By Daniel DePietro | Observer Reporter
Photo by Cheyne Ordonio
Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC), is well on its way to becoming completely energy neutral. This can be partly attributed to the completion of the two 1.65MW Vestas V82 wind turbines on campus. There is just one more detail to be worked out; the generator in one of the massive wind turbines may need to be replaced.
MWCC received a green light to start the wind turbines on March 25, after a successful witness test was conducted one week prior. The two turbines actually performed better than expected during the witness test. According to Ed Terceiro, Resident Engineer for the project, instead of the projected 1.65 megawatts, each turbine produced no less than 2 megawatts.
Both wind turbines ran without any signs of trouble for the entire day on Friday March 25. During the day on Saturday the south tower stopped working properly. Terceiro said “The generator may have to be replaced, which might require another crane coming on campus, although not quite as large as the one that was here before.” He also said a hole may need to be cut in the top of the nacelle, the large compartment on top of the tower, to replace the generator if that is in fact what needs to be done.
Once both turbines are fully operational they will produce 97 percent of the electricity MWCC consumes. As a matter of fact, the turbines will even take advantage of the relatively low energy consumption of the college overnight and return 30 percent of their power back to National Grid. The total overall output for the turbines is projected to be a staggering 4,977,442 kilowatt hours per year.
According to Ed Terceiro, the work needed to fix the malfunctioning turbine should be completed within the next couple of weeks. He also said, “The two turbines will be a great addition to the ongoing effort of Mount Wachusett Community College to reduce its carbon footprint.” A dedication ceremony for the turbines is scheduled for April 17.
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