The turbine cannot turn without winds of 10 mph or stronger, and it has only operated sporadically this summer. The fall and winter typically bring stronger and more frequent winds, and at that point, the turbine is expected to operate more often, Mr. Kurpakus said. Until then, it is impossible for Pine officials to evaluate the energy produced or gauge a reaction from residents.
The 100-foot tower stands in Pine Community Park, about 1,000 feet from the nearest homes. It is a 50-killowatt turbine, with a 46-foot rotor. It was partially funded by a $62,800 grant through the state Department of Environmental Protection's Energy Harvest Grant. Pine paid the remainder of the $161,000 construction cost.
The turbine is set up to directly power the new community center, and any overage can be rerouted to other municipal facilities. Pine officials are optimistic the structure could help the township save significant energy costs.
Mr. Kurpakus said the township may install a kilowatt-hour meter system to the turbine in order to determine exactly how much energy is saved each day, and convert that to a dollar amount.
The township has also thoroughly researched the noise level of the spinning rotor, and does not believe it will be a problem. The turbine produces about as much noise as traffic on the road beneath it, Mr. Kurpakus said.
One problem for the Pine officials is that their turbine is the only of its size and wattage in Western Pennsylvania.
But at least one other wind turbine in the area has encountered significant functional problems.
The Penn State Extension facility just outside Greensburg installed a 10-kilowatt, 120-foot tall turbine in November 2005.
Now the turbine, for which the agency paid $40,000, is not working because of a problem with its electrical inverter, director Gary Sheppard said.
And it isn't the first problem that turbine has faced.
First, a lightning strike damaged the turbine, requiring extensive maintenance to repair. Then in December 2007, the turbine's blades snapped off. The manufacturer agreed to replace the blades.
"We're putting something in a pretty miserable environment," Mr. Sheppard said of the turbine's durability. "The big concern is, what are the maintenance issues?"
Mr. Sheppard said he once believed wind power would be the most efficient alternative energy source in Western Pennsylvania, but he now believes solar power will be more reliable, even though it is much more expensive. He said wind energy is only a "marginal resource," and that the power provided by the turbine has been much lower than originally predicted.
"At least we know the sun is going to come up every day," he said.
The Penn State Extension turbine operated smoothly in its first months, before the string of maintenance problems occurred.
Pine officials will monitor their turbine closely in the next few months, Mr. Kurpakus said.
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