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Islip homeowners can mount wind turbines in yards

BY JENNIFER MALONEY | jennifer.maloney@newsday.com

December 5, 2008

Responding to queries from residents, the Town of Islip this week added a novel chapter to its code:

Homeowners can now erect wind turbines in their own backyards.

Islip is the first Long Island town to craft guidelines for the construction of wind turbines in residential neighborhoods, said Neal Lewis, executive director of the Neighborhood Network, an advocacy group that tracks towns' environmental initiatives.

A few East End towns have adopted rules for wind generators - but those are aimed at large properties, such as farms and wineries. Southampton limits wind generators to properties of an acre or more, and Southold restricts them to lots larger than seven acres.

Islip now permits a wind turbine up to 45 feet high in the backyard of any residential lot.

Islip officials said they've received several inquiries from residents and businesses interested in harnessing wind energy.

One resident, Susan Sherwood, 64, of Oakdale, said she and her neighbors have been talking about erecting a wind turbine that would serve multiple homes on their street.

"This has been kind of a pet idea and project of mine for several years," said Sherwood, who teaches design at the New York Institute of Technology at Old Westbury. "Now it's come to a point where it's becoming viable."

Alternative energy experts cautioned, however, that Islip's height restriction will limit the cost effectiveness of a backyard turbine.

On commercial properties, the town will allow turbines up to 70 feet high. The ideal height on commercial property would be 100 to 120 feet, said Jeff Lang, director of wind technology for Eastern Energy Systems, a Laurel-based company that installs solar and wind systems.

"With wind, higher is better," Lang said. "It all depends upon the location. If your trees are the height of your wind turbine, you're not going to make any power. If you're right on the beach, it's going to be making a lot of power."

A 45-foot turbine costs about $23,000 to install and with the average wind speed in Islip would reduce a homeowner's electricity bill by $700 per year, Lang said.

The Long Island Power Authority's proposed 2009 budget includes an incentive program for wind turbines, which could subsidize the installation price by up to 50 percent, LIPA spokesman Ed Dumas said. The LIPA board is set to vote on the budget next week.

With a 50 percent subsidy, this hypothetical Islip turbine would pay for itself in about 16 years, according to figures provided by Lang.

Put the same turbine on the beach, and it could pay for itself in eight years, generating $1,450 in annual savings on the power bill.

Islip Councilman John Edwards said the town tried to balance its goal of promoting alternative energy with the safety and aesthetic concerns of residents.

Turbines in Islip must conform to a noise restriction of 55 decibels - a hum equivalent to the noise of traffic on a suburban street - and they must be set back from the property line by a length equivalent to the height of the turbine.

"It's a balancing act," Edwards said. "What we came up with we feel is a good compromise."

Disc Graphics, Inc., a Hauppauge-based packaging business interested in installing one or more wind turbines on its roof, has already set up a meeting with Islip's building department to discuss the new code, said Ron Palumberi, the company's finance manager.

"We want to be as efficient as we possibly can ... and we'd also like to do it in an environmentally friendly way," he said.

Sherwood said she'd like to create an example, showing those who are hesitant to embrace wind power that turbines aren't an assault to the eye or the ear.

"What I would love to do is put one up," she said. "You know the old adage, build it and they will come? People will see that it's not such a bad thing."

WIND TURBINES IN ISLIP

HEIGHT Up to 45 feet tall, in a backyard or side yard. For commercial properties, up to 70 feet tall. Moving components at least 15 feet above the ground.

NOISE No louder than 55 decibels - a hum equivalent to the sound of street traffic in suburbia.

DISTANCE Set back from each property line by a length equivalent to the turbine's height.

COST About $23,000, according to Eastern Energy Systems, a Laurel-based solar and wind installer. If a proposed LIPA subsidy program goes into effect, that price could be cut in half.

SAVINGS With the average wind speed in Islip, a 45-foot turbine would provide an annual savings of about $700 on your electric bill.