Medford readies wind turbine at site along I-93
By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff
Anyone who commutes north from Boston on Interstate 93 knows that there are a few days every year when winds roar across the road, shake your car, and cause you to grip your steering wheel a little bit tighter.
Medford officials are hoping for a lot of those days in the future.
That's because the city is in the process of commissioning a wind turbine at the John J. McGlynn Sr. Elementary and Middle School. The site is just along the highway and the Mystic River near the Route 16 exit.
The turbine's hub is 131 feet tall and its three blades are 34 feet long. It was made by Northern Power of Vermont. It's expected to generate 170,000 kilowatt hours per year, or about $25,000 worth of electricity. That's about 10 percent of the school's electricity bill, said Patty Barry, director of the city's energy and environment office.
Barry and Mayor Michael J. McGlynn showed the turbine to a reporter today, a day after the official ribbon cutting ceremony.
Barry said the project was just one of a number of environmental initiatives the city has undertaken during the mayor's tenure, including the installation of a solar power system on City Hall, solar lighting at Hormel Stadium, and the use of town vehicles powered by alternative fuels.
One project led to the next, said McGlynn. "The one thing about the environment -- it's addictive ... because the more you do the more you want to do," he said.
One of the key reasons for installing the turbine was to create awareness of alternative energy among the children at the schools, he said.
Maureen McCracken, director of marketing at Northern Power, said the turbine can spin and make electricity in winds as slow as 6 mph. It spins faster and generally makes more energy as the wind picks up. But once the wind hits 56 mph, the turbine shuts off. The turbine has already put some power onto the grid, though it hasn’t been cleared for unattended operation. It's expected to be fully operational at the end of next week, she said.
The Globe reported Thursday that Governor Deval Patrick's lofty goals of making the state a leader in energy and environmental policy may be endangered by the stumbling economy, which has produced massive budget deficits.
To reach the state's goal of 2,000 megawatts produced by windpower by 2020, the state would have to increase generating capacity more than 300 times.
But the $644,000 Medford project, which benefited from a number of major grants, has made it under the wire. And McGlynn said he was optimistic the city could see more green initiatives.
"I think you have to be devoted to the cause," he said. "You have to hustle the money in many different directions."
Comment
Permalink
Email
I live north of Boston and commute daily, driving sourth on 93 into Boston and have actually never experienced high winds.
So let me get this staright. $644,000 was spent to get $25,000 per year in electricity? What are the maintenance costs going to be. By my numbers it will take over 25 years for this thing to pay for itself. I am a fan of alternative energy source....if the make financial sense.
Doogs, my son goes to the McGlynn school and I have biked with him to school along the river. I have also coached soccer on the Andrews School fields.
More wind than a national committee convention has hot air!
If you want to see the details, go to www.wunderground.com and find the weather data for the "Hormel Field" weather station. This weather station has data for a couple of years - data used to "proof" the site for the turbine.
Good job,you are ahead of the curve.
Another bird-killing guillotine is on put on line. Where is the National Audubon Society or are they asleep at the switch here like they are with the Nantucket Sound wind disaster.
644k to get 25k of electricity per year (and the turbine will need maintenance will last only 20-30 years). This is a lousy investment and part of the reason cities and towns in MA are broke.
there you go...try to tear it down before it generates watt one. Complain that it's not windy around the turbine....excellent. Hey, keep your head in the sand, resist all change, try your best to talk everyone else out of it too. let's all stay exactly the same. Let's not try to help ourselves. brilliant.
The Wellington sector of Medford where this wind turbine will be placed is a perfect fit.....that part of Medford is wide open and the coldest during the winters....I can attest to the extraodinary high winds on Rte #93 since that interstate was built in 1959.....way to go, Mayor McGlynn..
Ahh $25,000 is 10% of the schools electricity bill. Do they really spend a quarter of a million on electricity. Patty needs to take a math class.
Only a Municipality/Government could afford this kind ROI better using the $$$$$$$$$$$$ for something more cost effective. But what the hey it's only tax dollars they can just dream up new taxes
While I think wind energy is a good investment, this doesn't seem to make much financial sense.
It's still probably a better investment than building a new McSchool in every city and town.
It will take 26 years for this thing to pay for itself - not including very expensive maintenance costs. The lesson for "the children" is how to make another lousy investment with public money.
I can see the turbine from my office in medford and it definitely can be a very windy location (located right along the mystic river). As far as the money, it is from grants!! It is a great investment that did not tap into tax payer's pocket.
To Don re "Another bird-killing guillotine is on put on line".
Are you for real? I hope you are just joking. Alternative energy is the future. Deal with it.
It's ugly and not very cost effective. Way to screw up the scenery.
Medford didn't pay the full $644k -- most of that money came from grants. The city will make back what they spent over the course of 10 years. Not a horrible investment and sticking it near a school and the highway is a good place. I'd rather see windmills next to highway and schools then in the forest.
Of course, this isn't so nice if you consider all the Federal and State funds used to put it up, but at least Medford isn't losing any town money. So long as the Feds are giving it away, we might as well take it.
morons. This is the definition of investment. Who cares if it takes 25 years at current rates. This will inspire those children and remind every commuter about green energy.
It will save in many other ways. Its clean and ozone friendly. Or maybe we can drop a power plant near by-----. Wind Turbine sound better now????
What a bunch of gripers and groaners. Really, let's talk alternative energy and the future. All you crybaby stay at home and do nothings get a life. The City of Medford is way ahead on this one. And if you fools listened to the Mayor it was a group of citizens that pushed for this. Not a bunch of do nothing cry baby citizens like you weaklings.
Didn't see anyone make this point. For many reasons, you can count on the cost of electricity to go nowhere but up from here. Good move, even if it does take 15 years to pay off.
According to the 2001 National Wind Coordinating Committee study, “Avian Collisions with Wind Turbines: A Summary of Existing Studies and Comparisons to Other Sources of Avian Collision Mortality in the United States," there were found to be 2.19 bird deaths per turbine per year.
"or about $25,000 worth of electricity. That's about 10 percent of the school's electricity bill"
Time to look into reducing the amount of electricity this school is using!
OMG! $250,000 a year for electricity!!! PLEASE tell me this was a typo!
How ironic it is for Mayor McGlynn to boast of a new landmark for backed up traffic on I-93. If he were truly as excited about environmental projects as he claims, he would put 100 percent support behind the Green Line extension going as far as possible (Route 16) in Medford, which will REDUCE traffic on I-93, rather than having distanced himself from the project for the last three years.
To the naysayers: You should probably factor into any ROI analysis in that electricity will probably cost MORE over the next 25 years (decreased supplies, higher taxes on carbon, etc.). Therefore, the turbine will likely produce more than $25,000 "worth" of electricity and thus "pay for itself" more quickly.
"It's ugly and not very cost effective. Way to screw up the scenery."
Medford guy, perhaps a nice nuclear power plant or coal fired plant belching black smoke would suit your aesthetic tastes more?
Or are you just one of those people who doesn't care how your electricity is generated, just so long as the means of its generation isn't near your house or messing up your view.
Wind turbines are more like a WMD than a guillotine.
“It’s well known that on an annual basis, the minimum number of birds killed by wind turbines is around 30,000 (in the United States). Wind farms - the "environment-friendly" energy source - are threatening to push the golden eagle, one of Britain's rarest birds, into extinction.
Conservationists say that the rapid spread of the farms in Britain - encouraged by Government subsidies for renewable energy projects - poses a grave threat to birds of prey. Other species at risk are osprey, red kites, merlins, kestrels, honey buzzards, ravens and peregrine falcons
It is a thing of beauty...Now for the solar panels on the roof of the school.
I look at it as giving the finger to OPEC!
\Way to go Medford..
Mike From Salem NH
PS to all you bird lovers...why don't you let them pay your taxes..GET A LIFE
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
LOCAL BLOGS
Universal Hub
The Chinatown Blog
CommonWealth Magazine
Red Mass Group
Blue Mass Group
Boston 1775
The 1851 Chronicle
The Berkeley Beacon
The Daily Collegian
The Daily Free Press
The Harvard Crimson
The Heights
The Huntington News
The Suffolk Journal
The Tech
The Tufts Daily