Breezy Southold Town may receive donated wind turbine
Southold may soon be the recipient of a free 1.5 kilowatt wind turbine courtesy of the Farmingdale firm Solar Windependence. Why? Because the North Fork has a lot of wind.
Robert Drucker of Solar Windependence told the Southold Town Board at a work session Tuesday that his firm received from its supplier a free Honeywell turbine, which Honeywell asked the company to install in a windy municipality.
“The North Fork is probably one of the highest wind areas on Long Island,” he said.
The turbines would normally cost about $13,000 and produce between $50 and $100 worth of electricity each month.
The turbines could either be tied into the electric grid or run on batteries. Mr. Drucker said the town’s capped landfill in Cutchogue would likely be an ideal spot to install the turbine, which would be used for power on site. He said that his firm would also install the turbine free of charge.
Members of the town board wondered if the wind turbine could be used to charge an electric car overnight. Mr. Drucker said that one turbine could charge one car in a night.
Members of the town board enthusiastically supported the pilot project and asked Mr. Drucker to provide more information so that it can move forward.
