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Education | Forest Function | Global Carbon | Land/Water | Landcover/Land Use | Science in Public Affairs
Building Tours | Seminars | Global Warming Primer | Staff Essays | Published Literature | Related Sites
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Woods Hole Research Center Receives Building Permit to Install Wind Turbine on CampusMay 11, 2009
On May 8, 2009, the Woods Hole Research Center received a building permit from the Town of Falmouth to proceed with the installation of a Northern Power “Northwind 100” wind generator on its Gilman Ordway Campus, located at 149 Woods Hole Road. The expected installation schedule calls for work to begin in the coming weeks, and for the turbine to be operational by late June. According to Acting Director R. A. Houghton, “This turbine has been part of our vision for the Ordway Campus since we began designing this facility in 2002. Members of our staff have worked intensively throughout this process with Northern Power, and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, among others. Much information and guidance has shaped our choice, and we are confident that this addition is something with which we will all be pleased.” The Ordway Campus was designed from the outset to minimize the impact of building operations on the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This turbine, in conjunction with a photovoltaic array, actualizes the Center’s goal to replace grid input – much of which currently is generated from fossil fuels – with renewable energy sources. According to Joe Hackler, a research associate who has managed the Center’s internal process for this project, “Our efforts to minimize the Research Center’s greenhouse gas emissions has driven us to develop an extremely efficient building structure along with the efficient ground source systems to heat and cool the facility. From the outset, we knew that achieving high fractions of renewably supplied energy for the facility would require us to take advantage of both the solar and wind resources available here in our region.” He adds, “This installation reflects the commitment of the Center to implementing technologies that illustrate the kinds of environmentally responsible choices we can make.” The Center has engaged Sustainable Energy Designs (SED) as project manager. SEC also managed the 2008 installation of the identical machine at Country Gardens in Hyannis. The Northwind 100 is manufactured in Vermont. The rated maximum output is 100kW (at 31 mph) with a rotor diameter of 21m (69 feet). The machine will be mounted atop a 117’ tower placing the turbine’s hub at 121’ (37m) above the ground. The wind turbine will be connected electrically to the Woodwell building and to the NSTAR electrical grid under the state’s newly adopted net metering laws. The Center has received a $225,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Renewable Energy Trust to partially fund the project.
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©Woods Hole Research Center, 2009 |
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