Wind Turbine Feasibility Study for St. Joseph's Abbey
Weston & Sampson completed a wind feasibility study for a commercial scale wind turbine for St. Joseph’s Abbey located in Spencer, Massachusetts. The LORI Round 6 Feasibility Study was funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC). Weston & Sampson also prepared the grant application on behalf of the Abbey.
The wind feasibility study included:
- evaluation of site characteristics
- assessment of the wind resource
- evaluation of energy demand
- interconnection requirements
- evaluation of environmental impacts
- detailed noise and shadow flicker studies
- anticipated permitting requirements;
- economic analysis
- evaluation of project risk factors, including FAA obstruction analysis
The study was done before committing to a full scale wind study.
The results of the study indicated that the installation of a wind turbine was technically and economically viable with an adequate wind resource that could justify project development. A 60-meter tall MET tower was erected on the site to verify wind speed estimates that were obtained from commercial sources (virtual MET data). The Abbey provided assistance to Weston & Sampson by clearing land and helping to erect the tower.
While the proposed project is considered technically viable, the economics based on actual wind speeds were not as attractive as preliminary estimates, and the Abbey has put development plans on hold.