.

• Wind power is one of the most promising new energy sources.
  The cost of wind has dropped by 15% with each doubling of installed capacity worldwide, and capacity has doubled three times during the 1990s and 2000's. As of 1999, global wind energy capacity topped 10,000 megawatts, which is approximately 16 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. That's enough to serve over 5 cities the size of Miami, according to the American Wind Energy Association.
  
  In the US, wind power receives a tax credit for each kW·h produced; at 1.9 cents per kW·h in 2006, the credit has a yearly inflationary adjustment. Another tax benefit is accelerated depreciation. Many American states also provide incentives, such as exemption from property tax, mandated purchases, and additional markets for "green credits".

• Excellent incentives are still available!
  Refer to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) for the latest complete information on local, state, regional, and federal incentives. Additional wind and solar power incentives can be found at www.solar-estimate.org.

• Cleaner, fuel efficient technology.
  Wind and solar offer wonderful benefits because they are supplemental and offset the energy cost needs. You will save money while helping to conserve energy and improve the environment.  Your site consumes less carbon and your building may earn LEED credits.

• MLC will fastrack your equipment lease to get your project up and running in no time.
  Our energy performance audit and contract partners can perform an assessment of your current systems against your usage needs. Then MLC secures the lease financing to fund your project quickly. The MLC team also provides the professional assistance you need to navigate regulations or restrictions, and help you make the most of local, state and federal incentives. Which means you get all of the benefits, and none of the hassles!