Mistakes were made…

Shedding some Light on prior mistakes

At the STM on March 6^th, Paul Q spoke about mistakes; that every department from BOS to TMLWP had made mistakes. Very true statement.

The wind turbine project was years in the making. It took many years for this project to reach completion. From the perspective of hindsight, the following list is some of the mistakes made:

No Town Meeting Vote  - This project was not brought before town meeting for a vote. A side agreement was reached with the school department to locate the wind turbine on school property. A town meeting vote was not necessary for the project to continue.

Indications of AAER financial problems – There were indications that AAER was in financial difficulty. The original option of purchasing a GE turbine was abandoned when GE would not sell TMLWP a turbine because the location was too close to the school. The Commissioners were informed of a company AAER, that would sell us a turbine. There was a sense of urgency to sign the contract with AAER, because the financing for the project had a deadline and was at risk of being lost.

There is no warranty on the turbine. In the contract with AAER, there is a clause for a performance bond in case the turbine failed or had reduced output based on projections. The commissioners did due diligence by insisting on a performance bond and turbine certification. However, all the "insurance/assurance" or warranty evaporated when AAER went bankrupt. We were not able to secure a performance bond. We are on our own.

Further complicating the wind turbine issue is the role of Massachusetts Municipal Light Department Wind Energy Cooperative Corporation(MMLDWECC) in our turbine project.

Templeton Municipal Light distributes electricity to residents in Templeton. Templeton Municipal Light cannot generate electricity. The solution was to join MMLDWECC.

Articles of Corporation MMLDWECC

Annual Report MMLDWECC

Change of Officers MMLDWECC

Mass General Law Chapter 157

Mass General law Chapter 164 section 47C

After the contract with AAER was signed, the TMLWP Commissioners did not oversee the project. All of the invoices and costs and borrowing associated with the turbine were channeled through the MMLDWECC and its Board of Directors as well as through MMWEC.

In my opinion, it is a mistake to have postponed the Wind Turbine Cost Certification for 2 ½ years. I have asked numerous times for this document. TMLWP Commissioners do not have the actual proof of the costs involved in the erection and commissioning of the wind turbine. Until those costs are determined, no one can calculate the payback period or depreciation of the wind turbine.

Can the wind turbine be repaired?

Absolutely! You can fix anything…but at what cost? It appears  our turbine is experiencing gearbox failure.

Portsmouth, RI Gearbox Failure Investigation

Our gearbox is identical to the one in Portsmouth RI. We have maintained our turbine according to specifications. Portsmouth RI did not. After reading the Gearbox Failure Investigation, I don’t believe the lack of maintenance was the cause of the gearbox failure.

From page 20 of the Gearbox failure Investigation:

YAW ERRORS

The 824 yaw fault should be corrected immediately in order to allow the turbine to align with the wind. High winds acting on the blades in a flapwise direction could result in blade structural damage. In discussions with Windland technicians, the fault frequency can be reduced significantly by increasing yaw pad pressure on the slewing ring until Yaw Power is 5-6 kW (or exceeds the alarm threshold in the controller software). One other operator, Templeton Municipal Light and Water, reports AMSC changed the parameter settings in the software.

CONCLUSION

The following conclusions should be taken into consideration during discussions involving continued operation of the turbine:

1.       The AAER 1500/77-65m turbine is an orphan turbine with very few operating in North America, limited engineering and spares support, and a history of gearbox failures (3 of 5 installed).

2.       The AAER 1500/77-65m design never received certification by any recognized certification organization, though similar designs licensed from AMSC/Windtec have been certified by GL and DNV.

Continues to page 21:

3.       The gearbox design may be defective, specifically having insufficient structural stiffness resulting in uneven 1st stage planet bearing load distribution and premature failure, or having defective bearings.

4.       A similar make and model turbines based upon the AMSC Windtec design, the Fuhrländer in Princeton, NJ, has had a similar gearbox failure, though the gear ratios are slightly different.

5.       Subsequent similar turbine models licensed by AMSC Windtec, the AMSC wt1650df and the

Hyundai HQ 1650 appear to have nearly identical nacelles, but may incorporate an improved gearbox. Retrofit options should be considered. Attempts to obtain confirmation of compatibility via AMSC Windtec or Hyundai to date have been difficult.

6.       Based upon a preliminary profit/loss estimate, it does not appear the turbine can be operated profitably, even if the gearbox is replaced and operates without failure for at least 10 years. A detailed 10-15 year pro forma with anticipated operating costs, debt servicing, revenues, energy credits, maintenance reserves, and insurance should be developed with assistance from a recognized authority such as DNV-Kema or GL Garrad Hassan.

7.       Due to limited service experience in the region, a collaborative users group should be developed. Potential collaborators are Windland (operates 3 AAER 1500 in California), Templeton Municipal, and Princeton.

8.       A procedure to prevent operation of the turbine with ice on the blades should be implemented, and a study of anticipated loss of energy production due to curtailment should be commissioned.

9.       The blades should be inspected by LM Glasfiber, and specifically checked for manufacturing defects by serial number.

10.   In the absence of a highly experience service provider, an Independent Engineer with intimate knowledge of wind project operations should be contracted to perform annual project monitoring.

11.   The GasTOPS wear particle monitor should be returned to service. This monitor will provide sufficient advance warning of a similar failure to plan for repair or replacement at lower cost and less downtime than the current event.

12.   A 24/7 vibration monitoring system should be installed. Bachmann Electronics is highly recommended for the turbine due to the Bachmann controller used in the turbine.

13.   Turbine SCADA gearbox bearing temperature should be more closely monitored for opportunities to obtain advance warning of bearing failure.

14.   The blade pitch system calibration should be verified by a qualified technician, and existing offsets should be recorded to determine whether the blade pitch is properly set. Incorrect calibration may have been a contributing factor to gearbox failure.

15.   Portsmouth should enroll in the free National Renewable Energy Collaborative (NREL) Reliability Collaborative to keep up to date on most pressing reliability issues, learn methods to improve reliability, and network with other owners.

Once the gearbox inspection by Jahnel Kestermann (JaKe) is completed, I hope the TMLWP Commissioners will make that report available to the public. In order to avoid past mistakes, it would be wise to obtain a Town meeting vote on how to proceed. Review Conclusion 6:

Based upon a preliminary profit/loss estimate, it does not appear the turbine can be operated profitably, even if the gearbox is replaced and operates without failure for at least 10 years. A detailed 10-15 year pro forma with anticipated operating costs, debt servicing, revenues, energy credits, maintenance reserves, and insurance should be developed with assistance from a recognized authority such as DNV-Kema or GL Garrad Hassan.

  

I have submitted a citizen petition to ask for a Forensic Audit of the wind turbine project:

To see if the town will vote to require the Templeton Municipal Light Department to conduct a forensic audit of all costs involved in the planning, construction and commissioning of the John LeClerc Wind Turbine to be paid for by the Templeton Municipal Light Department. The auditing firm to be selected by mutual agreement by both the Templeton Light Commissioners and the BOS and the report of the forensic audit to be presented to the Town at the next Annual Town Meeting.

I believe a forensic audit will clarify the role of MMLDDWECC in this project.

My opinions…supported by FACTS ! ! !

Julie Farrell