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Northwind 100kW wind turbine.
Photo courtesy of Eastern Energy Systems
In April 2010, Half Hollow Nursery in Laurel, N.Y. became home to Long Island’s largest wind turbine.
Eastern Energy Systems Inc. installed the 100 kW turbine, which soars 156 feet into the air. The turbine is designed to supply 110 percent of the 625-acre nursery’s energy needs. Wind power also allows Half Hollow to improve irrigation efficiency.
“By using electric to run the irrigation systems, we can save up to 50 percent of the amount of water we use on the farm,” said Lloyd Rasweiler, nursery owner.
The installed cost of the turbine was $500,000, according to Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). However, LIPA provided the nursery with a rebate worth $126,777. The nursery was also eligible for a federal tax incentive, and able to sell excess electric energy back to LIPA.
At the time of installation, the wind turbine was expected to produce an estimated 157,555 kilowatt hours of electricity per year for an approximate energy savings of $29,305. By using wind power as the primary source of energy, CO2 emissions will be reduced by 99.49 tons annually, according to LIPA.
There have been some hiccups in the use of wind power, but those issues have been worked out, according to the nursery. The nursery will have a better idea next year how much electricity it has saved.
Alan Rasweiler, sales manager at Half Hollow, told the Suffolk Times that the “nursery industry has always been a green industry. We were introduced to alternative energy just within the last few years, and there’s no doubt this is the way of the future.”
For more: Half Hollow Nursery, www.halfhollownursery.com. Eastern Energy
Systems, e2sys.com.
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