Medford's own wind turbine saves city $5,400

Given a 100kw machine, looks like 9% capacity factor. It's doutbful the turbine will come close to the promised 170,000 kwh yearly production. An expensive investment for so little in return:
• A $250,000 grant from the Large Onsite Renewables Initiative of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
• A $200,000 appropriation made through the 2008 Massachusetts Energy Bill
• A $100,000 grant from the Mass Energy Consumers Alliance
• Ongoing matching grant funds through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Clean Energy Choice (aka GreenUp) program.

Wow, $5,400. woo.

Looks like another big fake, but then most educational projects are. Who knows if maybe some student will decide to go into environmental engineering and improve their earning capacity by selling overpriced and overhyped machinery. Anyone want to guess the EROI on this white elephant?

Mayor Michael McGlynn is one of the outstanding mayors in Massachusetts and the United States. He is a visionary leader who is setting a tone in establishing the concept of energy independence for the US - not by rhetoric - but by action. Until and unless other policy makers in our nation embrace this concept we will be forever dependent on other nations for our energy needs. This is not only economically debilitating but it is also a danger to our national security.

Bravo, Mayor McGlynn. Keep up the great work!

Michael

Unbelievably dissapointing. 6months in operation and has produced less than half of what the feasiblity study claimed. At this point it should have 'saved' $12,000. Even in Hull, the larger Hull2 operates at lower 'efficiency' (capacity factor) because it is a bit further inland than the smaller Hull1 out on Allerton Point.