TRAVERSE CITY -- A Traverse City man is pushing for a new wind-energy project that he hopes will transform the community.
7&4's Kate Fox has details on his cutting edge plans.
For more than 25 years, Tom Darga has been a lead consultant in wind energy and has shared his expertise on projects all over the country.
Now he's set his sights on Traverse City, hoping this new local environmental project will make a small imprint on the country's enormous energy crisis.
Owner of Darga Works Tom Darga says, “Think globally, act locally...."
That’s Darga’s motto and it's also why he's teamed up with the planning commission to develop an ordinance that will make his innovative wind energy plans a reality.
Darga says, "We could return as much as 2 and a half cents on every dollar of energy purchased by its residents by simply putting wind turbines on the roof."
And that's the plan; he wants to put up four wind turbines on the roof of his North Park building.
Darga explains, “Were contributing to the grid by not demanding form the grid --- were being self supportive and self sufficient by one increment. Were going to end up with about 15 KW of energy which is a considerable amount."
It’s enough energy to charge electric cars in the basement of the building and power all of the outdoor lights.
The turbines will be vertical axis and stand more than 30 feet tall.
Darga says, "The vertical axis turbines are less of a noise and they are vertical axis so there isn't a lot of motion sensing-- it looks more like a wind art, or wind model."
Darga says the building is all set up to house the wind turbines and once they get the go ahead -- they will buy and install the products.
