maritime college rediscovers a traditional resource

SDA engineers first utility-scale wind turbine on New England coast

Massachusetts Maritime Academy's wind turbine

Location: Buzzards Bay, MA USA Client: Massachusetts Maritime Academy Use: Wind power to mitigate electrical load

Background:
The Massachusetts Maritime Academy is located at the western mouth of the Cape Cod Canal. With a seagoing tradition dating back to colonial times, it prepares students for careers in marine engineering, transportation, safety and environmental protection, as well as careers in electrical, mechanical and facilities engineering.

The campus is surrounded on three sides by water and enjoys very good wind resources. The Academy sought to take advantage of this readily-available wind power, and Solar Design Associates helped them plan and engineer the construction of a campus wind turbine.

Special Features:

• SDA was commissioned to provide design and engineering services for a utility-scale wind turbine interfaced with the 4.5 kV campus electrical distribution network.
• SDA also provided code and utility liaison, procurement assistance and construction oversight as well as commissioning services to the Academy.

Outcome:
The Mass Maritime wind turbine cost $1.34 million, with support coming from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust (MRET) and the state's Department of Capital Asset Management (DCAM).

The 248-foot-tall wind turbine displaces utility-supplied electricity at the retail rate, providing a simple payback of less than 5 years.

The turbine is estimated to produce about a third of the academy's annual power needs and save some $300,000 each year. Over its lifetime, the turbine will produce more than $7 million worth of electricity for the academy. This is a conservative estimate considering today's ever-rising utility rates.

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