Skip to main content
Loading…
This section is included in your selections.

This wind turbine system standards (WT) section applies to the following zoning districts:
CO PR A1 A2 A3 A4 R1 R2 VR M1 M2 MP IS LB GC HC CP I1 I2 HI

The following standards shall apply:

A. Permitted Systems.

1. Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine. A horizontal axis small wind turbine system shall be permitted as per the standards in this section.

2. Vertical Axis Wind Turbine. A vertical axis small wind turbine system shall be permitted as per the standards in this section.

B. Prerequisites.

1. Energy Production Purpose. Small wind turbine systems shall be primarily sized and installed for the purpose of generating energy for an on-site use (i.e., residence, small business, or farmstead). The small wind turbine system shall be sized to not produce more than one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the annual on-site electricity needs.

2. Rated Power Limits. A small wind turbine system’s rated power shall be less than eleven kilowatts (11kW).

3. Lot Size. A minimum three-quarter (3⁄4) acre lot shall be required for a small wind turbine system to be installed.

4. Manufacturer’s Installation Specifications. Any permitted small wind turbine system shall be installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications unless in conflict with applicable standards in the Jasper County Unified Development Code. When conflicts exist, the following standards shall apply:

a. Manufacturer Specifications Are Stricter. When the manufacturer’s specifications are stricter than this section, the manufacturer’s specifications shall be followed.

b. Zoning Standards Are Stricter. When this section is stricter than the manufacturer’s specifications, this section shall prevail, and that particular small wind turbine system shall be considered not permitted.

C. Turbine System Limitations.

1. Minimum Ratings. A small wind turbine system shall be Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed, have Conformité Européenne marking (CE Mark) for Europe-based manufacturers, be certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) for Canada-based manufacturers, or otherwise approved by an equivalent region-based or County-based standards association recognized as equivalent to the Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

2. Experimental Turbines. Any small wind turbine system that does not meet the minimum ratings shall be considered experimental and shall not be permitted.

3. Connection to the Grid. Any small wind turbine system that is intended to be connected to the power grid shall be IEEE 1547 compliant (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems).

D. Supporting Structure.

1. Tower Mounted. A horizontal axis small wind turbine system designed for tower mounting may be mounted on a monopole, pole with guy wires, lattice tower, or lattice tower with guy wires.

2. Roof Mounted. A horizontal or vertical axis small wind turbine system designed for roof mounting may be mounted to the roof of a primary or accessory building.

3. Ground Mounted. A vertical axis small wind turbine system designed for ground mounting shall be mounted on the ground.

E. Height Limitations.

1. Tower Mounted. The maximum tower height for a small wind turbine system shall be eighty (80) feet for lots under five (5) acres, and 110 feet for lots five (5) acres or greater.

2. Roof Mounted. The maximum height of all components of a roof mounted small wind turbine system shall be six (6) feet above the highest point of the roof for residential buildings and ten (10) feet above the highest point on the roof for agricultural, commercial, institutional, and industrial uses.

3. Ground Mounted. The maximum height of all components of a ground mounted small wind turbine system shall be forty (40) feet.

F. Maximum Number of Turbine Systems.

1. Small Lot. A lot with two (2) acres or less shall be restricted to one (1) horizontal axis small wind turbine system and one (1) vertical axis roof mounted small wind turbine system.

2. Large Lots. A lot with more than two (2) acres may have:

a. Up to two (2) tower mounted horizontal axis or ground mounted vertical axis small wind turbine systems; and

b. Up to three (3) roof mounted vertical axis small wind turbine systems.

G. Wind Load. A small wind turbine system shall be engineered to survive a 100 mph wind load or greater.

H. Rotor Diameter. The maximum rotor diameter shall be twenty (20) feet for a small wind turbine system.

I. Location Restrictions.

1. Setback from Property Line. A small wind turbine system, not including guy wires, shall be a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from the property line or one hundred ten percent (110%) of the height of the tower, whichever is greater.

2. Setback from Buildings. A small wind turbine system, not including guy wires, shall not be required to be setback from any on-site building.

3. Setback from Utilities. A small wind turbine system, not including guy wires, shall be a minimum of fifty (50) feet from any above-ground utility line or one hundred twenty percent (120%) of the height of the tower, whichever is greater.

4. Setback for Guy Wires. Guy wire anchors shall be at least fifteen (15) feet from all property lines.

J. Safety.

1. Roof Mounted Systems. The rotors (blades) of a horizontal axis turbine mounted on a roof shall not extend horizontally beyond the roof line of the building to which it is attached.

2. Ground Clearance. The rotors (blades) of a horizontal axis wind turbine mounted on a tower shall not extend vertically to within twenty (20) feet of the ground.

3. Overspeed Protection. A small wind turbine system shall have a fail-safe breaking system, auto-furling system, or similar system to prevent structural failure due to excessive revolutions per minute (rpm). Overspeed protection shall be a proven industry standard.

K. Nuisance Prevention.

1. Noise. A small wind turbine system shall not generate more than pre-construction ambient sound level plus 5 dBA (dBA L90 + 5dBA) or forty (40) decibels (40dBA L90) whichever is greater measured at the property line.

2. Illumination. A small wind turbine system shall not be illuminated in any way unless required by FAA regulations.

3. Feeder Lines. Feeder lines for wind turbines (i.e., electrical connection between the wind turbine and the on-site structure in which the power is utilized) shall be placed underground.

L. Abandoned Systems. A small wind turbine system shall be considered abandoned if its use as a wind turbine system is discontinued for more than six (6) months. The small wind turbine system shall be removed within six (6) months after being abandoned.

M. Appurtenances. A small wind turbine system shall not have any appurtenances (e.g., lighting, flags, signs, or decorations) attached to it except for meteorological measuring equipment. [Ord. 12-27-11 § 5.92.]