Freeman obtains Southwest Windpower re-certification

By Kathy McCarty  
Staff Writer
    PRESQUE ISLE — Leo Freeman, owner of Perception Aroostook, a Skystream wind generator distributor/installer located at 9 Caribou Rd., knows how important it is to stay up to date on the latest technology.     To do so, Freeman attended a four-day school in November, held in Augusta, designed to educate new students on the proper installation and maintenance of wind generators, as well as serve as a refresher course for those already certified. Freeman could have opted to do the shortened version of the course, which lasted a couple days, but decided instead to do the entire program.
    “I actually took the four-day school. It’s a very good school. This time was more improved, with more detail and technical aspects. There was more discussion on troubleshooting. It was more in-depth instruction — how it (wind generators) works internally,” explained Freeman.
    The certification program was put on through Southwest Windpower, whose motto is ‘renewable energy made simple.”
    Freeman said even though he’d taken the course before, he was able to learn more, thanks to the qualified instructors and their willingness to answer whatever questions came up.
    “It was fairly technical. We learned about the inner workings (of generators) and the way it develops power. Southwest has a fairly good connection with the state of Maine. Dealers in the Augusta area I’ve been dealing with requested training be offered in Maine,” Freeman said.
    As technology evolves, so do wind generators, Freeman said.
    “You can uplink and downlink information from wind generators now. It’s like running computers 40 feet up in the air,” he said.
    Freeman said the technical aspect of wind generators is constantly improving, as the technology advances.
    “When I first got into distributing Skystream products, I had one ‘glitch’ reported the first year. They’re designed to protect themselves against heavy (50 mph or higher) winds. People were getting premature shutdowns at 35 mph. That was solved with the uplink of a new program. All that’s required is to go to the site and update the program running the generator,” said Freeman.
    Freeman said business has been good, with several systems sold his first year in business.
    “Business slowed a bit with the economic slump, but there’s still plenty of interest. Zoning issues factor into the equation, but there are plenty of locations generators can be installed. The County has many great spots that get ample wind,” he said.
    He said a good setting would be any site with an average 12 mph wind speed.
    “A generator would run well under those conditions,” he said. “It comes down to wind and site location.”
    Rebates are also available for qualified buyers.
    “There’s a wind energy rebate program through Efficiency Maine. I can help folks with the paperwork. There are federal tax rebates — tax deductions too,” Freeman said.
    Freeman said it’s important for anyone interested in installing a wind generator, to follow some simple guidelines.
    “Make sure you’re working with a certified representative. Siting is very important; for a fee, I will go anywhere in Aroostook to do a site evaluation. One also needs to determine site feasibility — check with zoning/code enforcement officers in your community, check whether you have enough clearance,” said Freeman.
    According to Freeman, while he does do site evaluations, sometimes an individual can assist in the process by determining if there’s a clear enough location for installing a wind generator or if trees or buildings will interfere.
    “If it’s in a wooded area, unless we can get the generator above the trees, it’s probably not a good location,” he said. “I also have to determine whether there’s the ability to connect to the power grid. If there isn’t, Skystream generators won’t be right for the location. If you have a camp with no access to the power grid, an Air Breeze system would better suit the location — with power going to batteries, rather than the grid. For off-grid sites, Air Breeze makes a nice unit.”
    “I use Google Maps for a lot of my site work. They show me what the area looks like — help determine elevation,” he said.    
    Freeman said if anyone’s thinking about installing a wind generator this year, it’s not too early to begin planning. He’s looking forward to putting his updated knowledge to use.
    “I’m available to answer questions, set appointments. I want to put what I learned in Augusta to use. I work with Langille Construction on the base and ground work; a master electrician comes in and handles the electrical connections,” he said.
    For more information, contact 764-5506.