By
TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff
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| This 2-kilowatt wind turbine works in light wind, is nearly silent and doesn't harm birds. (Urban Power USA Inc.) |
EDITOR’S NOTE: Charlestown has effective
banned – by making it almost impossible to get a permit – ALL wind energy,
regardless of size or type of technology. Blind NIMBY resistance and hysteria over dubious medical claims killed wind in Charlestown. Click here and here for more details. - WC
Wind
energy is not popular. Divisive utility-scale wind projects in Falmouth,
Fairhaven and Portsmouth, R.I., as well as the protracted fights and acrimony
caused by offshore wind farms Cape Wind and Deepwater Wind, have brought
wind-energy construction to a crawl.
Rhode Island hasn’t unveiled a new turbine
in more than a year, while new wind projects dropped more than 90 percent in
Massachusetts last year, according to the American Wind Energy Association.
Wind
policy and projects indicate that wind power is moving offshore, said James
Manwell, director of the Wind Energy Center at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst. “I think it’s headed into the water. I think it’s going to
be tough to do land-based wind power in Massachusetts," he said.
"There’s just a lot of opposition that makes it difficult.”
Meanwhile,
solar energy has sailed well passed its growth targets. In 2013, Massachusetts
exceeded its goal of 250 megawatts of new solar projects four years early.
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| Martha's Vineyard Airport is home to this 50-watt vertical-axis turbine. It's carbon-fiber blades, built in Bristol, R.I., help the turbine run in high wind and in harsh environments. (Eastern Wind Power) |
However,
southern New England, and Massachusetts in particular, have some of the best wind
resources in the
region, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Large-scale turbines are
considered one of the most productive sources of emissions-free energy.
Massachusetts has 1,028 megawatts of land-based wind potential, or roughly
enough power for about a million homes. Take into account above-average
electricity prices and prominent research centers and universities, and one
might expect to find wind turbines doting fields, rooftops and the coastline.
But
wind turbines need space to operate, and in densely populated states such as
Massachusetts and Rhode Island they often upset neighbors. Critics from groups
such as Windwise Massachusetts have been unyielding in
publicizing the drawbacks, such as noise, shadow flicker and the pronounced
visual presence. The ongoing legal battle between the town of Falmouth and
abutters to two 400-foot-high turbines built in 2010 and 2011 demonstrates how
disputes can persist.
The
end of a federal investment tax credit in 2012 caused uncertainty among wind
developers. Although the tax credit returned in 2014 and generous public
subsidies still exist, public opposition has defeated several proposals. In
2013, Rhode Island projects in Westerly, Jamestown and Tiverton were scrapped
because of public pressure.
Wind-energy
advocates say a small, vocal opposition has paralyzed further projects.
“It’s
a well-funded, galvanized group of people who are obstructionists,” said Megan
Amsler, executive director of Cape & Islands Self-Reliance Corporation, a
North Falmouth-based advocacy group that offers training, outreach and advocacy
for the full-range of renewable-energy technology.
Large
wind turbines, she said, are one of the most efficient energy sources. Yet as
large land-based wind development has stalled, the public, she warned, should
be cautious of looking to small-scale turbines. “The small-scale stuff gets
really, really complicated,” Amsler said.
Since
the 1990s, Amsler has researched and promoted the most cost-effective and
efficient renewable-energy systems. She and other experts have found that small
roof-mounted turbines are simply too unpredictable to be relied on for energy.
Small wind turbines carry a rating of 100 kilowatts or less. Many small home
models are rated 5 kilowatts or less.
Yet,
even as solar energy and offshore wind farms get federal and state financial
support and publicity, attempts at developing unconventional wind turbines have
inched ahead.
In
2010, the town of Mashpee installed two 30-foot vertical-access turbines at Heritage Park. The 1.2-kilowatt
Windspire turbines offset a fraction of electricity use from a small nearby
building. But town officials say the turbines are silent, less visually
obtrusive and don’t generate complaints.
Amsler believes the turbines offer
false hope to small-wind advocates. “I’m
sorry, it just doesn’t work,” she said.
Amsler
and other wind experts say all wind turbines require a thorough, costly and
time-consuming analysis of the wind available at the intended location. Trees
and buildings cause turbulence that can greatly diminish the smooth airflow
needed to generate electricity. To get that wind, a turbine must sit at least
100 feet off the ground, higher than most rooftops. Yet, many small turbines,
Amsler said, are often installed without due diligence.
“Just
because it spins it doesn’t mean it’s generating electricity,” she said.
Solar,
by comparison, is less expensive, easier to install, requires less maintenance
and produces more electricity, Amsler said.
“We’ve done the hard work,” said Linda M. Haar, the company's vice president. “Now it’s just a matter of getting it into multiple production."
The
mid-scale turbine, built by Clear Carbon Components of Bristol, R.I., is
intended for specific locations rather than a one-size-fits-all use. Urban
rooftops, specifically windy roofs that have limited sunlight, are ideal sites.
Even in tight spaces, a cluster of the 20-foot-diameter turbines can sit side
by side.
For
Haar, it’s not a choice between solar and wind. “Solar and wind are
complimentary,” she said.” In locations like New England you’re not going to
get sun all year or wind all year.”
Her
company's turbines also are suitable for rural, even remote settings, where
traditional horizontal axis turbines might falter. Later this year, a research
facility in Antarctica will be using an Eastern Wind Power turbine, which is
made of stainless steel and 20-foot carbon-fiber composite blades.
“It’s
built like a horse,” Haar said. “It’s extremely sturdy. It can handle high
wind. It’s a tough turbine.”
A
5-kilowatt solar array shares space with four 1-kilowatt turbines on the the
roof of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laboratory in Narragansett. R.I. These
renewable-energy sources have delivered a small but steady stream of
electricity since 2011. The turbines sit on a windy building that overlooks the
entrance to Narragansett Bay. The small and silent turbines, designed by Urban Green Energy of New York, were chosen so they
couldn’t be heard in a research lab below.
Mark
Maynard, co-founder of Urban Power USA Inc. in
Easthampton, shares the vision of a mid-sized, low-maintenance turbine that
serves as a complement to rooftop solar and an alternative to bigger turbines
that draw public opposition.
“Wind
has put a lot a bad taste in peoples’ mouths,” Maynard, 60, said.
While a bigger turbine might generate more electricity, the town's Zoning Board of Appeals recently approved a permit for the vertical-axis UT-10 turbine based on its silent operation, low profile and a lack of spinning blades that would threaten birds. The 73-foot-high turbine, which will barely exceed the height of surrounding trees, is expected to generate enough power for 30-40 homes.
Maynard’s turbines cost between $25,000 and $85,000. The cost can be offset through credits on electricity bills. They also need less space than a solar array or large-scale wind turbine, he said.
“We’re not as efficient (as solar), but we’re effective," Maynard said. “They occupy a niche.”
It’s a niche that, so far, has a few determined believers that wind power can be harnessed in smaller ways.
This story was funded through a grant
from the Marion-based Island Foundation. It's the
fourth article in a four-part series on grassroots renewable-energy efforts
ongoing in southern New England.
