Watt turbine is back up after repairs
GAINES – An employee with Xzeres Wind reinstalls the turbine today at Watt Farms on Route 98 in Gaines. The turbine was taken down on April 14 for repairs.
The turbine was originally put up in August 2011. Xzeres gave the turbine new blades and other parts. The main issue was with the alternator. Chris Watt said there was bad insulation on the wiring, which resulted in signals being sent for the turbine to not run.
The 10-kiloowatt turbine is 154 feet above ground. It has three 12.6-foot-long blades. It has a swivel head with a tail so it can face the wind at its peak strength.
The turbine was the focus of a lawsuit from the Town of Gaines, which claimed the 154-foot-high turbine needed to be moved farther away from a farm market and storage building.
Judge James Punch, acting as a State Supreme Court justice, ruled in December the turbine didn’t need to be moved. The State Department of Agriculture and Markets also sided with Watt Farms, saying the turbine location met the proper setbacks.
