Charter Township of Union, November 11, 2013
As of Friday, November 8, one of Union Township’s power generating windmills was back online. The repair was completed by Ron Nietling Construction of Chesaning MI at a cost of $245 plus two hours of boom truck and operator supplied by Bud Percha Paint of Mt Pleasant.
The northerly Skystream Wind turbine has been inactive for the past nine months. The data log and weather station log indicates the last day of generation was around March 22, 2013. Repairs have been waiting for a reasonable estimate to fix the windmills. Early estimates approached $3,000. The wind turbines were originally obtained through a grant from the State of Michigan. When the cost of repairs is compared with savings on the electric bill, the price did not seem to justify the repair.
The problem of finding service was compounded by an expired warranty, inability to locate the contractor who installed them, and the dissolution of the parent company, Southwest Wind Power. We were assisted in locating service by Garth Ward, a former Mt Pleasant resident and a previous representative of Southwest Wind. Garth directed us to Xzeres, the company who now holds rights to South West Wind products. Trustee Mikus continued communication with Xzeres who subsequently referred us to Ron Nietling Construction.