Outside of his job as a chemical plant operator, Mac Carter spends his free time installing and maintaining wind turbines in Ohio and nearby states. He has experimented with wind power on his own property since the early 1980’s to prove that wind power can work in Ohio. His land is flat, and a ridge is located about a mile to the south. There are trees on his property that stand 30-40 feet high. He installed his first turbine in 1982, and another in 1987. Mac decided to install a larger Jacobs 26 wind turbine on his land in 1990.
Unlike many other wind turbine owners in Ohio, Mac went through a public hearing process in order to get permission to install his turbine. For his first two turbines, he easily obtained a building permit from Ashtabula Township. However, when he applied for his third permit in 1990, he discovered that the Township had put something on their books making it more difficult for people like him to obtain permits for a wind turbine. During the public hearing process, Mac was forced to justify his reasons for wanting to put up the turbine and also the need for the project.
While the township superintendent was against the turbine project, Mac found at least one of the zoning board members was sympathetic to the project. This member was familiar with wind turbines that had been installed in California, and while this was a different scale of turbine altogether, it was similar enough for this member to feel comfortable with the turbine being in the township.
This may not have been enough on its own, but the township clerk decided to gather information independently, and wrote away for materials on wind power from the State of Ohio. The information that was returned to the clerk was clearly in favor of promoting alternative energy. This official endorsement was enough to sway the zoning board, and Mac was granted his permit. While Mac no longer has access to this information, it is likely that the more information one can present upfront to zoning boards and other officials, the more likely it will seem that installing a wind turbine is becoming a common occurrence. Though the process Mac had to go through was time-consuming and frustrating, he is proud that anyone wanting to do a similar project in the township should have a significantly easier time now that he has “blazed the trail.”
Mac knew from experience that his land was windy. He measured the wind on his property for a short time with an anemometer and found out that he could expect average winds of 13 miles per hour, definitely adequate for a residential wind turbine.
Mac decided to install a Jacobs 26 model with a rated output of 17.5 kilowatts. In order to bring the turbine above the trees on his property, he chose a lattice tower that stands 80 feet tall. Mac’s system originally included a battery bank, but in the late 1980’s, he removed the batteries and connected directly to the grid. The system includes a synchronous Jacobs inverter, disconnect and distribution panel. He is in the process of setting up a net metering agreement with his utility, CEI. He keeps track of the instantaneous generation of his turbine, and while he does expect to pay electric bills in the summer months, he usually sees his bills drop to $0 during the windier winter months.
Overall, Mr. Carter is very happy with the small wind system and his pioneering efforts to develop it in the area.