One Up, One to Go 

With one turbine up and one to go, MWCC's wind energy project has reached the halfway mark. Work crews last week attached the three massive blades to the turbine's hub, then hoisted the entire 100,000 pound assembly into place at the top of a 270-foot tower on Sunday, Dec. 5.

"It's wonderful to reach this milestone," said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. The wind project is capping off a decade of renewable energy initiatives aimed at saving the college money while benefitting the environment, he said. The two 1.65-megawatt wind turbines will provide power to 97 percent of the college's electrical needs and return approximately 30 percent of the power generated back into the grid.

Ironically, it was the wind itself that dictated when the rotor would be set in place, as high gusts and steady breezes on numerous days factored into the decision of when to complete the assembly. "Once we got it in the air, it went very well," said MWCC Resident Engineer Ed Terceiro.

Waiting at the top to attach the final section were four workers that includes local residents Jean and Chris Cormier, who work for Lumus Construction of Wilmington, Tom MacIsaac, also from Lumus, and Richard Jenkins of Texas, a technician with Vestas, which manufactured the college's turbines.  As two cranes worked in unison to maneuver the rotor into place and the four-member team secured it, other members of the construction team were stationed on three tag lines, holding onto ropes attached to the blades to prevent them from spinning.

Throughout the construction of the north turbine, local residents, students and other members of the college community paused to marvel at the extraordinary site. Onlookers included Gardner resident Ken Johnson, a mechanical engineer with Bose audio company, who was headed to the college's Fitness & Wellness Center for a workout, but decided to watch the construction instead.

"I was just amazed by the sheer size of the turbines when they were delivered, then over the last couple of weeks I watched the tower go up, and was just fortunate enough to see the blades go up today." Watching the crew on top of the turbine led him to wonder, "Is there a ladder or a spiral staircase in there?"

This week, the giant Manitowac 2250 crane has begun its crawl down the access road to the site of the south turbine, which will be assembled next.

The $9 million wind project, part of the Massachusetts Leading By Example renewable energy initiative, is being funded through a variety of sources, including $3.2 million in U.S. Department of Energy grants secured by Congressman John Olver; $2.1 million from a low interest Clean Renewal Energy Bond (CREB) made available through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act; and $3.7 million from Massachusetts Clean Energy Investment Bonds.