Welcome to the Colorado Anemometer Loan Program
The Governor's Energy Office (GEO) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America program and Colorado State
University to provide the Colorado Anemometer Loan
Program (ALP). Anemometers measure wind parameters that are used to
determine the feasibility for wind energy. The anemometers are rotated
on an annual basis throughout the State to qualified applicants.
We have information for various types of users, as follows:
Wind developers - You can find information about the collected wind data from previous and current ALP sites.
Potential ALP applicants - You can first find information about the general wind resource in your area and the collected wind data from previous and current anemometer sites. If you are interested in applying, there is an online application form.
Small scale wind aficionados - Suppose you already know that you have good wind or a nearby ALP site shows that there is good wind in your area. Perhaps you want to skip the ALP loan application process and go right to installing a turbine. We have information and links that can help you get started.
Status as of January 3, 2012:
We have completed all of the installations for the 2011 season. Our most recent installations were a 34m tower on a hill south of Padroni in Logan County, a 20m tower located on a hilltop south of Florissant in Teller County on November 17, and an anemometer/wind vane on a light pole in the parking lot of ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch for the Douglas County School District on September 28. We also moved the 20m tower from Log Hill on September 20 and re-installed it a few miles (by the crow fly) on Horsefly Mesa in Ouray County the same day. We also removed the 30m tower from Ramah in Elbert County on December 20 and have removed the 20m towers from Black Forest in El Paso County on September 29, from Trinidad in Las Animas County on October 22, Kremmling in Grand County on November 19, Arapahoe County Fairgrounds in Arapahoe County on December 16, and from Byers East in Arapahoe County on December 20. We also removed the anemometer and wind vane from the light pole near the softball fields in Estes Park in Larimer County on September 16 after exactly three years of service at the site.
With this recent field work, we are currently measuring the wind at 15 sites across Colorado. There are currently two (2) anemometer sites recording wind data on 20 meter towers owned by the GEO at the following locations:
There are also two (2) anemometer sites with 30 meter GEO towers at the following locations:
- Norwood (Site 88) - Installed 10/16/2010
- Waverly (Site 97) - Installed 1/7/2012
There are also three (3) anemometer sites that are not on GEO towers but using GEO equipment:
- Elizabeth (Site No. 18) - Installed at 30m on a cell tower on 7/5/2006
- Como - Reinecker Ridge (Site No. 95) - Installed at 33.5 feet (about 10.2m) on a pole at a cabin on 7/16/2011
- Highlands Ranch (Site No. 99) - Installed at 34.6 feet (about 10.5m) on a light pole at ThunderRidge High School on 9/28/2011.
There are also three (3) anemometer sites with 34 meter Earth Turbine towers used as part of the CSU Wind Application Center that is supported by the U.S. DOE's Wind for Schools program at the following locations:
- Pingree Park (Site No. 81) - Installed 8/13/2010
- Akron (Site No. 94) - Installed 2/12/2011
- Joes (Site No. 96) - Installed 7/20/2011
- Padroni (Site No. 101) - Installed 12/30/2011
You can also find information about three (3) other towers, three of which are not owned by GEO. There are three 30 meter towers owned by San Isabel Electric Association at sites in the Walsenburg area, as follows:
The Colorado ALP is only providing wind resource assessment for these sites and posting the data online. The receipt of the raw wind data is purely at the discretion of SIEA.
There is also a 50 meter tower installed on June 1, 2010 at site on a hill just south of Walsenburg (Walsenburg South, Site No. 78) through the GEO's Community Wind program.
Upcoming Installations:
All of the applications for the 2011 install season have been reviewed, scored, and installed.
Coloradans interested in applying for an anemometer lease in 2012 are encouraged to submit applications please complete the steps for the online application. We will be accepting, scoring, and reviewing applications as they are received.
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