Wind Farm Visit

The Fenner Renewable Energy Center, Inc. is a grass-roots organization that was formed to educate the public on the benefits of renewable energy and other sustainable practices. They are located on-site at the Fenner Wind Farm in the heart of Central New York. Since late 2001, they have lived and worked amongst the 20 turbines that make up this 30 MW wind project. They organized the project to share their unique experience and to encourage others to embrace a clean energy future.

Reggie and resident Architect Bob Godwin recently paid a visit to the farm to discover more about their phenomenal efforts in wind technology.

Reggie's report from the field:

The wind farm was truly amazing. I, with everything going on, forgot to take a coat and hat. One thing you want to remember always on visits to a wind farm is to over-dress! I suffered a little bit due to this mistake. However, even freezing beyond belief, it is a shocking experience to take this place in... towers 330 feet tall and 100 foot blades!

What makes this wind farm unique is the sheer vision in putting it all together. The turbines are scattered among the entire mountain range, sort of willy nilly -- some tucked in to slight recesses in the hilltop. They have an average wind of 18 miles per hour. The turbines are programed to shut down when wind reaches 63 mph, as the blades are designed to turn and deflect the wind when stronger (this is called feathering), otherwise the entire structure is always turning to face the wind. Yesterday the wind was pretty much coming from the same direction so they where all facing the same direction, apparently this can change quite a bit depending on the nature of the wind.

It is a very distorting optical effect looking at these giants. Its hard to really get a sense of the size when looking at the landscape, only when you get up close does it impact your brain how enormous they are. This farm also unique in that they are never designed quite like this, but rather they typically fall in lines, and there are more of them. Here there 20 turbines. This design was an experiment, one that Joan assured us won't happen again. The design has to be more cost effective. Of course the government subsidizes power of all other sorts, but not wind power (!!!!), so its difficult to finance a truly well thought out and effective wind farm. This one is a bit of an anomaly.

It is encouraging that this group endeavored to try something new with the idea that innovation is a worthy cause for greater understanding of alternative energy. This project is also spotlighting the need for greater assistance for alternative energy projects within New York State and beyond. Very cool thing... kudos!

-- Reggie