by DWEA Site Admin | Feb 5, 2015 | News
Washington DC — Today the Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA) lauded USDA’s recent announcement of a final rule for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). This rule-making process has been years in the making, and DWEA has been an active participant since the beginning. The core program is still providing grants and loan guarantees to rural small businesses, farmers and others in the agricultural community. However, positive adjustments have been made including a new simplified “three tiered” application process, more frequent solicitations, and priority points for specific policy priorities such as the advancement of distributed wind power.
“The REAP program has always been a very good one, strongly supported on a bi-partisan basis to help expand development of rural America’s abundant renewable energy resources,” said Jennifer Jenkins, DWEA’s Executive Director. “Now it’s an even better program helping ensure distributed wind power’s continued role in bringing clean, affordable and homegrown electricity to rural America. I am pleased to see the efforts of the USDA for it’s great work on the program.”
“This program helps farmers and rural businesses lower their operating costs and become more competitive by installing American-made small wind turbines,” said DWEA President, Mike Bergey. “Recent improvements to the program have made it more accessible to family farms and small businesses and we are very appreciative of the streamlining of the application process.”
Mike Bergey of Bergey Windpower and DWEA President will be on a panel Friday February 6th to discuss the importance of the REAP program. USDA’s “National Stakeholder Forum” will run from 1 to 3pm and also include remarks by USDA dignitaries, and be broadcast via webinar for those unable to attend in person. For more information contact Venus Welch-White on 202-720-0400 or venus.welchwhite@wdc.usda.gov.
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About the Distributed Wind Energy Association
The Distributed Wind Energy Association is a collaborative group comprised of manufacturers, distributors, project developers, dealers, installers, and advocates, whose primary mission is to promote and foster all aspects of the American distributed wind energy industry. Distributed wind is the use of wind turbines at homes, farm and ranches, businesses, public and industrial facilities, off-grid and other sites connected either physically or virtually on the customer side of the meter to offset all or a portion of local energy consumption or to support grid operations. DWEA seeks to represent members and associates from all sectors with relevant interests pertaining to the distributed wind industry. For more information on DWEA, please go to www.distributedwind.org. Follow us on Twitter @DWEA and like us on Facebook.
by DWEA Site Admin | Jan 20, 2015 | News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2015
IRS will require small wind turbines be certified
Distributed wind industry views performance and quality assurances at the Federal level as a positive step for successful deployment of distributed wind projects in U.S.
WASHINGTON DC –
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued Notice 2015-4 providing new performance and quality standards that require certification of small wind turbines – defined as having a nameplate capacity of up to 100 kW – in order to qualify for the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC).
“Distributed wind power for homes, farms, and small business is generating clean, affordable and homegrown electricity across all 50 states and as the market grows, it’s of critical importance to ensure high quality products make it to market” said Jennifer Jenkins, Executive Director of the Distributed Wind Energy Association. “These certification requirements provide performance and quality assurance for consumers, government agencies and the industry, and help to ensure the successful implementation of distributed wind projects domestically.”
“The new certification requirement addresses the small, but persistent segment at the fringe of the industry that make wild assertions on efficiency, performance, and the their special ability to work on buildings or very short towers. Now, in order to qualify for the federal tax credits, they will have to prove these claims to third-party experts. That will be very challenging or impossible for unproven designs with exaggerated performance, but will not pose a major barrier for the industry leaders”, added Jenkins.
Effective for small wind turbines acquired or placed in service after January 26, 2015, the guidance requires that qualifying small wind manufacturers provide certification to either: (1) American Wind Energy Association Small Wind Turbine Performance and Safety Standard 9.1-2009 (AWEA); or (2) International Electrotechnical Commission 61400-1, 61400-12, and 61400-11 (IEC). The certification must be issued by an eligible certifier, which is defined as a third party, that is accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation or other similar accreditation
body. Documentation establishing that the turbine meets the new requirements must be provided to taxpayers in order to claim the credit.
“As an industry, we have been working for many years to strengthen the credibility and reliability of our products,” Jenkins continued. “I’m proud to note that our membership has been leading the way on this front, actively pursuing certification since 2010 and poised to comply with these new standards.”
Additional Information:
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) maintains a list of ratings of fully certified turbines for the U.S. market.
A list of Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) Applicants can be found here. A similar list for the second certifying body, Intertek, can be found here
Notice 2015-4 is posted at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-15-04.pdf. The notice reminds manufacturers that an erroneous certification may result in penalties: (a) Under section 7206 for fraud and making false statements; and (b) Under section 6701 for aiding and abetting an understatement of tax liability ($1,000 per return on which a credit is claimed in reliance on the certification). To help manufacturers and taxpayers understand the new IRS requirements, SWCC will develop and publish a set of FAQs on its website.
About the Distributed Wind Energy Association
The Distributed Wind Energy Association is a collaborative group comprised of manufacturers, distributors, project developers, dealers, installers, and advocates, whose primary mission is to promote and foster all aspects of the American distributed wind energy industry. Distributed wind is the use of wind turbines at homes, farm and ranches, businesses, public and industrial facilities, off-grid and other sites connected either physically or virtually on the customer side of the meter to offset all or a portion of local energy consumption or to support grid operations. DWEA seeks to represent members and associates from all sectors with relevant interests pertaining to the distributed wind industry. For more information on DWEA, please go to www.distributedwind.org. Follow us on Twitter @DWEA and like us on Facebook.
by DWEA Site Admin | Oct 27, 2014 | News, Success Story
Kevin, Ed and Rich Doody grew up on the dairy farm their parents established in 1949 with 35 cows and fewer than 80 acres. The farm, now home to 350 cows, is 12 miles south of Syracuse, NY, in a small town called Otisco. The brothers’ parents also grew up in the area, going to local churches and schools. Their father, Larry, passed away six years ago, and their mother, Avis, continues to take care of the farm’s accounting. “It’s been in our blood our whole life,” said Ed.
Continuing the tradition, the brothers raised their ten children on the farm. “The kids have all enjoyed the country lifestyle we have out here,” said Ed, who has three children. “It’s not just a job. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a full-time commitment. The cows are here and they have to be taken care of. Someone has to always be there on Sundays. Sometimes a cow has a calf at night. I’m usually on call in the middle of the night when something comes up.”
With the commitment to the lifestyle, the rising costs of maintaining a farm, and the increasing news coverage over the past three years on the limited resources of carbon and oil, the brothers began to consider other options. They have three employees and earn all of their income from the milk that they sell, as well as maintaining 900 acres of corn, alfalfa, barley and hay to feed the cows.
Their research began in the west, learning about the use of turbines in Wisconsin, where farmers used and spoke highly of the Endurance 3120 Turbine that Ed was interested in. Encouraged, Ed attended seminars and found CEC Energy, which installs wind turbines and is a division of Cazenovia Equipment Company. The farm has been a long-time client of Cazenovia, which is a large John Deere subsidiary in New York State. CEC Energy helped the farm with permits, qualifications for federal grants, and calculating the amount of wind the farm would receive.
Living on a hilltop in a windy area has proven ideal to harness a sustainable energy source. The 174-foot-tall Endurance 3120 Turbine, which the farm owns, was installed on September 25, 2012, eighteen months after initial inquiry. It has powered about 240,000 kilowatts since then. Rated at 50 kilowatts, the turbine will run at 60 or 70 kilowatts with a strong wind. It is computer-controlled, can take care of itself and possesses a lot of sensors that safeguard against system faults. “We’re happy with the performance over all. I expect we’ll go year after year with the machine,” said Ed. “None of neighbors are close by enough to be bothered by it, and no one has mentioned it’s unsightly. We don’t get a lot of compliments about it.”
Following on the success of the turbine for the farm, all three families decided to lease their own, smaller, 10-kilowatt Bergey turbine to power their homes, bringing their turbine total up to four. Bergey Wind Power is a company in Oklahoma, which has been making turbines for the past 30 years. CEC Energy installed the turbines, which are leased through United Wind, a company founded in 2013 that offers affordable leasing to small wind consumers. Some of the farm’s neighbors have turbine-powered homes, and they are all happy with their experience, said Ed. Ed opted to fully prepay his 20-year turbine lease for $20,000 and expects payback in about five years on his investment. The lease guarantees 16,000 kilowatts per year. The turbines for their home were installed this summer and started generating electricity a few weeks ago. With adding an additional source of electricity, Ed and his wife, Kathy, are especially looking forward to eliminating the extensive chore of chopping firewood for heat. “The large turbine is directly across from our home. There’s no noise or interference and it’s not annoying to listen to,” said Ed. “My wife says it’s like change in your pocket. When it’s running, you make a little money.”
In addition to investing their money, they’re making choices for their future. “We pay a large fuel bill to run our tractors. That’s only going to get higher after time. So are electric bills. It makes good economic sense to us to put up the turbines,” said Ed. “It’s the wave of the future. We can’t be committed to carbon and oil forever.”
by DWEA Site Admin | Sep 19, 2014 | News
New legislation extends expired all important clean energy tax provisions including the distributed wind Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
Congress continued to move forward on extending vital clean energy tax provisions that expired earlier this year, which includes the Investment Tax Credit for distributed wind.
“I continue to be impressed with Representative Blumenauer’s leadership in support of our industry,” said Jennifer Jenkins, Executive Director of the Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA). “A renewed ITC will provide business certainty to the community and distributed wind segments of the wind industry that are generally unable to utilize the PTC. This incentive enables them to continue to drive economic development across farms, schools, business, and communities across the country. Distributed wind projects are present in all 50 states, providing clean, homegrown, affordable power; helping to keep the lights on and Americans at work. In order for this industry to continue to grow and expand we urge swift passage of the ITC when Congress returns from recess.”
The bill was introduced with 17 co-sponsors who should also be applauded for their leadership:
Rep Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
Rep Kind, Ron [D-WI-3]
Rep Langevin, James R. [D-RI-2]
Rep Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
Rep Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13]
Rep Levin, Sander M. [D-MI-9]
Rep Lewis, John [D-GA-5]
Rep Loebsack, David [D-IA-2]
Rep McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7]
Rep Moran, James P. [D-VA-8]
Rep Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1]
Rep Pascrell, Bill, Jr. [D-NJ-9]
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-13]
Rep Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38]
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [D-PA-13]
Rep Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5]
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About the Distributed Wind Energy Association
The Distributed Wind Energy Association is a collaborative group comprised of manufacturers, distributors, project developers, dealers, installers, and advocates, whose primary mission is to promote and foster all aspects of the American distributed wind energy industry. Distributed wind is the use of wind turbines at homes, farm and ranches, businesses, public and industrial facilities, off-grid and other sites connected either physically or virtually on the customer side of the meter to offset all or a portion of local energy consumption or to support grid operations. DWEA seeks to represent members and associates from all sectors with relevant interests pertaining to the distributed wind industry. For more information on DWEA, please go to www.distributedwind.org. Follow us on Twitter @DWEA and like us on Facebook
by DWEA Site Admin | Aug 18, 2014 | News
Department of Energy’s 2013 Distributed Wind Market report highlights American manufacturing success story
“The Distributed Wind Market Report issued today by the Department of Energy underscores what a true American small business success story this industry is and the market is on track to outpace last year’s deployments by a significant margin. This is a true homegrown industry that is generating clean, affordable electricity across all 50 states, while keeping the lights on and Americans at work. It’s important to realize that the vast majority of distributed wind turbines installed in 2013 were built right here in the United States. The U.S. distributed wind energy supply chain is made up of hundreds of manufacturing facilities and vendors spread across the country — supporting jobs in manufacturing, retail, construction and maintenance. This is a critical time for our industry. In order to see continued and expanded growth of domestic wind manufacturing and related markets at home and abroad it’s imperative that Congress soon pass an ITC extension and make other important renewable energy investments. These actions will provide the stability that the wind markets need to thrive. New wind leasing and other financing models in combination with improved federal and state policies could increase distributed wind’s competitiveness and market potential to nearly 80 GW by 2025.”
For more information on the latest report visit https://distributedwind.org or http://energy.gov/2013-wind-report
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About the Distributed Wind Energy Association
The Distributed Wind Energy Association is a collaborative group comprised of manufacturers, distributors, project developers, dealers, installers, and advocates, whose primary mission is to promote and foster all aspects of the American distributed wind energy industry. Distributed wind is the use of wind turbines at homes, farm and ranches, businesses, public and industrial facilities, off-grid and other sites connected either physically or virtually on the customer side of the meter to offset all or a portion of local energy consumption or to support grid operations. DWEA seeks to represent members and associates from all sectors with relevant interests pertaining to the distributed wind industry. For more information on DWEA, please go to www.distributedwind.org. Follow us on Twitter @DWEA and like us on Facebook.
