December 13, 2017
Iowa

Costs increase for E-NP’s wind turbine generator repairs

By Justin Ites | Times-Citizen | Dec 11, 2017 | www.timescitizen.com

While repairs are underway to fix the Eldora-New Providence School District’s wind turbine, costs are going to exceed the estimated bill.

At Monday’s regular meeting, the E-NP Board approved paying an additional $3,063 for the generator repair (to the wind turbine) beyond the original total of $26,877.

Vestas – American Win Technology (Joice) currently holds the school district’s wind turbine service contract, and representative Joe Knudtson was on hand to answer any questions the board had regarding the added costs.

Repairs to the generator were needed when a school maintenance employee could hear bearings starting to fail. A few months ago, the board discussed multiple options regarding how to fix the generator. One option was to have a crane lift a metal lathe up and take the generator apart up top. That costs would have been an estimated $27,000. The preferred option was to lift the generator out, and send it out of state (Minnesota) and have a company do the work there. That option – the $26,877 cost – was chosen by the board.

During the meeting, Knudtson said he owed the board an apology for the amount of downtime the E-NP school district has experienced with the wind turbine generator.

“At that time, the decision was made to remove the generator and ship it for repairs to a facility in Richfield, Minnesota. That portion was executed close to a month ago. The repair facility performed a disassembly, measurements and full scope. They determined there was a little bit of additional repair work that was not originally quoted,” Knudtson said. “We knew it was possible, but perhaps something that should have been quoted originally.”

E-NP Superintendent Jay Mathis said he appreciated that Knudtson was willing to come to Eldora to speak before the board.

In other business, the board approved the 2018-19 Modified Allowable Growth Application for At-Risk/Dropout Prevention in the amount of $208,117.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/12/13/costs-increase-for-e-nps-wind-turbine-generator-repairs/