Overview
Learn much more about the whole-house approach to energy in Colorado at the CSU Extension Energy page: http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/energy/
Save money! Conduct a do-it yourself home energy check list: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/family-home-consumer/energy-checklist-for-homeowners-10-621/
Learn even more about energy use in your house by checking out a HEAL Kit:
- Home Energy Audit Loan (HEAL) Program – detect electricity waste and air leaks by borrowing a kill-a-watt power monitor and thermal leak detector for free from CSU Extension Gilpin County (303) 582.9106. Learn more about the HEAL Kit here
- Online Resources – the energy homepage provides a variety of online fact sheets, videos, decision tools, webinars, and more.
Wind Energy
Sometimes it seems like the wind is always blowing in Gilpin County. But does that mean that the wind is of the right sort to produce good electricity?
On Jan 7, 2010 in partnership with United Power, we installed a SkyStream 3.7 wind turbine on the Fairgrounds outside the Extension Office. After 3 years of data, we found that the turbine only produced about 1000 khw/year or about $100 worth of electricity. The winds at this particular site are too gusty and turbulent to provide much useable power, thus wind energy was not found to be cost effective. In January 2014, the turbine was decommissioned.
Here is wind energy information from a 60 meter tall anemometer that was installed December of 2008, and left up for about a year.
