Installation Planning - Bergey 24 VDC B Owner's Manual

Appendix 1

Installation Planning

The location and height of the tower for the BWC
XL.1 wind system will be important factors in de-
termining the overall performance of the system.
Average wind speed is influenced by many things
and may vary considerably within a relatively
small region, particularly in complex terrain. Site
and tower choice, however, are often limited by
such factors as zoning restrictions, property size,
proximity to neighbors, customer preferences, and
wiring costs. All of these factors should be taken
into consideration in choosing the best tower site
and height.
A. Legal Restrictions and Good
Neighbor Relations
One of the first steps in planning an installation is
to determine the legal status of the proposed wind
turbine installation in the community in which it will
be installed. In most cities and some counties an
installation will be subject to zoning laws and
building codes. Some neighborhoods have pro-
tective covenants that limit the types of home im-
provements. In areas requiring permits the instal-
lation must be planned weeks to months in ad-
vance to allow time for applications to be proc-
essed and, if necessary, hearings to be held.
The quickest way to determine the local codes
and requirements is to call or visit the office of the
building inspector. Few cities have specific regu-
lations dealing with wind turbines, but most will
have height restrictions, building code require-
ments, and a formal process for obtaining a build-
ing permit. The most common problem encoun-
tered in the United States is a height restriction of
10.7 meters (35 feet), particularly in residentially
zoned areas.
The 9 m (30 ft) Tilt.Tower meets the 35 ft restric-
tion, but it does so at some loss in performance.
If you need or want to go higher than the zoning
height restriction you must apply for a variance. A
variance is essentially permission to break a rule
and it is granted following a public hearing before
a Planning Board. Obtaining a variance is a major
undertaking, costing $200-5,000 and taking sev-
eral months, so it is important to establish whether
it will be necessary as soon as possible.
Bergey Windpower Co. has experience in working
with customers and BWC dealers in variance
hearings and we offer advice and assistance to
those who request it.
Generally, in order to obtain a building permit you
will be required to submit a plot plan and fill out an
application. A plot plan is a map, drawn to scale,
of your property showing the boundaries, dwell-
ing(s) and other structures, major topographic fea-
tures, easements, and, most importantly, the loca-
tion and height of the proposed wind turbine
tower. Often you will be required to submit plans
for the tower and information on the wind turbine.
In some cases you will also be required to submit
a structural analysis of the tower to show that it is
in compliance with the building code. Sometimes
a registered Professional Engineer (PE) must sign
this analysis and occasionally the PE must be li-
censed in the State where the unit will be in-
stalled.
Bergey Windpower Co. has engineering analyses,
PE-Certified, for most towers it offers and copies
of these analyses are available to our customers.
Noise data is occasionally required and will soon
be available for the XL.1 from Bergey Windpower
Co.
If your property size is several acres or more then
the turbine will likely be so far from the nearest
neighbor's house that they will not be bothered. It
is, none the less, strongly recommended that you
contact your nearest neighbors well in advance of
any construction to let them know that you are
installing a wind turbine. This is doubly good ad-
vise if your property size is less than several acres
or you have to obtain a variance for a building
permit. Good neighbor relations boil down to
treating your neighbors the same way you would
like to be treated and showing respect for their
views. An example of what not to do is to put the
turbine on your property line so that it is closer to
a neighbors house than to your own and not give
those neighbors any advance notice of your inten-
tions.
In general, we do not recommend that a BWC
XL.1 be installed on property of less than one-half
acre in size. We say this because the impact of a
wind turbine on the neighbors in such a "tight"
area is significant and the potential for disputes is
too great.
If you have questions about procedures, require-
ments, or tactics, please contact us. Since so few
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