Cumberland County's largest wind turbine erected in Upper Deerfield
“When the market went to heck and a hand-basket, I decided that the money I was using in the market, I could invest in the farm,” said Joseph Nicosia.
He’s also investing in the well being of the environment.
“The farm (located at Richards and Centerton roads) has been in our family for over 120 years and we decided that for our grandchildren and for ourselves, that we would do something to save energy,” said Nicosia. “We believe in going green and doing what we can for the environment.”
So up went a 100-foot wind turbine that will provide the power needed to cover the 60-acre farm. It is the largest wind turbine in the county to date. A giant crane hoisted the structure up Tuesday morning as several observers looked on.
The first step for Nicosia was to get a hold of JBS Solar and Wind, out of Cape May, and discuss cost, time and what the state would give back in terms of incentives.
The Nicosias learned that the total cost of the unit would be $108,000. Once the unit begins to produce power, the state of New Jersey will refund $51,000 of the cost through the Clean Energy Program and they will also receive a tax credit for the next 10 years.
By JBS figures, the windmill will have paid for itself in six years.
“With my wife’s figures, which I trust better, it will be paid for in four years,” said Nicosia.
The wind turbine consists of three blades, which convert the wind’s energy into electricity by transferring it to a generator in the couple’s basement.
The process of getting the turbine on the farm began in July when the couple decided that this was the right direction for them to take. There was a slight hold up due to the demand for windmills being greater than the supply, and the large quantity of snow slowed the process further, but finally on Tuesday the blades were turning.
“The concept is great,” said Nicosia. “I’ll never have to pay another electric bill again.”
There have been reports of wind turbines generating a large amount of noise, but Nicosia said that on models his size he was told that the noise would be no greater than that of the traffic that passes by a couple hundred yards away.
A few houses down on Richards Road, Firth Bowden has also gone green. He had solar panels installed on his roof on Dec. 3 and said he has been blown away by the concept ever since.
Bowden worked with Mercury Solar, out of Mays Landing, to make his house more energy efficient. The company came out to his house to get an energy estimate to determine how much electricity he uses. They determined that the right system for him would cost around $57,000.
Like with the turbine, NJ Clean Energy chipped in a significant amount of money — $17,000 — dropping the cost down to a more manageable number for Bowden. From there his $40,000 bill was dropped by $12,000 because of a federal tax credit which refunds 30 percent of a energy-wise purchase.
With the money Bowden will receive from tax credits from energy saved and by no longer having to pay an electric bill, Bowden figures the solar panel system will have paid for itself within four years.
“Going forward, these savings are going to translate into retirement,” said Bowden.
The entire experience has been positive for Bowden and he recommends the change to anyone looking to not only help the environment, but help themselves get ahead financially.
“One would be foolish not to have a free evaluation,” said Bowden. “I was lucky because my roof was facing perfectly south, so it was a simple install. For other people it may be a different process, but you can find that out through an evaluation.
“I’m still pinching myself about the deal.”
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