SED Installs 2nd Commercial Scale Wind Turbine in Berkshires

Williams Stone Company’s 600kW wind turbine is SED’s fifth large scale installation in Massachusetts

East Otis, MA – It’s been just about two years since Ed Williams, CEO of the Williams Stone Company, approached Kevin Schulte, CEO of Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED), about the possibility of a wind project at his granite company in East Otis, MA. On Friday, June 5th, SED completed the installation of a 600kW wind turbine, making Williams Stone just the second business in the Berkshires to have a commercial scale wind project.

Williams Stone Company is a family owned and operated company that was started by Lester Williams and Verna Stone, Ed’s parents, in 1947. Williams Stone produces standard granite curbing products for highway construction and site development, as well as granite landscaping products for such items as steps, benches and posts. Williams’ decision to explore wind energy was an important one in insuring the future of his parent’s legacy. By choosing energy independence, he sends a message to his industry and community.

Williams approached Schulte at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort on the day that SED was attaching the nacelle of the ski resort’s 1.5 MW wind turbine. His journey began that day, July 10, 2007 with SED as the developer of the project. SED’s first step was to apply for a design and construction grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) on behalf of Williams Stone. The MTC, now the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust (MRET) awarded the granite company with a grant in the amount of $500,000 that allowed SED to begin design tasks for the project.

Construction of the 600kW Vestas RRB wind turbine started in November of 2008 and was completed Thursday, May 28, 2009 under the direction of Dave Strong, a senior project manager at SED. Williams Stone Company was officially powered by wind less than a week later, after commissioning and interconnection was complete, which rounded out Williams’ journey. The project cost $1.7 million, and with an estimated annual savings of $172,000, this project is expected to pay for itself in six to eight years.

“Industrial companies, like Williams Stone, are one of the country’s most energy intensive sectors which will be heavily relied upon to rebuild our economy,” said Schulte. “This is and will continue to be a successful project model because it combines an energy-intensive manufacturer with clean renewable energy technology.  There are similar facilities in windy locations across the nation and we hope to bring wind power to all of them.”

Williams Stone Company is the fifth utility scale wind project that SED has installed in Massachusetts. Jiminy Peak in Hancock was the first, in July 2007, making this the first ski resort in the country to be powered by wind. The second large scale wind turbine on SED’s resume came in October 2008 with a 600kW Vestas RRB at Holy Name Junior/Senior Central Catholic High School in Worcester, the first high school to be powered by wind in the state. Country Garden in Hyannis became the first business to have a commercial scale wind turbine on Cape Cod, when SED installed a Northwind 100kW  machine in December 2008. The City of Medford became the first city in the state to install a commercial scale wind turbine at one of its public schools when it installed a Northwind 100kW machine at McGlynn Elementary and Middle School in February 2009.