Killam Properties installs two turbines in trailer park
KILLAM Properties Inc. of Halifax has installed two wind turbines at its 300-home trailer park in Lake Echo to generate electricity for the community’s street lighting, water supply and water treatment facilities.
The company expects to save between $12,000 and $15,000 a year on its power bill, company president Philip Fraser said at a news conference Tuesday.
The conference was held at Mountainview Estates in Lake Echo, where winds were blowing 25 to 30 kilometres an hour.
"The electricity generated through the wind turbines at Mountainview Estates is net metered against Killam’s electricity usage at the community, allowing a perfect hedge against rising electricity costs," he said.
Longtime resident Dennis Mansfield watched the activities from the balcony of his mobile home, which overlooked the two turbines that are set about 300 to 400 metres from his home.
He accepts wind turbines as part of the new energy landscape but said the noise from the smaller of the two turbines bothered him.
"I don’t mind what they look like it’s just the noise," Mansfield said.
This is Killam’s first wind energy project, but it already uses solar panels to heat water at five other locations and is set to use solar energy system on its Parker Street apartments in Dartmouth.
As one of the largest landlords in the region, Killam wants to be able to install more and larger turbines at its properties around the province. But for that to happen, the provincial government would have to change the rules and regulations governing electrical transmission in the province, which is currently the monopoly of Nova Scotia Power.
Currently, private firms are only allowed to produce a maximum of 100 kilowatts of power that can be used to offset their power bills. Killam would like that figure to be higher.
Killam has its eye on installing wind turbines at two or three other locations in Nova Scotia and also in Ontario to get the benefits of renewable energy, Fraser said.
Killam purchased the two Lake Echo turbines at a cost of $50,000 for a small, six-kilowatt turbine and $300,000 for a 50-kilowatt turbine. Scotian WindFields Inc. of Halifax installed the turbines and has a 20-year maintenance contract.
"One of the strong, strong benefits of renewable energy is flat lining energy costs and for a company like Killam it’s all about trying to preserve costs, preserve lower rents for their clients and it’s all about the environment," said Barry Zwicker of Scotian WindFields.
Zwicker said companies such as Killam, Loblaws and Sobeys are realizing the economic benefits of using more renewable energy sources, but the Nova Scotia government isn’t. As proof, he said the province only has one building using a solar water system and that has been in use for 20 years at the old Lunenburg hospital.
"We do not have strong leadership," said Zwicker after the news conference.
"Leadership has two things to it, you can write all the legislation, you can sell the targets, (but) you’ve got to be walking the walk."
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