Red Deer’s propensity for calm conditions has caused a wind turbine pilot project to stall.
Last November, the city’s municipal planning commission authorized a study of roof-mounted wind turbines in residential and commercial/industrial areas of the city. The initiative was prompted by Parkland Community Planning Services because Red Deer’s land use bylaw currently has no regulations governing wind turbines.
On Monday, PCPS planner Tara Lodewyk told the commission that a steering committee composed of representatives from several city departments, ATCO Gas, Red Deer College and PCPS requested proposals for roof-mounted wind turbines suitable for residential or commercial buildings. Proposals for two residential and four commercial systems were received.
Although details of the proposals were not released to the public, Lodewyk said it’s been concluded that average local wind speeds are too low for power generation to be practical.
Historical data from the Red Deer Regional Airport indicate that the average annual wind speed is 10.8 km/h. This would only allow residential turbines to operate at only 20 per cent efficiency — producing about 1,025 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, or enough to run two 100-watt light bulbs.
Lodewyk said this power would be worth about $103, while the investment in the wind turbine would be around $10,000. She added that one of the companies that submitted a proposal compared the noise of a residential wind turbine to that produced by a clothes dryer.
Lodewyk also noted that residential wind turbine technology is still at an experimental stage.
Wind turbines for commercial settings are more advanced, she said, but average local wind speeds are still well below that required for the efficient operation of such units. They would also cost about $25,000, plus installation, said Lodewyk.
The steering committee has recommended that the pilot project be suspended. If an application for a residential wind turbine is received by the city, it could be treated as a pilot project and a further evaluation done at that time.
The committee also suggested that if an application for a wind turbine on a commercial building comes in, wind conditions at the location be monitored for one year and changes to the land use bylaw be considered after.
The committee also proposed that advances in residential wind turbines be monitored and a further report made in two years.
Lodewyk told the commission that pole-mounted wind turbines were not considered by the committee because such structures would not be allowed on most urban lots.
Laebon Homes previously received approval from Red Deer County to install a wind turbine on a 12-metre pole next to its head office in Burnt Lake Industrial Park.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com