Lake Co. business looks to wind for power
Municipal codes can be pretty dry, but now and then something comes up that is as interesting as it is necessary.
How else to describe "shadow flicker," one of the issues that's come up in a proposed addition to the Libertyville village code that would allow wind turbines in manufacturing areas?
Planners had to research what should be in the code after receiving the village's first request to use wind power to generate electricity.
Aldridge Electric Inc., which has been in the electrical contracting business for more than 70 years, wants to install a 120-foot-tall wind turbine to produce power for its building at 844 Rockland Road.
The well-known contractor has been exploring wind power for about 18 months; company representatives are among the energy production experts tapped by U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk to serve on his 10th District Energy Advisory Board.
The company is working on a project in Bloomington, and in January will start construction of a 100-turbine farm in Utah, according to CEO Ken Aldridge.
He said the exposure to the technology made him want to give it a try on a smaller scale. In Libertyville, the company is proposing a 50-kilowatt turbine to provide most of the energy for the business.
Wind farms on the Midwest prairies can consist of turbines up to 300 feet tall. Aldridge said studies show the northern Illinois area is "actually pretty good," in terms of potential. The investment will be about $150,000.
"It'll save me money, but the payback on this particular one could be 15 to 20 years," he said. "It's more that I believe in alternative energy."
The request resulted in a crash course for Libertyville planners.
"Your typical zoning code will not address that," said John Spoden, the village's community development director. "We researched a number of community, state and county ordinances in the Midwest to come up with our proposal."
That meant dealing with issues such as "shadow flicker," a term that refers to moving shadows or shaded areas cast by the rotating blade of a wind turbine. Heights, distances from surrounding buildings and noise are other considerations.
The village's plan commission is scheduled to discuss the issue, as well as a special use permit and site plan for the Aldridge proposal, on Nov. 24.
Libertyville's proposed amendment will differentiate between business turbines of 150 feet in height or less and commercial turbines that are more than 150 feet.
The use of wind power in Lake County is limited, although there are turbines in place smaller than the one being proposed by Aldridge.
Those include one at a business in Round Lake; at the Chipotle Mexican Grill in Gurnee; and at the farm at Prairie Crossing in Grayslake, where a refurbished 20-kilowatt model on a 100-foot tower has cut the electric bill in half and assumes a payback of 18 to 20 years.
Further west, Fremont Elementary District 79 also is exploring the use of wind power. The school board this summer approved the first phase of a feasibility study to explore the use of alternative energy sources as a way to cut costs.
District officials have said a wind turbine could save the district nearly $8 million over a 30-year period. A consultant this fall determined the campus between Gilmer and Fremont Center roads, west of Route 60, has the correct wind conditions for a turbine.
While there are no other plans on the table in Libertyville, Spoden envisioned the more wide open northwest area of town as having possibilities for similar projects.
"It's certainly the next generation of technology, if you will," he said.