So the wind turbine needs a gearbox after all. I guess all those comments were right all along.

Gear Box is Gone ? $400,000.00 for two gearboxes-what a deal !
How long will the $200,000 gearbox last another three years - The taxpayers gotta love this ! What happened to that oil sensor that was shutting down the turbine ? Maybe the oil sensor was OK and the gearbox was going bad !

The Princetown, MA, wind turbine costs $600,000.00 to repair the gearbox. the problem is the flex plates are moving under the gearbox as the turbine goes off and on . The flex plates need to be rebuilt.

"The reality is if we found it earlier, we would still be standing here telling you you have a gearbox failure," says Lumus rep. "We were hoping it was a sensor issue; it wasn't." "It's been a national trend of gearbox failures," says Lumus rep.
"It's been telling us something is wrong for a long time," Pedro says about the turbine.
How much dammage did they do every time they pushed that reset button?

My bet they try and sell the town a rebuilt narcel (turbine cell) .They'll say it's good as new ! The town will be buying the Brooklyn Bridge again - The wind turbine contractors are making millions selling the turbines - the taxpayers are paying bill.

It would appear Bill and Robert were spot on in their predictions and fact based post on this. They had given links to study files and sites that proved their post. Yet they were ignored by the powers that be and stonewalled on information. One wonders why that is that? Was it an embarrassment to the powers that be, to admit they were wrong?

This happens to often in RI now, when citizens look for answers to problems and those who represent them, look at citizens like they have three eyes and are not worthy of a straight answer to a valid question concerning their taxpayer monies. There seems to be no accountability here. Thank goodness the EBEC is not in business yet. You can be sure the plan was for them to take over any turbine in the towns foolish enough to belong to the gold making turbine EBEC utility, who would then take over this cost.

My opinion is the town of Portsmouth citizens need to take a very hard look at this, and determine if it is even worth taking a chance of continuing the debacle. I would hope they would put it on the November Ballot so the people can make the choice not bureaucrats or special interest. Its not like there should be a rush to fix it right now.

Flex plates are the issue along with shaft alingment. When you take the gearbox out your going to find issues as they did in the Princeton ,Massachusetts turbine. The gearbox replacement was $600,000.00 .That included the gearbox ,special crane and dowm time cash from the turbine. The gearbox went as a result of too much vibration . You'll have to retrofit the flex plates and NO guarantee of that working .It's a cash cow now for wind turbine contractors and they are going to milk the public with the turbine ! The Portsmouth High School wind turbine has become a Trojan Horse - you brought it into town and now it's taking all your cash ! This is what they call "green " ? This really needs National Attention !

Lumus rep said it could cost between $1.2 to $1.5 million to replace turbine nacelle. If we pay $1.5 million to fix a $3 million turbine are we going to have pay another $1.5 million in three more years. If that is the case the turbine is never going to be paid for.

What are we going to do about the Governors whacky plan to give two more bridges to the RITBA ? It's time for action before the wiz kid kills the East Bays economy . How can they expect Newport and Bristol Counties to accomplish all of the transportation improvements needed using revenue from the bridge tolls? It's also supposed to pay for bridge maintenance . This is a bad plan that had no thought other than screwing us as has happens with Education funding, and general revenue sharing . Is it time to revolt yet?

The local elected officials were people — like the rest of us — who originally thought that wind turbines were a good thing. Wind turbine contractors always say : "since the wind is free, operational costs are nearly zero once a turbine is erected " . The formula looks like it costs 3 million for the turbine ,$33,000.00 per years for maintance and another $100,000.00 per year for parts -not counting down time and crane service . The town may be looking at blade replacement in a short period of time. Also of concern is that the tower itself has a life of its own depending on the environment . The tower itself doesn't last forever !

I liked the Trojon Horse comparison of the turbine, humor is indeed based on fact. I say count our losses and move on. By the way, what is scrap metal going for these days?

I say we rename the wind turbine "statue" to "Portsmouth's Folly"... just keep throwing money at it until it spins again!!!
Then declare bankruptcy, and all is forgiven!

The total number of eligible Portsmouth voters for the Nov 6, 2007 Special election was 12,183. There were 3 questions on the ballot. The wind turbine was question 2 on the ballot. Voters who approved were 2,333 or 60.39% and those who rejected were 1,530 or 39.61%.
This tubine has been operational for 39 months. There is still $2.26 million due on the bond, or $226,000 per year for the next 10 years. The replacement gearbox will come with a 30 month warranty. Due to the original company going bankrupt numerous sub contractors were not paid for their work.
Portsmouth was the first community in our state to have a Town owned wind generator. This is not a political issue, however to delay the correct repairs/replacement would not be logical.

Time to take this down and use the saved money to fix the schools.

I thought wind energy was free...what happened?

It’s a little off topic, but I’ve been waiting for this topic to come up for a couple of weeks. It’s regarding the 8:06 entry on the timeline above about the “security contract” for the transfer station and something I witnessed there. What exactly is that “security” doing for us? As I entered the recycling area that day, there was a car in front of me with a Massachusetts license plate. So, when I got out, I walked around to see if it was displaying a Portsmouth transfer station sticker. It wasn’t. So, I walked over and asked the “guard” why the person was being permitted to dump. No answer! Not even a gesture. The guard just started through me like I wasn’t even there. I looked at the waste company employee standing next to the “guard” and he just shrugged his shoulders. Is there some scenario that allows non-residents without stickers to dump at our transfer station?

GAG ME: Nancy Pelosi logic here. "We have to pass this bill to find out what's in it."

We have to replace the gearbox to find out IF that's the problem. I don't know how to comment on this blather

Let's remember that the turbine has made money for the town ( paying electric bills for a town buildings) paying off the debt each year and operating at a high percentage of the year. Machines like cars need repairs from time to time..

Until the problem is corrected of course there is no financial gain. At one point in the town budget was a repair reserve fund for problems that might develop with the turbine and I believe that money went into the general budget. I hope the council works quickly as each day it is not running is a loss of money both for the town and to pay off debt.

I regret that some town counselors have disparaged it for the whole time they have been on council without knowing all the facts. Most citizens of this town have indicated their ongoing approval of this structure and it's function. Portsmouth should be proud of the civic example of green energy that we initiated. Officials and business men from all over New England have visited to observe the structure and analyze for their community or work place.

It takes several lifetimes to put a new energy system into place and wishful thinking can’t speed things along..http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/renewables/a-skeptic-looks-at-alternative-energy/0 Today alternate energy (until recently more identified with off grid remote location solutions) remains a mirage. Technical difficulties and high cost will marginalize solar, wind, and Biomass for many years to come. Given at least two or more generations of equipment improvements with a companion back away by government from creating today's kayos e.g. with the theft of rate payer and tax payer monies coupled to voodoo math kick backs. Then these and other even hopefully disruptive technologies can and will emerge. Those disruptive technologies should not be confused with the disruptive behaviors by rouge elements today. Hopefully this Portsmouth effort does not rapidity become another unrecoverable and costly misadventure. I expect that the citizens possess the common sense and companion adult critical thinking skills plus avail themselves of the necessary expertise resulting in fact based & realistic decisions..

How about we remove the gearbox and replace it with a hampster wheel?

Of course the ENRON initiative failed.

Los Angeles Times
November 15, 2002

"General Electric Co. is seeking the refund of almost half the $358 million it paid to an Enron Corp. unit for wind-turbine manufacturing assets, lawyers told a federal bankruptcy judge in New York on Thursday.

"It's standard procedure," said Dennis Murphy, a spokesman for GE Power Systems, who confirmed the company's refund request. "Purchasers have certain protections built in. If the purchase price didn't accurately reflect the value of the asset, we can petition," he said."
http://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/15/business/fi-wind15

Worry not the 4 dollar toll will help out HAHA

I did a little Googling for the company that " Takes Care " of our turbine. Lumus Construction. They have a Wind Turbine Division. You can link to it from their site. They seem to LIKE dealing with government. (Committees) ..where no ONE person is accountable.. In our case..we have NO ONE (An Engineer) on the town staff who knows what a Wind Turbine is about.

It's like taking your car to the dealer and he tells you, you need a new engine because the current one is making some kind of noise. You have NO Idea IF he is LYING to you..and just wants to increase his bottom line. It's called revenue enhancement. Car dealers do this ALL the time. I worked for one very locally.

I suggest we find a NEW maintenance conractor. I think we have a "revenue enhancement thingy" going on here. We have NOTHING to lose here. The worst scenario is already in front of us.

BTW: On the Lumus Construction site they have pictures and Short Bios of the top execs. This is a "Minority Owned" company. The top guy "Studied" at MIT, and two other universitys. No Degree acomplishments..OR Graduation mentioned. There was a BIG mention as to how they are Union Friendly..Totally. ...International Union of Electrical Workers.

I didn't see any mention of Degeed Engineers on staff.

Do we lack the facts to define the problem and identify the solution?
One option is to spread cost & sell the Portsmouth Wind Turbine to the RI General Assembly EDC East Bay Energy consortium, which is still awaiting approval?
The illusion of making a profit is based on a voodoo math and magical thinking of subsidies and net metering. The rate and tax payers have been already subjected to hidden mandate / taxes to realize such illusion. Purchasing a 1.5 megawatt model Wind Turbine is like moving from a 21 ft to a 100 ft boat. Like a boat if you must ask how much to own & operate you cannot afford to own it. The wind is not free after all! We must realign expectations - learn the facts about Renewable green energy. Yes, this is a lifetime journey and not a Saturday afternoon at the local beach. We must not dis-guard our existing means of energy conversion and distribution just yet. http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/renewables/a-skeptic-looks-at-alternative-energy/0 Perhaps in two or more model changes allowing technology insertions can mature the Wind Turbine technology. What we are experiencing is one of the lessons learned by the European premature deployment of wind turbines.

What if a disruptive technology for energy conversion and distribution came out of the R&D labs. Its subsequent deployment would still be a journey we must travel.
The renewal of the present energy conversion and distribution system is critically lacking and requires priority.

Looking at the Portsmouth RI wind page:

http://www.portsmouthriedc.com/windfacts.html

It states we have a 5 year "bumper to bumper" warranty from the manufacturer.. Did that fly out the door due to the manufacturer folding?

Recently took a trip across Scandinavia through 5 different countries. There were literally hundreds of these wind turbines running in large swaths both on land and moored at sea. They seem to have it pretty much under control over there in large scales and certainly there is no controversy or "well I wonder if this work" because they dominate the landscape.

The problem here is not the technology. These are simple mechanical and maintenance issues that have nothing to do with the resource. This country has taken a backstep in basic scientific knowledge and technical prowess that has seen our skilled workers greatly eclipsed by the rest of the developed world. We don't have enough good engineers or enough good scientists to keep up with basic state of the art. For example, "The town bought the turbine from a Canadian company AAER."

Our values are too monetarily driven. It's not important to get the job done right; it's only important to make money. It's not important to understand what we're talking about; it's only important to SELL your IDEA (through politics, coercion, and impulsive short-term gain).

I disagree. We do have good engineers and good scientists to keep up with basic state of the art, and we have the knowledge and technical prowess. But, as someone mentioned in previous posts, it’s just that the American companies have chosen to undertake the large-scale projects…like those you saw in Europe…instead of small projects of just a few turbines.

Just a thought; But I wonder did the Canadian Government subsidize that Company with their taxpayer monies. Did the government require them to have bonding insurance and such? Is there an ECEC; (East Canada Energy Consortium)? If so has there been anything about the town of Portsmouth putting a lien on the Canadian government or ECEC (East Canada Energy Consortium) to get monies returned (Hilary Maybe). It does seem to work in this Country for green energy companies, which go bankrupt where everyone gets their money back as these things are all no liability to anyone except taxpayers and lets face it taxpayers are a never ending money tree.

Perhaps Portsmouth could just say they are Mr. and Mrs. Portsmouth, average consumer customer, who have been bilked by the quasi-Canadian Government Company, ECEC (East Canada Energy Consortium) and demand justice from the World Court or World Trade Organization? Would be nice to see a different Country other than the U.S. get suckered for the zany ideas of special interest and politicians for a change.

Seriously.... after a few years the turbine craps the bed? Oh please.......
Sounds like a faulty product to me........
I guess we should have gotten the extended warranty!

Every Machine comes up for overhaul....including the turbines and generators in coal and nuclear powerplants. You never hear about it because it's Routine.

The turbine is on channel 12 over and over. The news is on the National Wind Watch Turbine site : http://www.windaction.org/

National news will bring plenty of attention to this whole episode from 2004 until today.
The Attorney General should look into all aspects of this project -who,what ,when and where ! The wind industry is hiding a dirty little secret about gearbox failures.The legal branch of the government shoud move to review the whole bunco scheme. These turbines used government-funded research money and in many cases uses the stimulus money to build these turbines .

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 had funds thaty were used to buy foreign wind turbines - get the law involved !

Town officials ! Contact Fuhrlander wind turbine company.AAER and Fuhrlander are one in the same for Portsmouth, Rhode Island. AAER Wind Energy had partnered with Fuhrländer to manufacture the Fuhrländer 1.5 MW wind turbine on a license in Canada. The Portsmouth High School wind turbine is a 1.5 MW AAER the same as the Fuhrländer 1.5 MW turbine produced around the same time.

Why go with a third generation or rebuilt gearbox ? Why not go to the Fuhrländer wind company and get the upgraded gearbox - That's what they had to do in Princeton ,Massachusetts !

I always said that wind turbine was the biggest waste if money. Not only is it an eyesore, but now it looks as if it going to cost as much to fix it over a period of time as it did to construct the thing. How much was this supposed to save the taxpayers of Portsmouth when this thing went online? People better wake up and get a clue of the irresponsible actions of the current town administration. Before you know it Portsmouth will end up like these towns and cities in California. Filing for bankruptcy or having a tax rate so high, people won't be able to live.

Lack of "Due Diligence" by town officials is what got the town in the turbine mess.The officials acted like a Saputello.

The Portsmouth AAER 1.5 Megawatt turbine was assembled by a Canadian company using a liscence from the German wind company Fuhrländer The two companies were partners building the same 1.5 MW turbine.

At the time the Fuhrländer 1.5 was a couple of hundred thousand more than the AAER 1.5.
If the town purchased the Fuhrländer 1.5 turbine they would have a warranty today. Town officials went with a start up wind turbine company that went bankrupt as soon as they got their money. They bought a color TV with a Black and White TV in the box !

The Town of Princeton spent $600,000.00 and went back to Fuhrländer and bought an upgraded new gear box. All the information about the "Due Diligence" is in the following URL:

http://www.altenergymag.com/emagazine.php?art_id=1365

http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2012/07/portsmouth-wind.html?plckOnPage=3&plckItemsPerPage=10&plckSort=TimeStampDescending#pluck_comments_list

This is today's growing Portsmouth Wind Turbine Blow Back!