Members of the General Motors Chevy Volt Team brought over a 2011 Volt for people to take test drives at the June 2011 Michigan Energy Fair in Ludington, Michigan.  The Principals from Four Elements Energy were also able to take test drives and offered the Volt Team portable level 1 power for recharging the Lithium Ion Battery Pack in the Volt.  The Volt comes with a portable level 1 battery charging cable equipped with diagnostic equipment to sense the quality of the power before the Volt is allowed to accept the power. There is also a secondary indicator light that is located on the top of the dash by the windshield and visible from outside of the Volt that shows the power quality from the charging source. Once the portable Volt charging cable was connected to the Four Elements Energy portable solar power trailer, the power diagnostics on the Volt charging cable panel display showed ALL green lights across the board attesting to the quality of the power being supplied by the portable Four Elements Energy solar powered trailer. The Volt was able to then accept level 1 power from the solar powered trailer in good order.

Lloyd LeZotte inserts the portable Volt power cable into the charging port while Dan Alway monitors the power draw on the battery bank in the portable solar powered trailer.

Art Toy shows the diagnostic panel on the portable Volt charging cable which shows all green lights attesting to the quality of the power being drawn from the portable solar powered trailer supplied by Four Elements Energy.

Group shot of the Chevy Volt Team on the left comprised of Pat, Kristin Zimmerman (Manager-Environment and Energy Policy for General Motors) and Karen. On the right are Principal members of Four Elements Energy comprised of Art Toy, Dan Alway & Lloyd LeZotte.

A new feature marks the panoramic landscape at the Charles LaSata farm in Bainbridge Township, one that’s hard to miss.  A wind turbine on a 100-foot tower went up in December and is now
providing electricity for the six-member family.  The LaSatas are among a small but growing number of Michigan residents who have turned to wind, solar and other clean energy sources at a time when the federal government is offering tax incentives to do so.  LaSata, a Berrien County Trial Court judge, said he and his wife, Kim, like the idea of reducing their reliance on fossil fuels and doing something for the environment.  “It’s interesting, a good example of being self-sufficient for the kids,” he said.
The turbine and tower, purchased used and inoperative from a Niles Township property owner more than five years ago, was extensively renovated, mostly by area companies.  Refurbishing the tower and turbine, which had been damaged by lightning, required a lot of learn-as-you-go effort. But by installing
the 25-year-old equipment, LaSata estimates savings of well over half of the cost of a new system, which can run $50,000 or more. He also is in line for a 30 percent tax credit offered by the federal government to homeowners on the cost of small wind turbines, solar power generation, solar water heating and geothermal heat pumps.

On a bitterly cold day earlier this month, a brisk wind easily turned the turbine’s three, 12-foot blades. LaSata estimates that the wind turbine will meet the power needs of his family, electric clothes dryer and all. Payoff on the investment is expected to take 10 years.

Wind and photovoltaic (method of generating power by converting solar radiation into direct current using solar panels) solar power producers like the LaSatas are taking advantage of a 2009 state law that requires utilities to participate in net metering programs.  With the programs, the utility serving an area installs a meter that measures deliveries to the customer. It also measures power generated by the customer, who gets credits that reduce bills.  When a customer generates more power than he uses, the excess is carried over as a future credit.   “Now that Michigan is a net metering state, it’s more attractive,” said LaSata, who planned his project before the new law was enacted.

A bright future
People using wind, solar and other clean energy sources are a tiny fraction of the customers of Indiana Michigan Power Co., but the number is growing.   I&M spokesman Dave Mayne said that of the company’s 128,000 Michigan customers, only 23 take advantage of net metering.The LaSatas are one of 12 with wind turbines, while 11 others have solar energy systems. The numbers do not include any residences or businesses that are off the grid, producing power but not connected to
the power company.   Mayne said the Michigan Public Service Commission sees growth ahead for those energy sources, which is why rules were expanded to provide net metering.
The high cost of wind turbines is a disincentive for many people, a financial commitment that would likely not break even for decades.   “It’s a significant investment for a residential customer,” Mayne
said. “What we’ve seen is these are customers who are concerned about the environment. That seems to be their motivation.”

I&M’s rates are low compared to other utilities operating in Michigan, averaging 8.5 cents per kilowatt/hour compared to a 12-cent state average.  The overall number of I&M’s net metering customers in Michigan increased slightly over two years, from 16 in 2009 to 20 in 2010, and the current 23.  Mayne said I&M has customer engineers who help customers in many ways, among them guidance in installing renewable energy systems.  Before the current net metering law was enacted, I&M was one of the utilities that participated in a voluntary net metering law approved by the MPSC in 2005.

Problems arose because utilities used various billing options and most did not constitute true net metering, according to the MPSC. The law enacted in 2008, which became effective in 2009, set a single,
uniform statewide net metering and interconnection application and agreement.

 I&M Proposing Wind Farm

Michigan also enacted a Renewable Portfolio Standard mandating that 10 percent of the state’s electricity must be generated by renewable sources by 2015.  Mayne said I&M is meeting the standard but must add renewable energy sources in order to meet future requirements.  

The company has asked for proposals to build a 100-megawatt wind farm that will be in the I&M service area and connected to its transmission lines. One megawatt of electricity equal to 1 million watts, enough to serve about 1,000 residences.  After the facility is built in 2012, I&M can exercise an option to own 50 percent and will have an agreement to buy power generated by the other 50 percent, he said.
The company now buys power from the 150 MW wind farm at Fowler Ridge, Ind., about 30 miles northwest of Lafayette, Ind.
“Demand for electricity is going to go up,” Mayne said. “We have seen it drop with the recession. But the overall forecast, 20-40 years, it’s going to go up. So what you’re seeing is utilities looking for
ways to meet that demand.”

Julie Baldwin, manager of the MPSC’s Renewable Energy Section, said about 250 customers in the state have net metering agreements with utilities and the number is growing. Year-end totals for 2010 are to
be available in March.  She said the publication Freeing the Grid, which rates state net
metering programs, gave Michigan’s an A. The high rating is attributed to the 2009 net metering law for
generators under 20 kW, she said. “It’s simplified and the costs are simplified,” Baldwin said.MPSC spokeswoman Judy Palnau said renewable sources accounted for 3.63 percent of the power generated in the state in 2009. That was the right point for meeting the10 percent requirement in 2015, she said.
All utilities had to get renewable energy plans approved, she said, a process that took time.
MPSC lists seven utility-scale wind projects slated for construction by 2012. Combined with wind projects that were in operation prior to the new law, the total wind generation will be 727.7 MW.
All the power generated by the new projects would be purchased by the state’s two largest utilities, Detroit Edison and Consumers Energy, or in one case by both.

By comparison, the twin-reactor D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant’s Unit 1 generates 1,048 MW and Unit 2 generates 1,107 MW, according to the Cook Energy Information Center.Palnau said legislators, when discussing the 10 percent requirement for clean energy sources by 2015, considered future goals.
Some officials are talking about increasing the amount but nothing concrete has come out of the discussions, she said.

Tapping the wind
Art Toy, a principal in Four Elements Energy in Lawrence, a company with years of experience in designing and installing renewable energy systems, said a wind turbine system is not for everyone, but will work well for those who have the right location.  Toy, who provided expertise for LaSata’s project, said wind turbines are very site specific and many variables come into play.  Because of the cost and siting requirements, he recommends solar equipment for people who live in cities or suburban settings.
“Right now, if a client has a site good for wind and solar we recommend solar. It’s about a $1 a watt less.”  West Michigan can be a good place for solar energy systems as long as the property is open to the sky from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost of solar equipment has dropped 30 to 40 percent over the past two years, Toy said, in part because increased demand has led to economy of scale in production.

The LaSatas’ turbine, typical of units sold by various manufacturers for residential, farm or small business use, is rated at 10 kW when the wind blows 28 mph, but only 500 to 600 watts at 6 mph.
At times when the wind turbine does not generate enough power to meet demand, net metering customers use power supplied by their utility company.  The system is equipped with a device to protect it from lightning. And a bit of old-school technology, a furling mechanism, protects the turbine from damage by high winds by turning the blades out of the way. The average wind speed at LaSata’s farm, a very good site, is 10 to 14 mph, generating 1,000 to 1,500 watts, Toy said.  By comparison, the large, commercial turbines used by utility companies generate 1-7 MW. A wind farm of 400 of those units is equal to a nuclear power plant in production capacity. Recently, Texas surpassed California in wind energy production. But while the Lone Star state has ample breeze, growth of power production
is limited by the system of transmission lines.

Michigan has great potential for harnessing wind power, according to state officials, but many of the best sites are off the Great Lakes shorelines, creating potential conflicts with people who want to keep
coasts uncluttered. 

A Turbine Overhaul

LaSata, a former state representative and St. Joseph mayor, said he’s always had an interest in renewable energy sources. The chance to get a system came in 2005 when Bob Bretz, who lives near LaSata’s parents’ home in Niles Township, offered to sell a turbine on his property.  The wind turbine was installed by a previous owner in 1985 at a cost of $24,293. Made by Bergey WindPower, Norman, Okla., it was in sad shape. Extensive renovation was required in addition to removal of the turbine, which weighs nearly a ton, and the two-ton tower.

LaSata, who moved to Bainbridge Township from St. Joseph eight years ago, said the equipment sat in his barn for some time. But he found local companies and tradesmen capable of doing the work and putting up the tower and turbine.  Tom Carter of Technical Machining and Welding, Watervliet, disassembled the turbine to replace bearings and wiring blasted by lightning. Riverside Electric conducted testing and shipped the system’s inverter, which converts direct current produced by the turbine to the alternating current used in buildings, to the maker for rebuilding.

A Benton Harbor company, Flying Colors, balanced and resurfaced the turbine blades, and Wolverine Electric of Niles did the installation work. The tower was strengthened, new guy wires were added, and 13 cubic yards of concrete were used in the foundation. During the restoration, a disastrous fire at the LaSata house forced a delay in the project.  Just as installation was to take place in late 2009, LaSata learned that the township had enacted an ordinance with a 6-meter height limit, about 20 feet.  Getting a variance took some time and the tower finally went up in December.