Electric City will use a Mass Megawatt MAT in Pennsylvania

Mass Megawatt’s Multi-Axis Turbosystem (MAT) will be used by Electric City Wind Power Corporation (Electric City) in Pennsylvania.  The project will produce 550 -600 kilowatts of energy and cost $1.1 million dollars.

Electric City is a wind power development firm located in Pittson, PA.  The company is composed of a large number of Pennsylvania businessmen, several of which are connected to the natural gas industry.  That connection led them to wind power.

How are natural gas and wind power connected besides both being a source of energy?  Try stacking one on top of the other, not literally of course, but this is in part what Electric City is doing.

With 60,000 acres of land leased for natural gas extraction, several thousand of which are in Category three (or higher) Wind Classification, why not use that land to generate wind power.  It only made sense to the company members.

One of the factors that influenced the decision to go with Mass Megawatt was that it’s MAT system isn’t 200 to 400 feet tall.  The system is much lower to the ground, 65 feet tall).  Municipalities in the area that had passed ordinances against tall wind turbines are delighted with the MAT.

Mass Megawatts Wind Power Inc, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, has designed and patented the unique MAT system.  The system has a “rectangular fabricated steel frame” that looks like a standing 3 dimensional grid.  The grid is 80 feet high x 80 feet long and 40 feet wide and stands 50 feet off the ground.

The blades are smaller than other turbine blades and are “stacked” on the grid so which assures a more efficient harvest of wind power.  They transfer the harvested energy to generators that are mounted to the ground level footer of each stack.  The placement of the drive train and generators on the ground makes for easier access for maintenance and lower costs.

Two generators are placed at the bottom of each stack.  One generator rated at 7.5 kilowatts, cuts in at 10 mph winds and cuts off when the wind reaches 14 mph.  The second 22.5 kilowatt generator kicks when the wind reaches 14 mph.  The larger generator is more efficient.  Mass Megawatt expects to use variable speed electronics to make sure that the generators are functioning optimally.

The generators in turn send the energy to a collection panel that feeds into the grid.  The make up of the system allows the MAT to generate energy at lower wind speeds and provides more consistent power to the grid making this system more energy and cost efficient.

The final factor in the choice of Mass Megawatt by Electric City is that the equipment is “cost competitive with fossil fuels. ” Below is a table of costs by energy source created by Mass Megawatt:

Fuel Source Cost/kWh Market Share

Wind (Mass Megawatts MAT)     2.5¢ (2)                           —–

Wind (pre MAT)                       4.5¢(2)                              1%

Coal                                      4.0¢                                  50%

Nuclear                                 15.0¢                                 20%

Natural Gas                            5.5¢                                  10%

Petroleum                              5.0¢                                   3%

Hydroelectric                         4.5¢(1)                               12%

Solar                                    10¢                                    0.5%±

Diesel                                   7¢ – 40¢(3)                          0.5%±

Biomass                                8¢                                      0.5%±

(1) 2¢ at good hydroelectric sites
(2) in 15 mph average wind speed conditions
(3) depending on size and location of facility, with smaller
more remote locations having higher costs

Mass Megawatt’s MAT system according to the companies figures should indeed be able to produce energy at cost competitive prices even when compared to other wind power sources.

For utility companies and municipalities that want to utilize available wind power, the MAT system could be a good choice for the same reasons that Electric City chose the system – low profile and low costs.

With wind technology (both on land and sea) offering so many different choices in methods of harvesting wind energy, consistently windy area should be able to find a wind power collection method to fit the situation.

• 

• Meet Babcock Ranch, a futuristic city being built in Florida
• Are electric cars a killer app for utilities?
• Digicel implements green initiatives in the South Pacific
• Windela utility scale lighting saves energy and money
• EnerTech to specialize in mid-sized wind turbines