Big Wind

Siting and Feasibility  |  Financing  |  Case Study  |  This is Just the Beginning...

A wind energy system transforms the wind’s kinetic energy into electrical energy. In most turbines, a rotor is sited atop a tower. The rotor includes a central hub and three lightweight blades called airfoils. The rotor spins around a horizontal axis as air flows over the blades, rotating faster as wind speeds increase. The spinning motion of the rotor is converted from rotational (or mechanical) energy into electricity. Electrical cables then carry this electric current to a transformer which regulates the electricity's voltage for use on-site or for interconnection to the electric grid.

Wind energy may be captured by both small and large-scale turbines. The size of a turbine – or its rated capacity – greatly affects the amount of power it can produce.

Rated capacity measures the amount of electricity that would be generated under ideal conditions. Because wind is an intermittent source of power, the actual power production is between 15-30 percent of the rated capacity (i.e. a 1 MW turbine would have an average output of 0.15 to 0.3 MW). This diagram from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative provides basic guidance on choosing the best sized turbine for your campus. 

Although most turbines have three blades mounted on top of a large vertical tower, many new turbine technologies feature horizontal and stacked blades.

Siting and Feasibility

A wind turbine’s location has a major effect on the amount of electricity it produces and, thus, on its cost-effectiveness. Factors that influence the economics of a site include: wind speed; proximity to electric loads, and the accessibility of the turbine.  There are a number of other siting considerations including local permitting and zoning requirements, visual impacts, noise impacts, and impacts on birds, bats, and other species.

Large scale wind installations require an in-depth feasibility study.  Massachusetts public colleges are eligible for assistance in determining if their campus is a candidate for wind power.  Go to http://www.mass.gov/envir/Sustainable/pdf/07_renewable_funding_guide.pdf for more information. 

Financing

Incentives for large scale wind projects are available from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.  Massachusetts public colleges should apply for this funding through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Leading by Example Program.  Go to http://www.mass.gov/envir/Sustainable/pdf/07_renewable_funding_guide.pdf for more information.
Many schools have supplemented these grants by selling Renewable Energy Certificates from the generation of electricity.  (See the MMA case study below).

Case Study

Facing staggering operating costs due to its high electricity demands, Massachusetts Maritime Academy turned to on-site electricity production in order to reduce costs. Wind energy was deemed a good choice for the campus’s coastal location. After a feasibility study and environmental impact assessment, the large utility-grade turbine was installed in 2006. Since its installation, the 660 kW turbine has produced over one million kWh a year, and has saved the school $160,000 annually. The school reports that in the turbine’s first fifteen months of operation, 690 tons of CO2 were avoided. An online monitor shows daily, monthly, and yearly totals of power produced.

The school expects an additional revenue of $86,000 from energy sales to the grid and the sale of renewable energy credits into the Massachusetts REC market. MMA was awarded a $500,000 construction grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. With the sale of RECs, the payback period on the school’s remaining first costs was reduced to a mere five years.

This is Just the Beginning...

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy has real-time information on its turbine available on its website.  Go to their website to find out more information on their installation. 

The Renewable Energy Research Laboratory (RERL) at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst exists to promote education and research in renewable energy technologies. RERL focuses chiefly on wind energy in New England, including: offshore wind power issues, resource assessment, renewable energy software development, hybrid power systems, wind turbine dynamics and control, and wind farm siting and performance.  (http://www.ceere.org/rerl/index.html)

U.S. Department of Energy has lots of cool information on how turbines work.

MTC has a number of wind energy resources for Massachusetts.  Go to www.mtpc.org/cleanenergy/wind.htm for information on wind installations in the state. 

The American Association of Wind Power has a number of resources for those contemplating a wind installation. Visit www.awea.org