04.25.08
Brothers install wind turbine
By Misty Higgins
Originally published in the Martinsburg Journal

BERKELEY SPRINGS - While attending the Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C. back in 2005, brothers Mike and Pete McKechnie were inspired to set out on a mission to do their part in helping with the nation's energy crisis.

The two saw one of their dreams come to fruition Thursday as a first-of-its-kind 100-foot tower topped with a wind turbine was erected behind Mike McKechnie's home on Pious Ridge Road in Morgan County.

With the help of about 20 workers and a 60-ton crane, the Skystream 3.7 was lifted and bolted into place on a concrete foundation behind the solar house where Mike McKechnie lives.

The Skystream is the first all-inclusive wind generator designed to provide clean, quiet electricity in low winds. The windmill was created specifically for residential use and typically provides an average electrical savings of around 40 percent, according to the product's Web site.

“We are very excited about having it up in the air,” Pete McKechnie said after the turbine was solidly in place. “We are hoping to promote the used of alternative energy sources.”

The brothers, who are partners in their business, Mountain View Builders, specialize in renewable energy and brought the solar home - created by the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth - from the solar decathlon. They hope to eventually use the home as an educational facility and incorporate many of its features into their own custom homes.

“We have always wanted to build efficient houses,” Pete McKechnie said. “We use the greenest products possible.”

The home is topped with solar panels and utilizes many “green,” or environmentally friendly, materials. The wind turbine is intended to be used in conjunction with the solar panels, saving around 80 percent on utility bills. “The two combined makes a good system,” Pete McKechnie said.

According to the Skystream Web site, the turbine sells for about $12,000 and connects directly into the existing utility grid. The windmill will provide energy as needed and when not needed, electricity will actually feed back into the utility grid, making the electric meter dial spin backward and crediting the homeowner for created electricity.

Wind power produces no pollution and the turbine will pay for itself in about five to 12 years, the Web site stated. Another story on USA.com stated that 20 million U.S. homes are currently suitable for the Skystream.

Andy Kruse, senior vice president of business development for Southwest Wind Power, the creator of the Skystream 3.7 wants the windmill to be a residential power appliance on par with solar panels and “as essential as a dishwasher,” according to USA.com.

Southwest Windpower is the No. 1 small wind turbine provider with projected sales of $25 million. Kruse is currently lobbying for a $4,000 tax credit for small wind systems in the energy bill before Congress, which would lower the payback for the system from 5 to 12 years down to about nine years.

With the rising costs of energy and the depletion of resources, the interest in everything green is on the rise. While the Morgan County Skystream is the first in the area, a computer search yields many sites dedicated to the windmill and its increasing popularity. A Maine newspaper even reported that former president George H.W. Bush recently had one erected at his vacation home in Kennebunkport.

There are some requirements, though, to be able to support the system. The property must be at least .5 acres and unobstructed, there must be at least 10 mph winds, the utility company has to have an existing interconnection agreement and local zoning must allow for a structure that is at least 42 feet tall. Towers for the turbine range from 33 to 100 feet.

While there are still a few steps to go, including an inspection, before the McKechnie's turbine blades will be spinning and creating electricity, Pete said the brothers already feel the accomplishment and benefit of the windmill. “This is the first tower we've put up,” he said. “We feel good about it.”

And Pete McKechnie feels that the Skystream's popularity will only increase in what he described as an “energy-hungry society.”

“The traditional forms of energy are fossil fuels. Those sources are going to deplete, whether it's in my lifetime or my child's lifetime,” Pete McKechnie said. “These sources are totally renewable. The sun is always going to shine, the wind is always going to blow.”

For more information on the Skystream 3.7, contact Mountain View Builders at (304) 258-4320 or skystreamenergy.com

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