Two turbines installed atop city hall

Reno City Hall wind turbines lead a small-wind, rooftop renewable energy pilot, with nine units citywide testing performance, delivering 788,932 kWh savings yearly, $91,000 in costs avoided, and data reported to the U.S. Energy Department.

Two 1.5 kilowatt wind turbines have been installed atop the 17-floor Reno City Hall as part of the city's push to promote renewable energy.

Jason Geddes, city energy administrator, said the top of city hall is an ideal location for turbines because nearby tall buildings create a wind tunnel virtually all the time. A third installation also is planned, though zoning challenges can affect timelines.

"When we first started doing this several years ago, I never dreamed we would be doing it on top of city hall," Councilman Dave Aiazzi said.

In all, Reno officials plan to install nine turbines throughout the city to test their performances and assess small turbine value in different environments. Four others, in a city park and sewer plant, have already been erected, and two more will go on a parking garage.

The nine turbines and several solar projects are expected to save the city 788,932 kilowatt hours a year for an annual savings of $91,000 a year. The investment should pay for itself in nearly 19 years, Geddes said.

The turbines are part of the city's $19 million Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Initiative.

At a rooftop ceremony, Mayor Bob Cashell said Reno is the first U.S. city to place such turbines on top of its city hall. But a Boston spokesman later said that a 1.9 kilowatt turbine has stood atop Boston City Hall since 2008.

Christine Real de Azua, spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association, said her Washington, D.C.-based group does not track small turbine installations by site and was unsure whether any other cities had turbines atop city hall.

Reno also claims it's the first in the country conducting research to test the strengths and weaknesses of the turbines. The information will be reported to the U.S. Energy Department, and insights from an NREL research turbine provide useful comparisons.

"The new testing facilities across the country will play a very important role in the small-wind industry, especially as it continues to see residents embrace wind power at such fast rates," said Ron Stimmel of the American Wind Energy Association.

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