The Burlington Electric Department, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and Massachusetts-based ARC Industries are planning to put up what they are calling a leading-edge rooftop wind turbine at Burlington International Airport.
The turbine will form part of Burlington’s plan to produce as much energy as it consumes by 2030. It will be the first such turbine built by ARC and will be used to demonstrate the feasibility of rooftop wind turbines.
“Burlington already generates the most solar energy per person of any city in the Northeast, and rooftop wind is an exciting new frontier in renewable energy,” Weinberger said in a statement.
After one year, the Burlington Electric Department will have the option of buying the turbine, extending the contract with ARC or removing the turbine.
The turbine produces 3 kilowatts of power, enough to power 1.5 homes.
The airport also has a 500-kilowatt solar array.
In 2014, Burlington became the first city in the United States to source 100 percent of its power from renewable generation.
The announcement at Burlington Airport on Wednesday was the official launch of ARC’s small rooftop turbine. The generator, called the orb, looks very different from wind turbines deployed across the world. Instead of having giant propeller blades, it looks more like the tip of a screwdriver.
The company claims its design will deter wildlife from approaching the blades, create less noise than those huge turbines, and require little maintenance. The turbine is only about eight feet tall and six feet in diameter.
— Fred Thys
