Islip residents can
now put windmills
in their backyards
to save on energy
costs.
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 Laurelbased solar and wind
installer. If a proposed L1PA subsidy
program goes into
effect, that price
could be cut in half.
• SAVINGS With
the average wind
speed in Islip, a
45-ioot turbine
would provide an
annual savings of
about $700 on your
electric bill.
indmills in
the backyard
• Islip becomes first LI town to allow res-idents
to erect turbines in their backyards; experts caution
that height restrictions may limit cost effectiveness
BY JENNIFER MALONEY
jennifer,[email protected]
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, Sus,m 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.
With a 50 percent subsidy, tills
hypothetical Islip turbine would
pay for itself in about 16 years, according to figures provided by
Lang.
Put the same turbine on the
"This has been kind of a pet
idea and project of mine for sev- beach, and it could pay for itself in
eral years," said Sherwood, who eight years, generating $1,450 in anteaches design at the New York nual savings on the power bill
Institute of Technology at Old
Islip Councilman John Edwards
Westbury. "Now it's come to a said the town tried to balance its
point where it's becoming via- goal of promoting alternative enble."
ergy with the safety and aesthetic
Alternative energy experts concerns of residents.
Turbines in Islip must conform
cautioned, however, that Islip's
height restriction will limit the to a noise restriction of 55 decibels
- a hum equivacost effectiveness
of a backyard turlent to' the noise of
traffic on a suburbine.
ban street - and
On commercial
they must be set
properties, the town
back from the propwill allow turbines
erty line by a length
up to 70 feet high.
Find our Green
equivalent to the
The ideal height on
Beginner's Guide, tips
height of the turcommercial properon buying environmentv would be 100 to
bine.
taJly friendly gifts and
"It's a balancing
120 feet, said Jeff
a carbon calculator,
act," Edwards said.
Lang, director of
"What we came up
wind technology for
NEWSDAY.COM
Eastern Energy Syswith we feel is a
/GREEN
good compromise."
tems, a Laurel-based
Disc Graphics, Inc., a Haupcompany that installs solar and
pauge-based packaging business
wind systems.
"With wind, higber is better;' interested in installing one or
Lang said. "It all depends upon more wind turbines on its roof,
the location. If your trees arc the has already set up a meeting with
height of your wind turbine. Islip's building department to disyou're not going to make any cuss the new code, said Ron
power. If you're right on the PalW11beri. the company's finance
beach, it's going to be making a manager.
"We want to be as efficient as
lot of power."
A 45-foot turbine costs about we possibly can . . . and we'd
$23,000 to install and with tbe av- also like to do it in an environmenerage wind speed in Islip would tally friendly way," he said.
Sherwood said she'd like to crereduce a bomeo"mer's electricity
ate an example, showing those
bill by $700 per year, Lang said.
The Long Island Power Authori- who are hesitant to embrace wind
ty's proposed 2009 budget includes power that turbines aren't an asan incentive program for wind tur- sault to the eye or the ear.
"What I would love to do is put
bines, which could subsidize the installation price by up to 50 percent, one up," she said. "You know the
• UPA spokesman Ed Dumas said. old adage, build it and they will
The LIPA board is set to vote on come? People will see that it's not
the budget next week.
such a bad thing."