Urban turbine draws resistance

A northwest Omaha homeowner is hoping to pump green energy back into his home, but city planners and some of his neighbors aren’t sure his plan is a good idea.

Homeowner Shuguang Jiang is asking for a special permit to install a wind turbine that would stand about 10 feet above his garage.

According to city planning documents, the relatively low-capacity turbine would be on a pole that extends from the garage floor and through the roof to a total height of 31 feet. The total rotor diameter is 10 feet, with each blade measuring 3 feet long.

Such turbines have risen in popularity along with interest in green energy, but city planners acknowledge that they’re behind in updating rules to match the interest. In Omaha, the requests for the necessary zoning approval more commonly have come from businesses in commercial areas.

In advance of today’s Planning Board meeting, several neighbors in the area southwest of 120th Street and West Maple Road have contacted the City Planning Department to register their opposition.

City planners also oppose Jiang’s request on the grounds that the turbine’s rotors would be too close to neighboring property lines.

City planning officials are looking to update Omaha’s codes governing wind energy systems, which date to 1987, said David Fanslau, the city’s manager of current planning.

With current technology, certain wind turbines might be appropriate in some neighborhoods, Fanslau said. Some small turbines, for instance, are aligned on a vertical axis, not propped up horizontally, and don’t have to be as tall to catch a breeze.

Until any new standards are in place, though, the city must apply its older code, he said.

“If it’s reasonable, we’re trying to make them work,” Fanslau said. “In some cases, it’s not.”

Jiang, whose turbine has approval from the Omaha Public Power District, said he is unsure how much of his energy needs the turbine would cover but wants to give it a try.

If the turbine can tap an average wind speed of 7 mph, that would generate 801 kilowatt hours of electricity each year, according to the manufacturer’s information about the model Jiang hopes to install.

That’s enough to cover about 7 percent of the energy consumption in the typical U.S. household. It would effectively provide the electricity to run a dishwasher for a year.

“I still believe it’s worth it,” Jiang said.

Jiang figures the turbine would cost him between $3,000 and $6,000 to buy and install.

Neighbors have raised concerns about safety, noise, appearance and a potential drag on property values.

“While I am generally in favor of energy conservation measures,” one wrote in an e-mail to planners, “I am concerned about the impact of such a system in our neighborhood.”

Jiang said his turbine would not be a safety threat, and he points to research suggesting that small wind energy systems don’t hurt property values.

“If it’s ugly,” he said, “I don’t want one put on my roof.”

The issue, which must go before the City Council after the Planning Board makes its recommendation, could come down to the matter of space.

Current rules call for Jiang’s proposed turbine to sit at least 165 feet from the nearest property line. Property records show that his lot is only 69 feet wide, and the turbine’s pole would be 20 feet from the nearest property line.

The council can grant a waiver to that rule. But planners say an exception for this case would be excessive.

Contact the writer:

444-1128, jeff.robb@owh.com