When a salesperson offered Bill Boedigheimer a way to produce energy from his own back yard, he was very interested.
However, the salesperson had only lured Boedigheimer into a scam and took the $500 down payment and ran.
Still interested, Boedigheimer decided to start the business himself, offering others a renewable energy source which produces no pollution and uses wind power, offsetting pollution that would have been generated by a utility company.
Located on the north side of New York Mills on Aristotle Avenue in the Carlund Commercial Park, Residential Wind Power Inc., offers the newest form of an energy producer right to your home. Perhaps many locals have seen the newly built windmill towering near Highway 10, but few know exactly what it does.
How it works:
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A wind generator connects directly to your home. When the wind is blowing, your home is powered, in part, by Skystream; when it's not, your home is powered by your utility as usual. During periods of strong winds, Skystream can actually produce excess electricity. Depending on your utility, your meter could spin backwards--giving you credit for a later date.
Of the five distributors of Skystream wind generators in Minnesota, New York Mills is the first to install and use the product. It lowered the business' electricity bill nearly 80 percent and there was not a spot of wind for five days of the month.
In order to install a Skystream wind generator, the property owner needs a building permit and plan for 2-3 weeks for installation. Little or no maintenance is required after the initial set-up. It runs constantly and has a 20-plus year lifespan. The wind generator is made to handle any weather, even winds up to 140 mph.
Dan Mattfeld, manager of Residential Wind Power, says they are waiting for a bill to pass in Minnesota allowing all who purchase this product to receive a $5,000 tax credit which would cut the cost in half. He also says, "It's a very new business with an open market. We are fully committed even if we don't sell one until next year."
For more information call 385-WIND (9463) or email at rwp@lakesplus.com . Additional product information is also available at the parent company website, www.skystreamenergy.com .
