How big is the turbine?

The proposed turbine will sit on a 15-foot diameter monopole that will be 260 feet high. This is about  half as tall as the nearby stacks of the Salem Harbor Power Station. The turbine blades add an additional 120 feet to the total height when in the vertical position.

Though very tall, the wind turbine would take up only 180 square feet–the diameter of the monopole on which it sits. It would not impinge on the use of Winter Island as a recreational space.

Why is the proposed turbine so large?

 The City has proposed a 1.5 mW community-scale turbine because this is the size turbine that is  financially feasible. The turbine needs to produce enough power to offset the costs. The wind is stronger higher up, and the larger the turbine, the more power that is generated. The added advantage of the large turbine is that it is quieter than smaller models. Also, with the blades high in the sky, ultimately the turbine has a smaller impact on the park at Winter Island.