Green Mountain Power Company (GMPC), the company that owns the 11 windmills found on a hillside in Searsburg, Vt. near state Route 8, periodically offers tours of its facility to the public. With a proposed plan to build similar windmills on the west slope of Brodie Mountain in Hancock, North Berkshire residents may be interested to see how this project has worked up in Vermont, and what they can expect if and when the towers are built locally.
The Searsburg windmills, collectively known as a “wind farm,†were completed early in 1997. At the time, it was the first such project taking place in the Northeast, and engineers and planners had to work out the bugs associated to operating such windmills in cold-weather climate. Earlier wind farms were built only in California and the Southwest.
Each of the 11 windmills is connected to a 550-kilowatt generator, enough to produce six megawatts of electricity, which can meet the electricity needs of about 2,000 households. This is the equivalent of 23,400 barrels of oil per year. This more expensive but renewable form of energy is attractive because the wind that propels it is free, and does not produce any pollution. Even noise pollution is minimal, as the grouping of windmills in Searsburg is eerily quiet and the propellers spin so casually it is hard to believe they are producing so much energy.
With current technology and scale, wind power generates electricity at a price of about six cents per kilowatt-hour, which is more than the four-cents-per-KwH produced by more traditional methods. However, engineers estimate that costs would decrease if more wind farms were built, allowing manufacturers of the turbines to save costs.
Before producing the wind farm, GMPC conducted several experiments, including building two windmills atop Mount Equinox, at an elevation of more than 3,800 feet. The windmills did not perform well, because the propellers kept getting jammed with ice. For the Searsburg project, the blades were coated with a slippery, black, Teflon-like material that absorbs heat, helping them to shed ice in the winter months. After initial problems, the wind farm has been running with little problems the past four years.
According to Dorothy “Dottie†Schnure, manager of communications at GMPC, public hard-hat tours are held periodically to inform residents of how this power works. The next tour is tentatively scheduled to take place Sunday, Sept. 23. People must call ahead; the number is (802) 244-7522, ask for Martha Staskus. The Pittsfield-based Center for Ecological Technology will be leading a group up for this same tour.
The windmills at Searsburg are comparable in size to those proposed in Hancock. They stretch 200 feet from tip to tip and weigh 119,700 pounds each. The towers at the base of each propeller are 132 feet tall themselves, reaching to the hub of the propeller. The three, 64-foot blades each describe an arc of 133 feet in circumference.
The Searsburg project, including research and development, had a total cost of $10.5 million, $3.5 million of which came from federal grants through the U.S. Department of Energy and the industry-financed Energy Power Research Institute.
Originally the site had been proposed for the Green Mountain National Forest, but because of fear that black bears in the Lamb Brook area, the spot was moved to leased private land off the forest.
The windmills operate at wind speeds of between 10 and 65 miles per hour. At higher speeds the rotor comes to a stop. At temperatures lower than minus 4 degrees F, a controller limits the amount of power to reduce stresses on the machine. Data from the site shows that wind gusts of over 70 m.p.h. are recorded periodically, and once or twice a year the gusts may reach 100 m.p.h. during a severe storm. The towers include auxiliary heaters to warm the gearbox and hydraulic system.
About 35 acres of forest were affected in building the 11 towers, which straddle the hillside in a long single-file line.
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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