PORT CLINTON, OHIO—Approximately 120 feet above the grounds here at the McKenna’s Inn Bed and Breakfast, a 10-kilowatt wind turbine catches the breezes coming off of Lake Erie. For the owners, Joe Jessen and his wife, Becky, the turbine represents more than an alternative source of power for their four-room inn. It is their way of helping to create a better future for their daughter—one where renewable energy is the rule, rather than the exception.
The wind turbine at the McKenna’s Inn Bed and Breakfast just went “live” a few weeks ago. It is something Joe says he and his wife have wanted to do for a couple of years.
“We have always been very conservation minded,” he says.
The 10-kilowatt turbine, which was manufactured by Bergey WindPower Co., Norman, Okla., was installed by North Coast Wind and Power, LLC, a company based in Port Clinton. The Jessens did some of the work themselves and also had assistance from a local construction contractor to help dig the foundation for the turbine tower. The tower itself weighs 1,000 pounds and the turbine’s blades are each 10 feet in length.
Wind Chosen Over Solar
Joe chose wind over solar after doing some research on the cost of solar. He also determined that his part of Ohio has steady, reliable wind. The wind turbine supplies just a portion of the inn’s power needs. An inverter “cleans up” the electricity before it can be used by the inn or fed into the grid.
The wind turbine cost approximately $45,000. About $20,000 of that cost will be covered by a grant from the Ohio Department of Development. As small as the inn is, it will take a long time to recover the expense.
“We are not doing it to make money,” Joe says. “We are most concerned about environmental issues and are thinking about our daughter’s future.”
While the innkeepers may not recover the cost of the turbine so quickly from electricity savings, there are other benefits.
“It already is a marketing advantage,” Joe says. “We have had guests book rooms because of it. Any mention of green practices at this point is an advantage. It is a win-win when you are trying to attract guests.”
Inspired by the environmental progress they have made with their wind turbine, the Jessens are planning other projects to reduce their impact. They have stopped offering bottled water to guests, are planning to do some organic gardening, and may even raise some chickens to help supply eggs. Rainwater collection is also being considered.
Go to the McKenna’s Inn Bed and Breakfast.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
