Worcester County Jail is jumping on the renewable energy bandwagon and installing a wind turbine test tower for a 12 month trial. The 160 foot tall meteorological tower will gauge wind speed, direction, and turbulence at the prison site. Noise levels, environmental area, and air space will also be evaluated.
If the year-long evaluation goes well, the jail plans on installing a 2.5 MW wind turbine— potentially enough power for over 500 households. Eventually, the Sheriff’s Office will install 2 more similarly sized turbines.
The turbines, which should more than cover the jail’s electricity use, will save the county $350,000— much needed cash in an economic climate that has caused many cities to go bankrupt. Extra power will be sold back to the municipal grid.
Photo Credit: CC-licensed by Flickr user Still Burning
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