Six Vestas V82 wind turbine generators will be used on site.  Each turbine has a rated capacity of 1.65 MW, thereby providing a nameplate capacity of 9.9 MW.  The Vestas V82 turbines have a rotor diameter of 82 metres and a tower height of 80 metres, and therefore have a maximum height of 121 metres from base to blade tip.

The wind farm would also consist of ancillary structures and equipment which would be positioned in accordance with site constraints. These include overhead collector lines, underground electrical cabling, access roads, a wind monitoring mast, a small fenced in switchgear, and temporary compound and facilities during the construction phase.  New above ground distribution line would also be required to connect to the Ontario power grid at the nearby Point of Combined Connection, located along the Gosfield Townline W, north of Highway 3.

More details on the site layout, and turbine model can be found in the Environmental Screening Report.

Once a turbine is in operation it will be monitored remotely with maintenance personnel making periodic visits. A turbine  is expected to have an operational life of approximately 20 years. After this time it will be decommissioned in order to return the site to its previous state. 

How the figures are calculated

 1) Predicted Output

capacity of wind farm (MW)
x
capacity factor
x
hours per annum (8,760 hours)
=
predicted output (MW-hours per annum)

‘Capacity factor’ is the % of the wind farm’s maximum output expected over a year. 100% would mean that the wind turbines were generating their maximum output all the time, a little like driving a car at maximum speed all the time. In reality, the wind is usually blowing and the wind turbines generate electricity most of the time, at a greater or lesser proportion of their maximum possible output.

2) Households Supplied

predicted output 
÷
average Canadian electricity consumption per household per annum
=
number of household electricity needs supplied

3) Carbon dioxide emissions avoided

wind farm output
x
carbon dioxide savings per kWH *
=
carbon dioxide emissions avoided

* N.B. Our emissions calculations  assume between 0.21 tonnes per MWhr and 0.86 tonnes per MWhr, which is the approach recommended by the Committee of Advertising Practice, October 31st, 2007.

It is difficult to predict exactly what volume of carbon dioxide emissions the wind farm will prevent as the amount of carbon dioxide produced by conventional electricity generation varies from year to year.

The lower value is based upon displacing the emissions produced by gas-powered generation, the higher based on displacing coal powered generation. In practice, the figures will probably be somewhere between the two.

This figure would change over time as changes in the power generating mix and fuel costs in Canada change.

Ducheran Hill Wind Farm, UK

Great Orton Wind Farm, UK