With all the new homes being built and rebuilt on Carr Drive in Slidell, there are some rather unusual structures going up as well.

A handful of homeowners are installing wind turbines, rotating machines that convert the kinetic energy in the wind to mechanical power or electricity. According to CLECO spokesperson Robbyn Cooper, there are currently three of the devices in the parish, and all are located along Carr Drive’s waterfront.

“It all goes back to that old saying, ‘location, location, location’,” said Cooper. “You have to be in the right spot where there is enough wind generated to operate a turbine.”

Pictured is Slidell resident Pat Mottram’s wind turbine, which helps generate electricity for his home on Carr Drive. The turbine was activated with a new meter on Tuesday. (Staff Photo by Anne Lautzenheiser)

Wind energy is not in itself a new concept, essentially dating back thousands of years to the time a boatman first dreamed up the idea of using a sail to drive his vessel. The Dutch improved the process starting in the Middle Ages, developing the windmill to grind grain and pump water. Twentieth century industrialization and the advent of World War II helped lead to the use of wind power to generate electricity.

The skyrocketing price of oil in the 1970s paved the way for worldwide research and development of wind energy as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

Wind energy is a good option for much of coastal Louisiana, due to steady ocean-borne breezes. Bordered by Lake Pontchartrain on one side and marshes on the other, Carr Drive’s average wind velocity of 15 mph generates between 300 to 500 kilowatt hours per month for one turbine.

That translates to about 25 to 35 percent of homeowner Pat Mottram’s monthly bill.

Mottram made the decision to go “green” when he began rebuilding his Katrina-battered home last year. His turbine was activated with the installation of a new meter on Wednesday.

“We’re in a good spot to do it because there’s a lot of wide open space and breezes coming off the water,” said Mottram. “Also, if it’s a cool, windy night and it generates more electricity than you use, the next day the meter will start running backwards, and you can get credits on your power bill.”

Mottram’s turbine cost about $7,000, with most of the price going towards installation. Pilings to support the base of the tower go down 45 feet, and since there are no guy wires, a substantial foundation must be poured.

“You have to use the same type of foundation that they use for highway signs,” said Mottram. “There’s more metal in that foundation than in any car built by Chrysler since 1979.”

The turbine feeds into Mottram’s house at the same point as his regular electric lines. The blades of the turbine begin turning when wind speed reaches 5 mph, but an internal system of “brakes” will start slowing it down at winds of 25 mph, to protect the turbine from damage. At winds of 50 mph or higher, it stops altogether, but the tower is reportedly built to withstand winds of up to 140 mph, meaning the tower will not be destroyed in the event of a hurricane.

The system will not operate if CLECO’s main grid shuts down in during a severe storm or other emergency, due to safety issues. Cooper said the turbine is a “smart” machine, meaning it has a sensory panel that can detect when the flow of power has been cut off, and use an automatic function to stop operating.

“If our system goes down it means there is a fault or problem, so everything has to be shut down in order to protect the line mechanics working to repair it,” said Cooper. “If the turbines are working it will back-feed electricity onto the system, so a line that was de-energized is now energized, and could really hurt them.”

Cooper added that an improperly connected gas-powered generator can do the same thing, which is why utility companies distribute safety information on connecting the devices in the aftermath of a major storm.

Mottram said he expects it will take about four years to recoup his investment.

“No one is going to get rich doing this, but every little bit helps,” he said.

Louisiana provides a tax credit of up to 50 percent of the first $25,000 of the cost of a solar or wind energy system, for a maximum allowable credit of $12,500 for each system installed after Jan. 1, 2008. Eligible systems include solar water heating, solar space heating, photovoltaics, wind and solar pool heating.

For more information visit the Web site for the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency at www.dsireusa .org, or see the U.S. Department of Energy Web site on the subject at www.eere.energy.gov.