Fenwick Island, Delaware (image from Guy Schmidt on Flickr)

The owner of the Nantuckets Restaurant in Fenwick Island, Delaware is also the operator of a “personal power plant” for the business.  Instead of waiting for his utility companies to go green,” Dave Twining took matters into his own hands, with a distributed generation renewable energy installation of 48 rooftop solar panels and a 45-foot tall wind turbine in the parking lot.

The combined wind-solar project generates one-third of the business’s electricity, minimizing Nantuckets Restaurant’s carbon footprint.  In its first month, the personal power plant can already be said to be a success.  It will produce about 12 kilowatts (kW) of power (consider that an average house requires 4-6 kW of energy).

Thanks to federal stimulus funds set aside for renewable energy projects, Twining was able to secure funding to help defray the costs of the $104,000 installation.  Considering that Delaware businesses spend an average of $830/month on electricity, it makes sense for owners like Twining to consider distributed generation renewable energy projects like the one at the Nantuckets Restaurant.

A personal power plant could include solar panels (image from OiMax on Flickr)

The benefits of installing a distributed generation “personal power plant” vs. drawing from a utility that purchases or generates clean energy are several.  First, you can immediately reduce your carbon footprint with your own solar panels and/or wind turbine.  It can take years for centralized power plants to be sited and permitted.  Second, you have more control over the costs of your system, and ultimately will be able tap into free renewable energy with your own system.  Utilities will still charge you, even for clean energy, and you will be at their mercy when it comes to rate increases in the future.

In short, independent business owners like Twining are making wise decisions by investing in their own renewable energy resources.  Why not pay them a visit, enjoy some New England Chowder, and marvel at Nantucks Restaurant’s personal power plant next time you’re in Fenwick Island?

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