May 3, 2011
New York

Wind turbine company pulls plug on SCCC project

www.midhudsonnews.com 2 May 2011

LOCH SHELDRAKE – The company that built a vertical shaft wind turbine at Sullivan County Community College is going to dismantle it.

The decision to pull the plug came after engineering problems could not be resolved. Despite them, College President Dr. Mamie Howard-Golladay lobbied to have the turbine remain in place as a learning tool for the college and community.

The turbine gear box, which is located in a concrete casing below ground, and the turbine shafts as they were turned by the wind, could not work together properly to generate sufficient power to satisfy company President Sam Ikeda.

Howard-Gollady termed the decision to dismantle it unfortunate and said that “even though the turbine gear box was not capable of delivering the intended results, we were hoping to use it to support our planned Wind Turbine Technology program and enhance our Green Building Maintenance and Management and Environmental Studies programs.”

The 1.25 megawatt device owned by Environmental Technologies LLC was built on one acre of college land leased in November 2008. The project was completed in 2009.

A private company will begin dismantling the turbine on June 1.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/05/03/wind-turbine-company-pulls-plug-on-sccc-project/