NYSERDA approval has arrived

Great news! I’ve got my NYSERDA approval. We could start poring cement, but I’d still like to find out how much more it would cost to go up 20 feet or ever 40 more feet. I wanted at least 100 feet in the beginning, but they didn’t make a 100-foot hydraulic tower then. They do now.

My installer doesn't have the pricing for the higher towers yet. They’ve got it for the 20KW but not for my 10KW. Just another week and ½, but that is what they have been saying for a month or so. I think what I’ll do is talk to my town about what it will take to amend my permit to cover up to 120ft just in case I can afford to go the extra feet.

It really means a lot to the projected energy out put. Here are the stats the NYSERDA’s way of measuring.

With an 80 ft tower I could produce 41.1 KWH daily
With a 100 ft tower 52.7 KWH daily almost 28% more
With a 120 ft tower 63.6 KWH daily 55% more power

If power was 10 cent a kW the power I’d be producing would be 4.11 dollar per day with the 80ft tower or 5.27 per day.

I’d have to go back to NYSERDA to get there approval again for the higher tower. I’m not sure how many more months we’d be waiting. They give more money based on tower height. Also, the Federal tax credit is uncapped so I’d get 30% back on the added expense of the extra feet.

It is a very windy day today. Wish I had my wind turbine up and spinning.

Waiting for NYSERDA

I’m in the final stages of getting verbal NYSERDA approval! No, I’m not sure what that means, but this has been taking a long time. NYSERDA is The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority that gives funds for alternative energy. This project would not be possible with out their approval.

NYSERDA required an environmental study. That slowed my application down a little. Apparently, most towns require an impact study. My town didn't require a study, so I had to get them to fill out the forms. If not, I'd have to do the NYSERDA study that is pages and pages.

I also had to sign off on the promised power that my system will produce. NYSERDA’s estimates on the wind I'll have seem low, but I guess they want you to be realistic about the power you could produce.

There is some good in this wait. While I’ve been waiting, Redriven has started to offer 100 and 120 ft towers. I’m waiting to see the pricing of those options, but that means getting a new permit too. Once I get the pricing of the towers I'll do the comparison.

I guess I better get used to this waiting. My installer said that once we get the approval, it will take one month for the cement to cure for the base.