KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasBig Incentives for Renewable Energy Sources
The Las Vegas valley sees wind almost everyday. So why not harness it to power a house or business? That's what one valley company is doing and they hope others will too.
Steven Stoney, manager of NV Energy's renewable energy program, is overseeing the installation of a 30-foot wind turbine at a Las Vegas metal shop. "I think it's an exciting thing to see the wind generating energy," he said.
The owner of Premier Mechanical put the wind turbine in to save the company money. Manager Dennis Aukerman hopes it will save them thousands of dollars a year on energy bills. "I'm sure it will, especially with this equipment. We operate it sometimes even at night. We got two shifts sometimes, so if we can save a good percentage of the energy we are using here 24 hours a day, it's going to be a big savings," he said.
Anytime the wind blows, the shop will immediately convert to wind power. Steady breezes should save the company about 10 to 12-percent off their monthly bill.
The turbines cost a total of $20,000 to put up. However, Premier Mechanical will get $6,000 back from NV Energy and an $8,000 rebate check from the federal government, all renewable energy incentives. There are thousands of dollars in savings through incentives and rebates if you plan on installing solar panels or wind turbines for energy.
"The economic savings will be the principal benefit, but it's the right thing to do. We're going to be less dependant on carbon fuels," said Stoney.
Saving the planet with clean renewable resources, one blade stroke at time.
