Double H Windpower

It seems a good time is now and a good place is here to install and integrate small wind turbines into our national power grid.  The CEC makes a major payment to the private citizen and they claim substantial funding for this ongoing project. The IRS offers a tax credit.

HISTORY  

It will be three years this January 2012 since I appeared at a planning hearing in the County of San Diego building on the San Diego waterfront. I was attending a planning hearing with the intention of promoting small wind.

We first applied for a first permit in May of 2009. The 1^st day I was told I would need certification to UL6140 and UL 6141 and provided a list of 2 dozen local engineering firms. I was told any of these firms could satisfy the County.  Most people in the Wind industry had never heard of these documents and on February 17, 2010 The county admitted that they did not possess a copy of these documents. It turns out that UL6160 & UL6141 (published May 2009.) were Outlines of Investigation not Standards. For these to be used as certifications some statements or instructions would have to be added.

I contacted 18 of these local firms, only one could offer the service. UL Laboratories in Camas WA also offered a proposal.   

I returned to Ruffin Road to pursue the permit in July 2009. This time my modest sound study was rejected by the Office of Noise control. My installation was in the middle of 10 acres of apple trees in Ranchita. The zoning department would not state a setback because the office of noise control had not advised them because I had no data they would accept. I asked the office of noise control what exactly they would like to see? I was told any acoustic engineer would know (this turned out not to be true) and was handed a list of local acoustic engineers.

In September 2009 I returned with a complete acoustic study performed at a wind turbine testing facility in France. The office of noise control rejected the study saying that it referred to “usual methods” and how were they supposed to understand that?

One day in October I was able to talk with a higher authority and pleaded my case. I was allowed a 100’ setback and the permit was issued with EFS requirements. My project in Ranchita was dead. I met Mark Ostrander of Jacumba. This turned out well for me. In the last two years Mark has installed 3 Windspires, made warranty repairs and received training at the factory.

Mark’s turbine was connected on “net-metering” in February 2010. The EFS to certify to UL6140 &6141 had been overlooked and so the department decided this would be a test installation. When I returned with papers for a new permit I learned that the issue of noise had not been resolved.  I would not be allowed another 100’ setback I would need an engineering certification of noise emissions.

Two Windspires were installed by HH in Poway in 2010.

In the fall of 2010 SDCDPLU made a new rule to deal with Noise. If the property owner would sign a statement on the plans taking responsibility to see that the appliance met local noise standards, this would satisfy the department of noise control and they would allow a double-height setback. The current rules require certification by EFS. 

2011 was almost entirely lost to the Dyocore scandal. When the CEC suspended the rebate program all small wind construction ceased. On the 4^th of March the program was suspended and a complaint about Dyocore to be referred to the Attorney General was published. The rebate program was restarted in November of 2011. 

Proposed Ordinance dealing with MET towers, Small Wind , Large Wind et.al. were published on November 9^th. The period for comment closed December23rd. If things go smoothly the Supervisors could vote these into law in March.

The new ordinance would allow three turbines with a minimum setback equal to the height of the turbine. The issue of certification has been addressed clearly by these new rules and definitions. The issues concerning sound could need some expert remarks with references to SDC law.