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Media Releases from Barrington Wind EnergyBWEL presents Barrington Bulletin, a newsletter summarizing news and information about our latest activites. It is available here for download in PDF format.
Barrington Wind Energy Ltd. Invests in Wind Data Technology
Barrington Wind Energy Limited BWEL has recently invested in SODAR equipment for their wind research.
SODAR or SOnic Detection and Ranging Systems, is a meteorological instrument used to measure wind speed. SODAR systems are like radar systems except that sound waves rather than radio waves are used for detection. It sends acoustic pulses vertically and at a small angle to the vertical, which are then scattered by atmospheric turbulence.
The SODAR unit is also portable. It is mounted on a trailer which can be moved from place to place within a given site area or to a different site. It is a valuable tool to provide preliminary data for a site or to augment existing tower data.
Although results from SODAR may be less accurate than long-term data-collection procedures, it does provide a very useful vertical profile of the wind regime. It also measures wind speeds at much higher heights than fixed towers.
“SODAR gives us the ability to quickly assess potential wind sites,” says Ian Tillard, BWEL President. “It also enables us to get a much better idea of the overall wind potential for large and/or complex terrain sites.”
BWEL is currently using SODAR in Pictou County and is considering the purchase of another for Ontario wind development.
Barrington Wind Energy Ltd. Welcomes Wind Developer Baines
Barrington Wind Energy Limited (BWEL) is pleased to welcome Ian Baines as Vice President of Ontario operations and as a new member of the Board of Directors.
During the past year Mr Baines has worked with BWEL on our Ontario wind site near Kincardine. Among Mr. Baines responsibilities will be the acquisition of developable properties and oversight of the BWEL Ontario exploration and development program.
Barrington Wind Power Limited established
Barrington is pleased to announce that we have substantially increased our presence in Ontario with the establishment of an office in Burlington and incorporating an Ontario subsidiary – Barrington Windpower Limited. Ian Baines, P. Eng, is responsible for Barrington’s Ontario operations. Our 20 MW Huron Kinloss project has received financing approval from a major utility and is currently completing its permitting and approvals. We anticipate bringing the project on line in 2008, subject to obtaining a standard offer contract from the province
Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. Chooses Wind Energy in Canso
Halifax, NS, May 26, 2006 — Barrington Wind Energy Limited (BWEL) is pleased to announce its affiliate, Canso Windfield One Inc., has signed an agreement with Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. to provide wind power from BWEL’s proposed Canso facility.
BWEL will generate power from its Canso-based wind farm project under a Financial Bilateral Contract with Michelin. Michelin will not receive direct delivery of energy produced by the Canso wind farm project. The Canso wind farm project would sell energy to a transmission company. This contract for 12Megawatts of installed capacity – which is equivalent to the amount of power needed to supply electricity to approximately 3,300 homes in an average year – further represents Michelin’s commitment to the economy and environment of Nova Scotia. Michelin and BWEL have been in discussions for more than a year to enable this project in the Town of Canso. The project will provide a significant economic benefit to this region of the province, while providing substantial emissions reductions to the benefit of all Nova Scotians.
Turbine acquisition is underway and an Environmental Impact Statement has been filed. The initial construction phase, including some turbines, is intended to be complete in 2007, subject to a suitable finalization of project elements. BWEL anticipates that the project will be in service in 2008.
“We are pleased to be working with Michelin, a premier participant in the economy of Nova Scotia to enable us to add this new renewable electrical generation to the province of Nova Scotia. The leadership that Michelin is providing on both electricity price stabilization, and in environmental sustainability demonstrates once again the importance of this vibrant company to the Nova Scotia economy”, says Ian Tillard, President of Barrington Wind.
“Wind energy is a rapidly growing success story in Nova Scotia and Michelin is pleased to support Barrington Wind Energy in this milestone wind farm project at its Canso facility,” says Grant Ferguson, manager of Michelin’s Waterville facility. “Environmental stewardship and sustainability are not only central to Michelin’s direction now and into the future, but are a large part of the company’s vision for increased renewable resources to meet future energy needs as well.”
The world’s largest tire maker, Michelin (www.michelin.com) designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. With 3 plants in Nova Scotia and its commercial headquarters in Laval, QC, Michelin North America (Canada) inc. employs approximately 4,700.
Barrington Wind Energy Limited (www.barringtonwind.com) is a Halifax-based company specializing in wind energy technology and wind-farm development. In addition to its Canso project, Barrington has wind farm projects in development for New Brunswick and Ontario.
Halifax, NS, April 25, 2006 -- Barrington Wind Energy Limited (BWEL) is pleased to announce that it has signed wind power agreements with four Nova Scotia municipalities.
BWEL will generate power, under Financial Bilateral Contracts, for the towns of Antigonish, Berwick Canso, and Mahone Bay from their Canso-based wind farm project, anticipated to be a minimum of 12MW installed capacity. This is enough power to supply electricity to approximately 3,300 homes in an average year.
“Canso Town Council welcomes the development of a wind farm by BWEL in the Canso area,” says Mayor Ray White. “Wind generation of renewable energy has great potential in Canso and Eastern Nova Scotia.”
The Canso wind farm has been in the planning stage for over two years and will be built in and around the Town of Canso, on both public and privately-owned lands. The wind turbine generators will be state-of-the-art towers. BWEL anticipates that the project will be in service in 2008.
“We are very pleased to have reached this milestone on the Canso project. BWEL has invested over $500,000 to date on seeing this project move to a construction-ready position, and having these contracts in place forms a critical element in moving towards the production of renewable energy in Canso,” remarked Ian Tillard, President of Barrington Wind. “We are also excited to be providing the first private project aligned with Nova Scotia’s provincial Energy Strategy”.
The towns of Antigonish, Berwick, Canso, and Mahone Bay are four of only six municipalities in the province that have ownership of their electric utility. All four towns will derive benefit from the Canso-based towers, as Berwick Mayor John Prall describes:
“Connecting our citizens with wind-generated electricity puts our four towns squarely on the leading edge of green energy practices. Berwick’s role in this wind energy project shows that small towns like ours can and do have big ideas. But more importantly, we can act them out too, turning ideas into real progress.”
Mayor Kathleen Chisholm agrees. “The ability to move away from fossil fuel burning generation, to clean and renewable energy will bring both an enhancement to price stability over the long run and an ability for us to call approximately 10% of our electricity supply “green”.
Barrington Wind Energy Limited is a Halifax-based company specializing in wind energy technology and wind-farm development. In addition to its Canso project, Barrington has wind farm projects in development for New Brunswick and Ontario.
Halifax, NS, Sept 10, 2004:-- Barrington Wind Energy Limited (BWEL) is pleased to announce its new wind energy project in Canso, Nova Scotia. Barrington signed an agreement with the Town of Canso, November 6, 2003 to initiate this development. Now, as the first stage of the project nears completion, preliminary details regarding Barrington’s wind farm can be confirmed.
The Wind Farm will be built in and around the Town of Canso, on both public and privately-owned lands. The wind turbine generators will be large, state-of-the-art towers, with a hub height of 65 metres, and a rotor sweep of 5,000 square metres, turning slowly, at an average of 15 rpm. Barrington currently has a 50-metre wind test tower in Canso, equipped with multiple sensors and an electronic data-logger with remote access capabilities.
“The economic impact of this wind farm development in Canso is significant,” says Erik Twohig, Barrington’s President. “First, the town will receive well in excess of $100,000 per year as an addition to its revenues base. Second, the local construction costs are roughly $ 7 million. Third, the Town’s electric utility will also benefit by access to long-term stabilized pre-fixed electricity prices. This will become an even more powerful industrial development tool for the Town of Canso as time goes by. Fourth, we also plan to focus on Canso as our future centre of excellence, recruitment, and training for wind turbine Operations and Maintenance, in concert with our major equipment suppliers.”
The spacing between turbine towers will be generous, to allow for clear wind-flow in the area, and to minimize their apparent size as well as the ambient noise factor. Placement is also well away from built-up residential areas. A detailed System Impact Study was performed by Nova Scotia Power Inc. and Barrington’s electrical engineers; to determine the effects upon, derived benefits for, and limits of, their electrical transmission line from Canso to Antigonish and interconnection to NSPI’s overall grid. As a result, Barrington will build a 15 Megawatt wind farm, consisting of 8 to 10 wind turbine generators.
The project capital cost is estimated at $34 million, including the purchase of the wind turbine generators. “Barrington will have a major investor as a partner in this specific project,” said David Lawson, Barrington’s VP Finance. “The bulk of the project financing will be long-term debt. If the Town of Canso desires a partnership position, it will be a welcome addition to the equity team. This may be possible with the support of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund.” The FCM provided financial support to the Town of Canso for their participation in the initial “feasibility study” stage of the project.
Barrington Wind Energy Limited is a Halifax-based company specializing in wind energy technology and wind-farm development. The founding directors are Erik Twohig and David Lawson, two well-known wind power advocates. In addition to its Canso project, Barrington has wind farm projects under consideration for New Brunswick, with plans to participate in future renewable energy projects in Ontario and Quebec. Barrington’s Research Group is at present evaluating the efficacy of combining traditional wind test-tower data gathering with advanced systems for both wind-farm planning and power production forecasting.
A representation of how the completed Canso Wind Farm will look:
powering nova scotia with renewable energy
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With this addition BWEL is moving forward on its initiative to develop properties in Ontario both in the short and long term. The addition of Mr. Baines, a Consulting Engineer with 16 years of experience in the renewable energy field and also the Chairman of the Ontario Waterpower Association, adds his technical expertise, local knowledge, and a clear understanding of the regulatory environment of the Ontario electricity sector to the Barrington team. 
