AEP has installed one small wind turbine (10 kilowatts) at each of five locations
on the AEP System to harness the wind and generate electricity. These are similar
to turbines you might install at your home or business. To help you decide whether
a turbine will meet your energy needs, we've created this website with information
about wind technology and actual generation data from the turbines.
Online charts let you see how much energy is produced almost in real time and conveniently
compare it to the amount of power our records show a typical home uses. You'll be
able to monitor local wind conditions and the operation of the five turbines. You
can even compare the operation of the individual turbines by downloading historic
data.
You may be using sensitive electronic equipment in your home or workplace. Our web
site includes power quality data important to you and to the reliability and safety
of the power we deliver.
Like our Learning
from Light! website does for solar cells, this website is designed to help
you learn about wind power. Send us your questions by
e-mailing us. Feel free to come and see the turbines by following the directions
in the wind turbine site section.
We installed the turbines at AEP facilities in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia
and West Virginia. The turbines are located in the better or best wind class areas
as shown on wind maps and near distribution line properties necessary for analyzing
power quality and safety. We purchased Bergey Windpower turbines because of their
reliable performance and low maintenance.
We consulted with Bergey on local site features such as buildings, trees and mountains
that could affect the wind approaching the turbines on their 100-foot towers.
We obtained zoning commission approvals at all the sites mainly because the towers
are taller than usually allowed. Due to objections before zoning meetings that the
turbines were not visually appealing at some sites, we installed them elsewhere.
We tried to minimize impacts to birds by locating the turbines in urban and semi-urban
areas away from ridge tops and other areas heavily populated by birds.
AEP's Learning From Wind! wind turbines are currently located in
Groveport Ohio, Fort Wayne, Indiana,
Beckley, West Virginia, Sandy Level, Virginia
, and Holland, Michigan. Click on any of these locations
and you'll find street maps so you can visit the turbines. You'll be able to climb
to the top of the 100 foot towers (in cyberspace, of course!) to look out over the
countryside from just under the turbines to see how the wind might be affected by
mountains, trees or buildings. Topographic maps are also there so you can see how
the landscape changes and how tall the mountains really are.
When you go to the websites to view activity at our wind turbines, you'll see a
lot of information including some terms that may not be familiar.
To help you understand the terms and what they mean for energy users, here's a brief
glossary. If you want to be really accurate, check the scientific definition in
parentheses.
Ampere or amp -- A measure of the amount of electric current. (One ampere
equals 6.2 x 1018 electrons passing through a point in one second.)
Kilowatt or KW -- A measure of power at any one instant, equal to 1,000 watts.
Kilowatt-hour or KwH -- A measure of the amount of electrical energy used
over time. One KwH is equal to 1,000 watts consumed steadily over one hour. Ten
100-watt bulbs burning for an hour use one KwH.
Ohm -- A measure of electrical resistance. (One volt will force a current
of one ampere through a resistance of one Ohm.)
Volt -- A measure of the pressure of electricity that forces electrons to
move through wires or other conductors. Normal household current in the United States
is 110 to 120 volts. (One volt will force one ampere of current to move through
a resistance of one Ohm.)
Watt -- A unit of electrical power that measures the rate at which work is
done or energy is used. For example, a microwave oven might use 1,200 watts. (One
watt is the work done when an electrical force of one volt pushes one ampere or
6.2 x 1018 electrons through a resistance of one Ohm in one second.)
You will also see two sets of wind measurements taken using devices called anemometers
-- or "wind meters" -- placed at different heights on the towers. We take
both measurements to show the difference in wind speed -- and power -- at the different
heights. A wind turbine must have a clear shot at the wind to perform efficiently.
Turbulence -- irregular changes in wind speed and direction -- is highest close
to the ground and lessens with height. Also, wind speed increases with height above
the ground. Turbulence both reduces turbine performance and "works" the turbine
harder than smooth air.
