Full Text
Mayor Kimberley Driscoll City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal ---PAGE BREAK--- 2007- Renewable Energy Task Force is formed • 2007- A Wind Site Analysis completed by UMass Renewable Energy Lab (9 sites surveyed; 2 seriously considered- SESD & Winter Island) • 2008- SODAR testing performed at SESD –data collected for 6 months • 2009- “Met tower” installed with MA Clean Energy Center (MA CEC) grant • 2010-2011- MA CEC-funded feasibility study using a year’s worth of wind data from the met tower City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Project history ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Site Selection “Met tower” ---PAGE BREAK--- Site selection factors: • Available wind energy • Noise (inc. proximity to residences) • Airport proximity • Environmental issues and permitting • Component transportation & access • Distance to electric transmission lines • On-site electric load offset (study done before net- metering law) City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Site Selection ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Siting Considerations ---PAGE BREAK--- Sites considered: • SESD • Winter Island • The Willows • Forest River Park • Saltonstall School • Bentley School • Bertram Field • SHS City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Site Selection ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Siting Considerations ---PAGE BREAK--- WINTER ISLAND - MOST FEASIBLE • Best Wind – meets Wind Requirements (within ¼ mile) • Greatest distance to residential structures • Provides maximum fall zone (show-stopper at SESD) • Close to available power distribution • Most economically viable location (vs. offshore) City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Site Selection ---PAGE BREAK--- • Economics: – Estimated total revenues are $586K/year (electricity plus “RECs”) – Estimated net revenues = $167K/year until debt paid – Simple payback = 8 years – Revenue benefit in terms of avoided electric cost, which typically escalates over time – Once fully paid for, could offset up to 15% ($700,000) of lost power plant revenue City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Economics ---PAGE BREAK--- • Environmental Benefits – Helps City to achieve its Green Communities commitments – Provide’s enough power for 300 - 500 homes (roughly equal to the Willows neighborhood) – Offsets nearly 80,000 tons of CO2 during its 30 year lifespan City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Benefits ---PAGE BREAK--- Other benefits: • Could become an iconic structure for a tourist hub like Salem • Represents a vision for the future– Clean, Reliable, Secure energy • Will become a navigation aid to boaters?? City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Benefits ---PAGE BREAK--- • Proposed Project: – 1.5MW- GE Turbine – Height: • Hub (“Nacelle”)- 260ft. • Tip (top of blade-swept area)- 380ft. – Expected Life: 30 years – Power output: 3.6M kiloWatt-hours/ year – Cost: $4.2M (plus possible contingencies) – Wind speed operating range- 8 mph (3.5 m/s) to 45 mph (20 m/s) operation City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Project stats ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal The new Salem skyline ~500 ft. ~380 ft. View from Shetland Park ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal The new Salem skyline ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal The new Salem skyline ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal The new Salem skyline ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal The new Salem skyline ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Potential impacts • Acoustics • Flicker • Fall Zone • Site disturbance • Property Values ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Potential impacts Acoustic impacts: • 3 times hub height is rule-of-thumb for minimum distance to nearest residential structure • Larger wind turbines generally produce less noise • Noise produced is a function of wind speed • Winds are generally highest during colder months, when windows and doors are shut • At high wind speeds, sound from wind typically drowns out sound from turbine ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Wind speed lowest during summer ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Potential impacts Acoustic impacts: • Difference between background noise and noise produced by wind turbine is key factor when considering impact • MA DEP guidelines allow maximum 10 decibel difference • According to the American Wind Energy Association and a number of studies, the sound emitted by wind turbines “is not unique”. ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Site Address Distance Predicted Turbine Leq dB(A) Background Leq dB(A Total Leq dB(A) Difference dBA Plummer Home 1300 ft. >3x hub height 39 40 43 3 Closest Residence on Winter Island Rd. 1690 ft. >3x hub height 37 34 39 5 Fort Avenue and Winter Island Road* ~2000 ft. >3x hub height 40 34 41 7 Harbormaster’s Office+ N/A 53 34 53 19 * Conservative estimate; actual background levels likely higher + Not a Residence ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Potential impacts Comparative Sound Levels: 142 decibels - Small outboard engine 104 dB - Surf 96 dB - Power mower 80 db - Garbage disposal or dishwasher 70 dB - Noisy restaurant; heavy traffic; Radio or TV audio at home 60 dB - Conversation in restaurant or office; A/C unit at 100ft. 55 to 85 dB - Rain 55 dB - Proposed wind turbine –falling off with distance; 34 dB at 3,000 feet from turbine 50 dB - Quiet suburban background noise, daytime 34 - 43 dB - Measured nighttime background levels near WI homes 32 dB - Quiet suburban background noise, nighttime, typical Sources: Industrial Noise Control, Inc; Marinepolicy.net; Howard Quinn ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Potential impacts Shadow flicker impacts: • Less than 20 hrs per year total • Mostly falls on the water • Similar to shadows when driving down a tree lined street. ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Potential impacts ---PAGE BREAK--- • Property Disturbance: – During construction- • Possible power line upgrade along WI Rd. • Creation of temporary access points – At Completion- • Diameter of monopole base- Approx. 15 ft. • Diameter of foundation pad – Varies; ~25 ft. in Ipswich • Fenced area- Optional; ~50 ft. x 50 ft. in Ipswich City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal ---PAGE BREAK--- • Property Values – No comprehensive studies to date in U.S. – Hull experience City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Potential Timeline Early August: MA Clean Energy Center grants announced August 2nd: 1st public hearing on proposed project Late August: MECA grant determination (award timing not official) Summer/ Fall 2011: Initial design and engineering; continue public hearings and stakeholder engagement Fall 2011 through Spring 2012: Complete engineering & design; Secure necessary permits, approvals and financing Summer 2012: Break ground Fall 2012: Project completion ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal Questions? Q & A ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Salem Winter Island Wind Proposal The Hull, MA Experience All less than 3x hub height