Tug Mountain Wind Farm – Canaan, NH
New England’s fifth wind farm, on Tug Mountain in Canaan, NH, was installed in 1984 and went on line in 1985. It consisted of ten 60-kW Danish wind turbines manufactured by Micon. Like others installed in the mid-1980s, this 600-kW wind farm performed better than its predecessors. In 1987, it produced 541,200 kWh for a capacity factor of 10.3%. (“Capacity factor” is the actual energy output divided by the theoretical maximum output if the machine operated at peak capacity all the time.) This performance is comparable to California wind farms installed during the same period, but it is well below the performance of newer wind farms. Tug Mountain’s lackluster performance was reportedly due to frequent problems with the interconnection to the local utility and wind speeds considered low for a commercial wind farm. The Canaan turbines were relocated to California in 1988, after the owner concluded that it was not cost-effective to operate such a small wind farm so far from its service facilities.
Our notes: This does not prove that the old wind turbines were inefficient but that the wind patterns in the area are inefficient. THAT is a big difference.
See other wind farm snippets below.
U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Wind and Water Power Program – New England Wind Forum
Historic Wind Development in New England: More New England Wind Farms
Since Crotched Mountain, six additional wind farms have been installed to date in New England. The performance of New England wind farms has generally mirrored the performance of wind farms elsewhere, i.e., a slow start followed by rapid improvement. Original wind farm on Equinox Mountain, circa 1982.
Equinox Mountain, VT
The four WTG turbines installed in 1981 and 1982 at Equinox Mountain, VT, comprised one of the first wind farm installations in the United States. These early turbines, which suffered mechanical issues (including blade throws), were subsequently removed, but Equinox Mountain continued to receive attention as a wind power site (see below).
New England’s third wind farm, consisting of eight 25- to 40-kW Enertech turbines, was installed on Nantucket Island, MA, in 1982 and 1983. It performed moderately well for a few years, often producing 1% of the island’s power, but it was shut down by 1986 due to poor maintenance.
Information sited from: http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/newengland/history_windfarms_more.asp