Bolton Valley Resort in Vermont has commissioned a wind turbine on its property. The 100 kW wind turbine is located at the top of the resort's Vista Quad lift.
The Northwind 100 kW wind turbine, manufactured by Northern Power Systems of Barre, Vt., measures 121 feet in height from the ground to the top of the tower. The distance from ground to the top of the blade is 156 feet. Each blade is coated with Teflon to protect against icing.
Another Vermont company, Alteris Renewables, acted as the general contractor for installation of the turbine. Funding for the project came, in part, from the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund.
‘We've demonstrated a commitment to 21st century approaches to energy generation and consumption solutions on a Vermont scale,’ says Larry Williams, who, with Doug Nedde, owns Bolton Valley. ‘Bolton Valley and its skiers and riders take great pride in being eco-friendly and will continue to work toward decreasing our impact on the environment.’
Work began in mid-September preparing the site and work road to the top of the mountain, where an existing clearing adjacent to a patrol hut was selected as turbine's location. Heavy-duty equipment was moved up the mountain, and the turbine was moved in sections for assembly on-site. Local craftspeople and subcontractors were utilized for the project.
Power that is not consumed by Bolton Valley will be fed into the electrical grid through the Vermont net-metering program.
SOURCE: Bolton Valley Resort
