New cold weather turbines slated for Glenmore wind farm

From a news release issued by turbine-manufacturer Nordex:

Norderstedt (euro adhoc) - Chicago, 16 December 2009. Nordex USA, Inc. today announced an order for eight N100 wind turbines to be installed at a 20-megawatt wind farm in Glenmore, Wisconsin outside of Green Bay. Developed by Emerging Energies of Wisconsin, the project will generate nearly 64 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which is enough to power about 8,000 homes and displace an estimated 55,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. The CH Energy Group, owner of the New York utility Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, holds a controlling interest in the project via its unregulated subsidiary Central Hudson Enterprises.

"The project debuts some of the most advanced turbines in the US," said Ralf Sigrist, President and CEO of Nordex, USA. "It´s been a pleasure partnering with Emerging Energies to provide the best technology for the site, designed to make the absolute most of Glenmore´s wind resources."

The N100s are the latest generation in the Nordex family of 2.5-megawatt N80/N90 turbines. Designed specifically for low to moderate wind speeds, the N100s are ideal for numerous sites across the country, holding great potential in the US. The N100s have a hub height and rotor diameter of 100 meters, with a rotor sweep of 7,823 square meters. That translates into an increase in power yield by up to 20% at average wind speeds of around 7.5 meters per second, compared to the N90.

For the project, called the Shirley Wind Farm, Nordex will supply cold climate models of the N100s, upgraded to operate in temperatures as low as minus 20° Fahrenheit.

"We looked very carefully at the N80/N90/N100 Nordex turbines and were convinced by their great track record, along with the quality and experience Nordex brings to the market," said Bill Rakocy, one of three founders of Emerging Energies. "We selected the N100s because they accomplish two critical project goals - maximizing available land and wind resources by using the largest, tallest turbines available. We´re excited to introduce them in the US and in Wisconsin."