This past Wednesday, the weather, availability of the giant cranes, contractors and other factors finally aligned and enabled us to erect the remaining portion of our wind turbine. Here are a few photos to show you what “went down” (or up, rather).
First the third and final section of the tower had to be raised up and lowered into place. The tower is 98 feet tall.
Then the nacelle, which houses the gear box and generator (and is bigger than a truck) was bolted on top of the tower.
Here's a better shot of the full tower. Cables were used to help align the nacelle.
Next, the three 49-foot blades were attached to the hub and raised up.
Then with more careful alignment, the hub was attached to the nacelle.
With the structure in place, we are now waiting for the electric company to test and commission the turbine. Of course, we’ll let you know once it’s fully operational.
Last week, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D- R.I.) made a speech to Congress requesting an extension of a Treasury grant program that has provided funding to renewable energy projects. The Section 1603 grants, originally created as part of the Recovery Act and set to expire in 2011, helped Hodges Badge acquire funding for our wind turbine project (
