Source reader Richard wants to know when the Tutu wind turbines are "really going to turn … and why the ridiculous delays?”
Thanks for your question, Richard. John Foster, Tutu Park mall developer, said Wednesday he hopes to see the turbines behind the mall turning again as soon as next week.
“We are now connected to the grid and have a technician coming from Canada to calibrate the turbines,” Foster said. “They have a computer attached to them, which is calibrated to the wind speed which controls the rotation of the turbine blades.”
The turbines need a minimum of six knots of sustained wind to turn and have brakes that stop them should the gusts get too high to operate safely.
As to the non-mechanical delays, the turbines’ rotation was held up by petitions from the V.I. Water and Power Authority, until the Public Service Commission’s hearing examiner found that Island Wind Power’s turbines met all the legal criteria for interconnection. They are now cleared for spinning.
Once they commence their rotations, Tutu’s two turbines will provide a rated output of 100 kilowatts of energy to the mall, or about enough to power the mall’s air conditioning.
