10-07-2009, 06:14 AM
Green, The Southpoint wind turbines are not owned or operated by HelCo... in fact, most alternative energy on island are operated under IPP agreements (the hydropower on the Wailuku is the big producing exception.
WHY? The cost of infrastructure is enormous & most systems are outdated in a fairly short -by energy industry standards.... (new is decades...) .
There are actually 2 wind farms at Southpoint. The more visible is the out-dated & out of service farm & the newer is beyond & down a ridge... Many people wonder why the old is left there... it was taken out of service due to the expense of maintaining the old out-of-date equipment that did not generate near the same as newer models on smaller foot prints... and for the fact that the machinery is no longer supported by the manufacturer..
for an earlier thread on this:
http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4531
WHY? The cost of infrastructure is enormous & most systems are outdated in a fairly short -by energy industry standards.... (new is decades...) .
There are actually 2 wind farms at Southpoint. The more visible is the out-dated & out of service farm & the newer is beyond & down a ridge... Many people wonder why the old is left there... it was taken out of service due to the expense of maintaining the old out-of-date equipment that did not generate near the same as newer models on smaller foot prints... and for the fact that the machinery is no longer supported by the manufacturer..
for an earlier thread on this:
http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4531