Berkshire Wind Power Project
| The Berkshire Wind Power Project | |
|---|---|
 Location of The Berkshire Wind Power Project in Massachusetts
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Hancock, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°34′45″N 73°16′26″W / 42.57917°N 73.27389°WCoordinates: 42°34′45″N 73°16′26″W / 42.57917°N 73.27389°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | September, 2009 |
| Commission date | May, 2011 |
| Construction cost | US $64.7 million |
| Owner(s) | Berkshire Wind Power Co-op |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | Onshore |
| Avg. site elevation | 2,500 feet (760 m) |
| Site area | 75 acres |
| Hub height | 262 feet (80 m) |
| Rotor diameter | 252 feet (77 m) |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 10 |
| Make and model | GE Wind Energy: 1.5 MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 15 MW |
| Capacity factor | 40% |
| Annual output | 52,500 MWh |
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Website http://www.berkshirewindcoop.org/ |
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The Berkshire Wind Power Project is a wind farm on Brodie Mountain in Hancock, Massachusetts. Owned and operated by the Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative Corporation, it is the second largest wind farm in Massachusetts, with 10 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines and a total installed capacity of 15 MW. The Berkshire wind power project became fully operational in 2011, and provides enough electricity to power 6,000 homes annually.
The project consists of 10 GE Wind Energy 1.5 MW wind turbines on Brodie Mountain in Hancock, Massachusetts. Each turbine produces 1.5 MW, the site has the capacity to produce 15 MW; this is enough energy to supply approximately 6,000 average homes in the region annually. The towers are 213 feet (65 m) tall, with 121 feet (37 m) blades. From base to vertically positioned blade tip, they will be approximately 334 feet (102 m). Wind speeds atop Brodie Mountain average 8 m/s (18 mph), one of the best inland wind sites in Massachusetts, making it a Class 6 resource on the American Wind Energy Scale of 1 to 7. The turbines begin generating energy at wind speeds as low as 8 mph (13 km/h), and produce the maximum power output when winds blow above 30 mph (48 km/h). The maximum rotor speed is 20 rpm. The project was built with turbines manufactured at facilities all across the U.S. The power generated is delivered to the New England grid through the local utility.
Berkshire Wind Power Project offsets approximately 612,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year relative to conventional electricity generation. That’s equivalent to the estimated annual emissions produced by consuming more than 1.17 million barrels of oil.
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