Rising costs spark windmill sales

Mount Airy company drives new Carroll County rules

On May 8, Carroll became the first county in the state to approve an ordinance allowing permits for wind turbines, according to Michael D. Maring of the county permitting office, and Pecar was a key player in setting up the permitting process, beginning installation of a windmill on his own property.

Windmills are a logical extension of Pecar's business, which deals with roofing, siding, gutters and insulation to improve a home's energy efficiency. Along with his wife, Eleanor, Pecar began Banner Home Solutions three years ago, drawing on his 20 years' experience as a landscaper and contractor. Eleanor Pecar is co-owner, manager, and bookkeeper.

The company handles all aspects of small windmills.

"I'm now fully equipped to do the installs," which includes permitting, electrical licensing and work, foundation, tower, turbines and shipping, he said.

Located at 3915 Boteler Road, Banner Home Solutions employs seven full-time staff, plus subcontractors. Together they work in repairs, sales and product installation, including siding, windows and, of course, windmills. They are also branching into solar power.

The first installations were two windmills adjoining Pecar's home and business. These, along with all Banner Home Solutions windmills, are from Skystream, a Phoenix company. Pecar now has contracts for three more installations, with costs ranging from &#e6;20,000 to &#e6;22,000 apiece.

Pecar estimates that it will take seven years for his initial investment to pay for itself. But "every time the utility company raises rates, the turnaround time shrinks" for the windmills to pay for themselves, Pecar said.

Buyers get help from Maryland's Windswept Grant Program, which provides &#e6;2,700 per windmill.

One of these new windmills will be at the Brick Ridge Inn. Owner Todd Bricken said he was intrigued when he saw windmills in operation near Banner Home Solutions. The inn already has a number of environmentally friendly practices, such as using biodegradable products, composting food waste and using rain barrels that reuse condensed water from the air conditioning units.

Beyond the electricity it will generate, Bricken said he hopes that the novelty of the windmill will attract customers.

"I want to show other people the things they can do" to help the environment, he said. "It'll add up by numbers, multiple small items."

But getting a windmill should not be one's highest environmental priority, Pecar said. Before running out and buying a windmill for the front yard, he recommends installing insulation and other energy-efficiency measures.

"Dollar for dollar, you'll save more if you start on conservation," Pecar said.

Given more widespread worries about rising energy costs, efficient windows are one of Banner Home Solutions' strongest products.

"I insulate and wrap the whole house, helping tremendously," he said. Banner also installs a reflective coating that keeps out radiant heat and saves on cooling costs.

After conservation, however, the next step is to generate one's own electricity. With two windmills, the Pecar family has seen instant savings. In the first month, their electricity bill was cut in about half. They are still awaiting the second month's bill, but expect even greater savings once the windy winter months arrive.

Maring said the county's new windmill program has been successful. Six to eight windmills have already been approved for installation around the county, he said, and he is getting two or three inquiries a week.

Despite their cost, in a windy location, windmills can be a good investment. A western orientation is helpful to get the most out of prevailing winds, according to Maring.

Official wind maps do not show Carroll County as an ideal location, but Pecar said that on his property "the wind was just pounding us." Wind maps do not account for small-scale differences, and Mount Airy's elevation is rather high, he said.

In November, when Pecar approached county officials about installing a windmill, they explained that "there are no rules about this," he said. "So I started doing it. They wrote the rules around that."

A windmill requires a fair amount of land. Rules require a setback of its height plus 20 feet, and it can't fall on a roadway or electric line.

Banner Home Solutions is now adding solar devices to its inventory, beginning with installation on the Pecar property.

"I'm doing that here now," Pecar said. "My goal is to be able to function independent of the grid."

Pecar sees a buoyant future for wind power, and for Banner Home Solutions. Maring agrees, saying "people are trying to find a way to offset electrical costs." Opportunities should be particularly strong on Maryland's windy shorelines.

Although the weak economy has slightly hurt Banner's sales, rising energy costs largely offset this.

"There's plenty of work out there," said Pecar. "I try to help people make homes more energy-efficient, and take them down the path of creating energy."