However, details of the projects are not yet finalized. On March 20, 2008, NASA Glenn issued a request for information in order to gauge the interest of private developers and get their suggestions. NASA Glenn should also win approval for the project from NASA headquarters.
NASA Glenn wants to construct the wind farm to help it meet federal guidelines ordering it to get 7.5% of its power from renewable sources by 2013, said Anita Liang, deputy director of the facilities and test directorate at NASA Glenn.
The research centre also considers that it might be able to obtain a discount on the power, given its plan to provide the developer free access to land, which NASA would keep, she said.
“We’re hoping there will be an economic benefit,” Liang said.
The wind farm at Plum Brook would cover nearly one-third of the 6,400 acres which houses various testing facilities, including a vacuum chamber used to test equipment in conditions similar to those in space.
Each wind turbine would be capable of generating at least 2 MW of power when running at full capacity, Liang said. Wind tests on the site show the turbines should operate at about 30% of their capacity, which equates to 12 MW of power if 20 of the 2 MW turbines are built.
Barely about one-third of that power would be sufficient to meet NASA Glenn’s renewable power generation needs, and the rest of the power could be sold back to the grid, Liang said. She added that she is uncertain if the developer would be able to transmit power to NASA Glenn’s Brook Park campus.
The current plan calls for the partnership to last 20 to 25 years, after which it either would be extended or the developer would take down the turbines, Ms. Liang said.
