This story originally ran in the Monday, October 18, 2010 edition of the Blue Ridge Business Journal. The Journal ceased publication in December 2010. Visit roanoke.com/bizjournal to browse an archive of BRBJ stories. For business coverage from The Roanoke Times, visit roanoke.com/business.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Letter to the editor: Wind farm needs adequate wind speed
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Windmills are appropriate considerations where there is adequate wind ("Botetourt should say 'yes' to wind energy," Oct. 4 letter to the editor). Typically windmills should be considered economically viable when there is a 6.5 meters/second or greater average wind speed at 80 meters above the ground. This is in accordance with recommendations from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. There is one single small spot in Botetourt County according to the wind analysis maps charting this bottom 6.5 m/s threshold average.
It makes more economic sense to pick a spot with a higher average wind speed and which is larger to support a farm of windmills.
David Moniot
Associate/senior architect, Clark Nexsen
Roanoke
