Two wind turbines at Honda Transmission Mfg. of America's Russells Point, Ohio, plant are producing more power than was anticipated when they first began operating in January.
According to Minnesota-based Juhl Energy, which developed and installed the project, the turbines have exceeded the projected power output figures by 6.3%. The two GE turbines, standing 260 feet tall with 160-foot blades, were initially expected to produce upwards of 10,000 MWh of electricity per year, accounting for about 10% of the plant's annual power needs. However, Juhl says machines have outperformed company projections in four of the six months since operation began. At their highest output, the turbines provided 16.26% of the plant's power requirements for the month of April.
‘We are extremely pleased with the performance of the wind turbines' production over their first six months,’ says Gary Hand, vice president of Honda Transmission Mfg. of America. The two turbines, which are owned by ConEdison Solutions, are only a part of Honda's global goals to reduce the environmental impact of its products and manufacturing operations by 2020. This includes a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions from Honda products, as well as significant CO2 reductions from the company's plants and other operations, compared with year 2000 levels.
