HOME > NEWS & PRESS > NEWS ITEM Market gets on the green gridShare BaldwinCountyNow.com FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Folks stopped along Bancroft Street in Fairhope on Thursday morning to watch a newfangled contraption being hoisted from the ground. A few minutes later, the 170-pound Skystream 3.7 wind turbine was quietly turning atop a 35-foot tower, generating energy for the Windmill Market. Robert Harris of Gulf Coast Green Power said similar turbine units cost from $15,000-$18,000. The turbine installed at the market is expected to generate as many as 900 kilowatt hours per month, making up for the initial investment over time. The turbine converts low wind into as much as 2.4 kilowatts of electricity, according to Harris, enough to produce about half of the energy a small business or home might need. Harris has installed nine wind turbines so far, including two each in Mississippi and Florida. He also installed a unit at LuLu’s at Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores. A group of home-school students stopped by to watch the turbine being moved into place, and that was part of a bigger plan. Market owner Mac Walcott said, “The windmill is a demonstration in education.” Walcott noted an array of solar panels is simultaneously being installed on the roof, and more will be added over time. Cisterns will also be used in order to collect rainwater for an outdoor herb garden and for use in restrooms. Another feature is a cell phone charger that will be powered by people on a bicycle. Completing the environmentally friendly market is an electric car-charging station. Terry Thompson Chevrolet will display an electric car there, he said. Walcott purchased the building around four years ago, and thought about selling it before real estate hit the skids. “The economy made us pause and think about something else,” he said. “In May of this year, we hit the go button.” The open-air venture is set to open for its first full day of business on Oct. 3, after a sneak preview during the previous evening’s First Friday ArtWalk. The market will feature 45 booths for mostly locals selling arts and crafts, produce, crafts and services. Walcott said, “The market is about people being able to have a business without a storefront.” The booths can serve as business incubators while vendors test the business climate. The market is 6,000 square feet, with another 600 square feet set aside for offices and restrooms. The smaller, enclosed portion of the building is heated and cooled using geothermal energy. “We’re filling up really well,” Walcott said, referring to the few booths left available. “A lot of people have booked up for the whole quarter.” During the week, when the market is not open, the building will be available to rent for functions. The city was very cooperative in helping get the concept off the ground, Walcott said. Only a few finishing touches are left to do before the market can open, he pointed out. Awnings must be installed, an outdoor dining area must be established and the fire pit placed. Landscaping is also scheduled for completion before the market opens. |
