Wind Turbines
Town: Short Feature
Nearby the Wood County Landfill stands Ohio's first commercial wind farm, whose 4 towering turbines are visible for miles around. The city of Bowling Green's former Utility Director Daryl Stockburger began leading the charge to construct the wind farm in the mid-1990's. AMP Ohio, a statewide non-profit corporation that owns and operates electrical generation facilities and coordinates power distribution and sharing between municipal-owned electric services has been a partner in the wind farm from the beginning.
Significant work on the project began In 1999, when pilot turbines were set up in a soy bean field to gauge and test wind levels. Assistant Utilities Director Paul Brock says, "it’s always been windy in Bowling Green and anybody that has lived here knows that." The results of the tests confirmed that there was indeed more than enough wind to support the turbines.
The turbines were made in Denmark by Vestas, the largest supplier of windmill turbines in the world. When first constructed, the turbines were the largest of their kind east of the Rocky Mountains. The structures stand 257 feet tall, and each blade is 132 feet long. The blades each weigh 14 tons, while the cell is another 77 tons. All of this is supported by a secure foundation buried 33 feet into the ground.
The process and components involved in producing the environmental friendly energy from the wind turbines are somewhat simple. The wind blows into the front of the blades, making them spin. The wind turbines use this power to spin the rotor, which in turn spins the shaft. The shaft is connected to a generator, which makes electricity.
While power levels vary due to changes in the wind, each turbine has the ability to produce 1.8 megawatts each, resulting in 7.2 megawatts total - enough electricity to power more than 1,500 homes. The wind farm output is connected to the city electrical grid, which distributes the power to help meet the city's electricity needs.
For visitors interested in seeing the wind turbines up close, a solar powered kiosk is available at the site offering information about the turbines. It provides photographs of construction phases and helps visitors to understand what the turbines are all about.