Tighe & Bond Tests Properties for Suitability of Wind Development Projects
Tighe & Bond conducted a preliminary evaluation of wind potential at forty parcels in Massachusetts and New Hampshire owned by an existing private client.
Properties were initially screened based on parcel size and proximity to residential areas. Following this initial assessment, the remaining parcels were evaluated using MassGIS modeled wind speed grid data for heights of 70 meters above the surface. This data layer covers all of New England and was therefore also usable for the New Hampshire parcels. Any parcels where wind speeds of greater than 5.9 meters/second were located were selected for further evaluation.
In general, annual average wind speeds of 5 m/s (11 miles per hour) are required for grid-connected applications. Eight of the parcels included in the analysis met this baseline criterion. The analysis will next be expanded to assess the parcels using the 100-meter wind speed data. Based on the results of the analysis, the landowner is considering future uses and needs for these parcels to determine if any would be suitable for a wind development project.
