Announcements (Updated 2/14/08)
The Virginia State-Based Anemometer Loan Program based at James Madison University was established in 2001 and has served more than 30 sites throughout the Commonwealth since then. In 2007, the program was temporarily halted to allow time for equipment upgrades and program assessment. The Virginia SBALP will resume operation, with updated mission and protocols, in Spring 2008.
Featured Photo (Delaplane, VA (Oct. 2003)
Wind News in the Region
Wind is Given 2nd Look As Energy Needs Grow, Washington Post (Aug. 3rd, 2008)
Community Wind Energy 2008, Windustry (Feb. 28th, 2008)
USDA Outreach Conference at Virginia State University, USDA (Feb. 28th, 2008)
2008 Renewable Energy Workshops, North Carolina Wind Energy (Feb. 25th 2008)
Wind farm proposed near Elkins, Charleston Gazette (Feb. 13th, 2008)
An Island Of Energy, Daily News Record (Feb. 6th, 2008)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it cost to participate in this project?
A few minutes of your time every month for the majority of cases. This time would be spent looking at the tower to be sure it is still standing, once a month replacing the data plug, and every other month replacing the batteries. All the equipment needed will be provided.
There are some special instances where a zoning permit may be needed. It is up to the borrower to handle these permits. To find out about your possible zoning restrictions please contact your county Community Planning office. One other possible expense would be FAA lighting in instances where the tower would be in the flight path of an airport.
Will the equipment generate electricity?
No, the equipment is strictly a wind measuring device
What can I do with the data collected at my site?
You can take that data to a small turbine manufacturer when purchasing a turbine. Tell the manufacturer what kind of output you want from the turbine (e.g. 1000 kWh/month, pump 200 gallons of water from a river uphill 200 feet, etc.). The manufacturer will be able to tell you what your best economic decision will be.
Why would I want to take a year of data? Can't I just take my best guess based on observation or airport data nearby?
Taking a year of accurate wind data takes the guessing out of purchasing a turbine. With the data you will know the output you will get from a given turbine. If you were to make an educated guess on which turbine to purchase you may undersize the turbine (meaning you won't get as much power as you want) or oversize it (meaning you will produce more power than you need). Airports are not generally placed in areas of high wind speed for safety concerns, so they ma not give you an accurate representation of your wind speed. Wind speeds also vary greatly from place to place so an airport a few miles away could have very different wind speeds than you would find at your site.
