LAKE COUNTY – Jonas Energy Solutions is taking its customer service to new heights. On Tuesday the company installed the most advanced backyard-size wind generator available in today”s market and is now offering the system to its customers.
The Skystream 3.7 wind turbine, manufactured by Arizona-based Southwest Wind-Power, is cutting-edge technology created in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy”s National Renewable Energy Lab. The patented unique curved blades reportedly provide quiet operation at all wind speeds.
Renewable energy has become an important concern for Jonas Energy Solutions. “We”re trying to all renewable energy. We are now offering solar thermal/hot water, solar electric and Photovoltaic, which converts sunlight into electricity,” Owner Russell Jonas said. “From fossil fuels to state-of-the-art alternative energy solutions, we are committed to providing our neighbors with technologies for the new millennium.”
The Jonas family has been serving Northern California since 1947 and is committed to finding new and innovative ways to serve its customers. “We”ve been doing heat and air for a long time. It”s a big part of energy consumption in a house. When rates are getting higher, at seven percent a year and we”re reliable on fossil fuels, that”s something you can”t control the future on,” he said. “With solar and wind you are basically in control of your future. You are inflation proof.”
The Skystream 3.7 has a built-in inverter making the backyard wind turbine easy to install, in as little as one day, Jonas said. The tower height is between 34 and 45 feet, which is reportedly well below the migratory bird altitude.
The wind resource generates 30 to 80 percent of the power required by a typical home or small business. Jonas said with a typical installation as low as $13,000 to $16,000 and a federal stimulus rebate of 30 percent combined with the California Energy Commission rebate of $5,500 the consumer can have a backyard wind turbine for less than 50 cents on each dollar invested.
“Lake County isn”t necessarily known for its extreme winds but there are micro climates where wind generation makes sense,” Jonas said. “There are places in the county where it would work well but there are other places where Photovoltaic would make more sense. That”s why we offer different products.”
Jonas said that the company offers free energy audits to determine which system best fits the individual customer.
According to Jonas, the Skysteam 3.7 was awarded the 2006 Best of What”s New award from the editors of Popular Science magazine and was also included in Times Magazine”s 2006 Best Inventions listing.
Jonas Energy Solutions is located on Highway 53 in Lower Lake, where the new Skystream 3.7 wind generator system can be viewed. For more information call 994-5911.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
