This is pure speculation on my part, but saying you're 'profitable', and being cash flow positive are in many cases two different things. The latter is what banks use to determine eligibility for financing. He may not generate sufficient cash flow to meet his current debt service obligations, he may have strung out his payables due to his vendors, his balance sheet may be terribly leveraged, he could be profitable for current months, but on a trailing 12 months he could have lost money (not even considering what his past few years might have looked like).

 

I was working with a similar company about 18 months ago, and while they were also profitable, they were seeing a delay in the implementation of some key wind projects, which were going to negatively impact their performance over the next few quarters. This may have impacted Cardinal as well.

Turbine project adjusted but still going ahead

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/07/28/news/doc4e305ce83cd71949187880.txt

 

New wind turbines are expected to be up and running by year’s end, but the North Perry-Painesville partnership has been adjusted from its original plan, local officials say.

 

Instead of the proposed seven to nine turbines, Colorado-based NexGen Energy Partners is expected to install two wind turbines, but they will be taller and more powerful than the original plan had specified, Painesville City Manager Rita C. McMahon said.

Cleveland has some wind power history:

 

Charles Brush used wind power in house 120 years ago: Cleveland innovations

Published: Thursday, August 11, 2011, 8:03 AM    Updated: Thursday, August 11, 2011, 8:19 AM

Peter Krouse, The Plain Dealer By Peter Krouse, The Plain Dealer

 

 

 

All the excitement about wind turbines spinning in Lake Erie or dotting Ohio's farmland probably would have been embraced by Cleveland inventor Charles Brush.

 

After all, he had the idea first, more than 100 years ago.

 

Brush's windmill dynamo was featured in the Dec. 20, 1890, edition of Scientific American, where it was hailed as the only "successful system of electric lighting operated by means of wind power" known at the time.

 

Brush, whose contribution to the advancement of electric power includes work on development of the arc light and the dynamo, built the wind-powered generator in the backyard of his mansion at East 37th Street and Euclid Avenue.

 

The contraption was an engineering feat.

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/08/charles_brush_used_wind_power.html

from a PD Guest Columnist ;)

 

Build Cleveland's wind farm

Published: Tuesday, August 30, 2011, 3:39 AM    Updated: Tuesday, August 30, 2011, 8:28 AM

By Plain Dealer guest columnist

 

 

Greater Cleveland has the potential to become the national leader in the growing renewable energy economy because of local efforts to develop the first freshwater wind farm in the country. Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. (LEEDCo) is working to develop this project, which would create a projected 600 initial jobs and the potential for 8,000 long-term wind-energy jobs, according to NorTech. This would support Ohio's existing wind-energy supply chain (pdf), which already boasts more than 100 companies, and it would offer opportunities for new businesses to begin.

 

The city of Cleveland fully supports the creation of this offshore wind farm. We have signed a memorandum of understanding to help move the project forward, and Cleveland Public Power is geared up to purchase 20 percent of the energy created by the wind farm.

 

The city supports this project on its own merits and because of what it represents -- a vision of our regional economy as a national leader in renewable energy and a major economic growth sector. For this vision to become a reality, our entire community needs to rally behind LEEDCo and the offshore wind farm.

 

If we don't take advantage of this opportunity, someone else will. Some other city will build the first offshore wind farm. Some other region will create thousands of new green-collar jobs. Some other state will reap the benefits of a strong wind-energy supply chain.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/08/build_clevelands_wind_farm_fra.html

Either they are still working out the kinks on the LE turbine or it is just too big.  The other, smaller turbines spin much faster and are not at a dead stop nearly as often.  From what I know of this industry, one of the keys is for the turbine to keep moving for efficiency purposes.  I would say about half the times I have seen the LE turbine, it is at a dead stop.

More progress:

 

freshwater wind farm snags $500k grant from uncle sam

Thursday, September 15, 2011

 

 

The push to plant the nation's first freshwater wind farm just offshore from Cleveland has just received some financial assistance from The Department of Energy. The grant is part of a $43 million package intended to speed technical innovations, lower costs, and shorten the timelines for wind energy deployment.

 

Freshwater Wind, a private Cleveland-based developer selected by Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo) to build the initial 20-30 megawatt offshore wind project, is the recipient.

 

http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/inthenews/windgrant091511.aspx

There's another turbine going up in Euclid by the 90/2 split, but I couldn't tell which business it was at.

 

Edit: I really should have googled first.

 

William Sopko and Sons adding wind turbines at their Euclid operation

 

By Caitlin Fertal

[email protected]

 

The city of Euclid will take another stride toward efficiency with the addition of new wind turbines on Lakeland Boulevard.

 

The first of two turbines has started construction at William Sopko and Sons Company, a manufacturer of precision grinding wheel adapters and spindle accessories.

 

http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/09/30/news/doc4e860aa45741c329787519.txt

It's just south of where 2 and 90 split, north of the railroad tracks.

This is the same wind tower that was proposed for CSU a few years back. But instead they got that water tower looking thing.

 

Progressive Field in Cleveland to install innovative wind turbine developed by CSU professor

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're seeking a site to test a wind turbine where wind comes from all directions, there may be no better or more prominent place than on top of Progressive Field.

 

The Cleveland Indians and Cleveland State University announced Tuesday that an 18-foot-wide helix turbine developed by a CSU engineering professor will be mounted atop the ballpark's southeast corner, near East Ninth Street and Carnegie Avenue.

 

The turbine, which will be translucent white and lit within by colored LED lights, is the latest version of a "wind amplification turbine system," developed by Majid Rashidi, chairman of the university's department of engineering technology.

 

Selecting the site for the turbine, which will be installed by March, is the culmination of discussions that began almost three years ago between the Tribe and CSU, said Brad Mohr, assistant director of ballpark operations.

 

Mohr said he was approached by CSU officials after speaking at a meeting about the team's commitment to sustainability, including how it had installed solar panels and hoped to move into geothermal and wind projects.

 

Remainder of the article here: http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/10/progressive_field_to_install_i.html

 

From a cleveland.com commenter: "If this thing works, it will just wind up at Yankee Stadium."

 

Now that is the quote of the day!

Has anyone had a chance to see this time lapse of the construction of the LE Wind tower?

 

http://www.workzonecam.com/clients/common/timelapse.php?info=JmM9bGluY29sbmVsZWN0cmljJnA9Y2FtZXJhcyZzPWNhbWVyYTE=

 

Wind farms already are in production in Paulding County and spilling over into Van Wert County, right up against the Indiana state line. I first saw the turbines last week, and they're significantly larger even than the ones in operation in White and and Benton Counties in western Indiana. They're rated about 1.8 megawatts each, with hubs 328 feet above the base and three blades each 148 feet long. That puts the top of the arc at 476 feet.

 

Article at http://www.ohio.com/news/wind-turbines-rise-above-flatlands-of-western-ohio-1.239271

A couple of shots of the Sopko/Stamco wind towers currently under (very slow) construction:

Where are these located?

^Near the rt-2/ I-90 split in Euclid, or is it Cleveland there?

The wind towers are near the I90 split. The smaller of the two is about 150', just a few feet higher than the Science Center tower. The second one is more than twice that at 320'.

The LE tower is about 450'.

 

Here is a graphic from the PD/Cleveland.com for further reference:

 

 

I was approaching the LE turbine from the rear the other day and it was stopped in a position with one of the propellers sticking straight up..... in that position, it looked like a lamda class shuttle from return of the jedi

Tremont Electric is granted Wave Energy Patent

Published on Tuesday, 11 October 2011 18:27

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact Jill LeMieux, 216-513-5603, [email protected]

 

Cleveland, October 11, 2011 - Tremont Electric has been granted US Patent 8,022,563 for the nPower® Wave Energy Converter (WEC), a commercial scale application of Tremont Electric's nPower® kinetic energy harvesting technology.

 

"We are proud to put Cleveland, Ohio at the cutting edge of clean energy technology with this new patent," said inventor, founder, and CEO Aaron LeMieux.  "The nPower® WEC is capable of providing commercial scale electricity to the grid from the constant wave motion of major bodies of open water, not just here in the Great Lakes, but in the ocean." 

 

Built the size of an automobile, the nPower® WEC is poised to re-purpose the manufacturing base of the Midwest into the clean energy jobs of the future.  "Our vision is to put Northeast, Ohio at the top of the new clean energy economy," says LeMieux.  "With the nPower® PEG, our consumer hand-held electronics recharger, and now with nPower® WEC, Tremont Electric is ready to bring green jobs to Cleveland, today."

http://www.npowerpeg.com/index.php/blog/97-tremont-electric-is-granted-wave-energy-patent

 

 

I understand this is off topic, but they want to build an alternative energy farm in lake erie using the technology based on their personal energy generator.  the day lake erie has a wind farm and a wave energy farm would be incredible for NEO...

The Sopko Wind Tower is completely up. No real work has started on the adjacent (and much larger) Stampco tower

^^How much wave potential is there in the Great Lakes?  It's an interesting idea that has had some success in the ocean, but on the Great Lakes you only get good waves when the wind is coming off the lake.  In Cleveland, anytime the wind blows out of the South, East, or even directly West the lake near the shore is pretty dead.  I'd be interested to see a wave potential map.

^^How much wave potential is there in the Great Lakes?  It's an interesting idea that has had some success in the ocean, but on the Great Lakes you only get good waves when the wind is coming off the lake.  In Cleveland, anytime the wind blows out of the South, East, or even directly West the lake near the shore is pretty dead.  I'd be interested to see a wave potential map.

 

Not sure if they have historical info, likely somewhere on the site, but NOAA does have a future wave forecast for Lake Erie. 

 

http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/

the wave generator that tremont has developed is optimized to work with smaller more frequent waves found on lakes.  I think is what it said in

so many words,  cannot find the wave size info on the site now. here is something from an interview with freshwater cleveland...

 

http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/innovationnews/tremontelectric102011.aspx

 

While other energy companies are exploring wave energy around the world, LeMieux says Lake Erie provides a great testing ground. “We can do the same thing here, but we can do it much more quickly because we can do it in a small boat versus a 200-foot research vessel,” he says. “The wave profile in Lake Erie -- higher frequency waves -- means faster test results.”

 

I'd like to update my first post of this thread, but I'm a bit confused on the 2 under construction. So that I understand correctly,

there are 2 going up at I-90/Route 2 split in Euclid? The pics above show Case Western on the towers, so is it part of a joint development?

Also, is this the Sopko turbines? And it seems there will be 2, one that is now up and a bigger one that has not yet been constructed?

Sorry, but the last few messages made it a bit unclear. Thanks!

Correct. There are two going up near the split. The first one (pictured) is the Sopko one. The second will be on the adjacent Stamco parcel. (Both business are owned and operated independently by the same family.)

Both towers are a joint effort with Case.

Thx musky! I updated the list. Interesting: 5 of the 7 in our region were built this year. Sounds like an upwards trend to me!  :wink2:

There are three wind turbines--built in 2009--on the Western Reserve LSD campus on s.r. 224, in Mahoning County.

http://altenergymag.com/emagazine.php?art_id=1504

 

Unfortunately, things haven't been going smoothly:

http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/jun/12/school-weighs-its-options-on-turbine-pro/

Thx musky! I updated the list. Interesting: 5 of the 7 in our region were built this year. Sounds like an upwards trend to me!  :wink2:

 

One more in Euclid. There is one at the Tri-C Regional Transportation Institute.

 

So in one years time - there will be four of the regions turbines in one city.

I guess this could have gone in the Ohio Business forum or signature structure for Cleveland, but I couldn't decide, so it ends up in it own topic.

 

I'd actually love for this wind power system to be built on Whiskey Island:

<img src="http://64.19.142.10/news.discovery.com/tech/2010/10/15/windstalk-park-825x425.jpg"/>

 

Stalks only, no blades, bird-friendly.  It could take advantage of the wind coming off of Lake Erie.

 

Full article here: http://news.discovery.com/tech/wind-power-without-the-blades.html

Well, we can find out what it feels like to be a flea.

I guess this could have gone in the Ohio Business forum or signature structure for Cleveland, but I couldn't decide, so it ends up in it own topic.

 

I'd actually love for this wind power system to be built on Whiskey Island:

<img src="http://64.19.142.10/news.discovery.com/tech/2010/10/15/windstalk-park-825x425.jpg"/>

 

Stalks only, no blades, bird-friendly.  It could take advantage of the wind coming off of Lake Erie.

 

Full article here: http://news.discovery.com/tech/wind-power-without-the-blades.html

 

I'd say this has a hell of a lot of potential underwater.

It's an interesting concept, I think we ought to wait and see how well it works in the real world though.

"Wind farms already are in production in Paulding County and spilling over into Van Wert County, right up against the Indiana state line."

 

 

Anybody know what is the status of the large proposed project in Champaign County? The Ohio Supreme Court must have come up with their decision by now.  Also isn't there a project presently under construction in Hardin County?

Ahhh. We in Southwest Ohio are realy envious of these projects!

Siemens Energy interested in Lake Erie wind turbine project

Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 7:42 PM    =

By John Funk, The Plain Dealer 

 

The development company formed to build a pilot wind farm in Lake Erie is switching to smaller, more efficient turbines, a move that could make the project more practical.

 

The idea is to whittle down the construction cost in order to produce electricity that can be sold to utilities at a price closer to wholesale prices -- or at least closer to price of power from land-based wind turbines, said Lorry Wagner, president of the nonprofit Lake Erie Energy Development Corp., or LEEDCo.

 

The project, first proposed in 2010, bogged down because utilities found the power too expensive. Supporters hope cheaper power will jumpstart the effort.

 

Gone are the gargantuan General Electric turbines that would have required equally extraordinary foundations and very large, specially built construction barges to put up the towers.

 

Each of five GE turbines would have generated up to 4 megawatts of electricity. But the cost of the power would have been close to 30 cents per kilowatt hour - or five times as expensive as current wholesale prices.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/05/siemens_energy_interested_in_l.html

Cleveland State University wind turbines at Progressive Field are overachievers

Published: Monday, September 03, 2012, 3:07 PM

Karen Farkas, The Plain Dealer

 

The wind turbines attached to that distinctive plastic corkscrew atop Progressive Field are overachievers.

 

The four mounted turbines are generating more than 4.5 times as much energy than if the turbines were standing alone, according to data collected by Cleveland State University.

 

"In terms of the fluid mechanics aspects of the device, it is doing exactly what we predicted," said Majid Rashidi, the chairman of CSU's department of engineering technology who developed the system. "Usually theory and practice don't match."

 

Rashidi's theory was that the structure would deflect wind into the turbine, creating more energy. CSU received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2008 to design and install two structures based on Rashidi's patented system. It involves a wind-deflecting structure with small-scale turbines able to generate power at low wind speeds.

 

Rashidi revised his concept, including reconfiguring the cylinder to look like an ice cream cone with a twist.

 

www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/09/cleveland_state_university_win.html

LEEDCo awarded $4 million to launch offshore wind development on Lake Erie

By Teresa Dixon Murray, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer

on December 12, 2012 at 2:04 PM, updated December 12, 2012 at 2:21 PM

 

    In one of the first projects of its kind in the United States, the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. will launch an offshore wind development project on Lake Erie using $4 million in federal money. LEEDCo is a  nonprofit company working to build wind turbines in Lake Erie.

 

The funding to LEEDCo was announced today by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, who has pushed for such alternative energy projects for years. The money is being provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.

 

 

Brown said offshore wind could eventually help create thousands of new jobs in Ohio and nationwide.

 

"These funds mean that we are one step closer to achieving our goal of making Lake Erie home to the first freshwater, offshore wind development in North America," Brown said in a statement.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/12/leedco_awarded_4_million_to_la.html

http://www.leedco.org/images/stories/CFaward_pressrealease12.19.12_v1.pdf

 

1938 Euclid Avenue, Suite 200, Cleveland, Ohio 44115

www.leedco.org

Media Contact: Sandra Stafford (216) 509-3973

sandra AT spqrpublicrelations DOT com

 

Cleveland Foundation Announces New Funding for Lake Erie Offshore Wind Farm

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio (December 19, 2012)—The Cleveland Foundation announced today

$250,000 in funding for the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo), the nonprofit

leading the effort to build the first freshwater offshore wind project in the nation.

 

The announcement comes just a week after the  Department of Energy selected LEEDCo to

form a one year cooperative agreement with the federal government that provides logistical

support and $4 million in funding for the initial project named ‘Icebreaker’. The foundation award

will supplement the DOE award by funding LEEDCo’s other programmatic goals which include

community outreach, supply chain development, research, and advocacy.

 

“We are thrilled that the Cleveland Foundation has awarded LEEDCo this grant and continues

to offer their invaluable support,” said LEEDCo president Dr. Lorry Wagner. “It will allow us to

further develop our outreach and supply chain initiatives and develop the offshore wind

industry.”

From LEEDCo’s 2009 inception through today, the Cleveland Foundation’s grant support totals

$1.5 million. This latest grant is a reflection of significant progress on the project, and is a vote

of confidence in LEEDCo’s world class leadership and partners.

“The Cleveland Foundation has been a steadfast believer in the vision of an offshore wind farm

in Lake Erie,” said Cleveland Foundation President and CEO Ronald B. Richard.  “We have

backed that vision with comprehensive support, including complementary investments in

academic research and in manufacturers entering this advanced energy sector. We are pleased

to see our region progress one step closer to a new industry.”

 

Over the next year, LEEDCo will begin a new phase of development for ‘Icebreaker’ which will

include applying for all necessary permits and completing the front end engineering design.

“Icebreaker will be the first freshwater offshore wind farm in the U.S. and the only one centered

in an industrial and high population region,” said Dr. Wagner. “This affords us the opportunity to

develop a new industry in the heartland of research, manufacturing, and innovation.”

 

About ‘Icebreaker’:

‘Icebreaker’ – a 20 to 30MW wind farm 7 miles off the coast of downtown Cleveland—will be the

first of its kind in the nation and will provide Cleveland a clean energy alternative to coal and natural gas.

It will create 500 jobs and bring $79.9 million in revenue to the region. LEEDCo plans to use ‘Icebreaker’

as a catalyst for an emerging offshore wind industry that would lead to more job creation and economic

development in Northeast Ohio.

Lake Erie wind-turbine project in high gear for next year

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The nonprofit company created to develop wind turbines in Lake Erie has acquired significant engineering muscle for a shot at making the decade-old proposal finally happen.

 

Using a $4 million federal grant, the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. has partnered with a team of about a dozen national and international expert companies and laboratories -- including several from northern Europe -- to get the job done.

 

The private partners have committed an additional $1 million in cost share for this portion of the project.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/02/lake_erie_wind_turbine_project.html#incart_river_default

wow now that is very exciting and innovative news. i hope they can figure out a way to pull it off. lake power to the people!

I haven't really looked, but I wonder if there are any examples internationally of turbines in water where ice is a factor. I can see how that might be a pretty significant issue

^If I recall correctly, there's a wind farm on a large lake in Sweden that's been cited a few times as an example for the great lakes. 

I can't remember fresh water examples, but when I did my fellowship in Germany, I had to do research on Siemens' green energy activities. I remember reading about technologies they had developed to combat problems with ice blockages, etc., so I assume that this isn't an uncommon problem. I think ice formation is more common in fresh water than at sea, but I have to assume that much of the offshore farms in the North Sea and the Baltic are subject to at least some ice formation. Here's an article about ice problems experienced at an offshore farm that lies between Denmark and Sweden: http://www.offshorewind.biz/2013/02/06/offshore-wind-farm-coping-with-danish-winter/

Lake Erie wind turbines will be built by 2017, says LEEDCo

Print By John Funk, The Plain Dealer

on August 20, 2013 at 12:36 PM, updated August 20, 2013 at 12:47 PM

 

Lake Erie wind developers say they will have the first wind turbine pilot project built by 2017. They will be similar to these offshore wind turbines in the North Sea, offshore from a village in Denmark.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/08/lake_erie_wind_turbines_by_201.html#incart_river_default

Lake Erie wind turbines viable, say engineering firms with North Sea experience

By John Funk, The Plain Dealer

on September 23, 2013 at 7:05 AM, updated September 23, 2013 at 7:51 AM

 

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/09/lake_erie_wind_turbines_viable.html

Euclid Council supports wind energy project

 

Euclid City Council passed a resolution at Monday night’s council meeting to show its support for a clean energy initiative from Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation.

 

LEEDCo, a nonprofit organization focused on creating an offshore wind energy industry in Ohio, has been gaining support from Northeast Ohio communities for a new wind energy project.

 

Icebreaker, an offshore wind energy project, is a pilot project the organization is working on that would be the first of its kind in the Great Lakes region and even in the entire country.

 

Eric Ritter, communications and strategy manager for LEEDCo, presented to council an overview of the project at the meeting. “We would like to have another alternative,” he said. “And we think wind is a really important industry that we should explore.”

 

http://www.news-herald.com/general-news/20131203/euclid-council-supports-wind-energy-project

 

[Cross-posted in the Euclid thread]

Earlier tonight, Jim Kopniske, Communications Director for Cleveland City Council emailed that in the first full, regular meeting of the new 120th Council of the City of Cleveland, council passed....

 

Ord. No. 68-14

 

Authorizing the Director of Public Utilities to execute a deed of easement granting to the Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation, or its designee, certain easement rights in property located near South Marginal Road between East 49th Street and vacated East 53rd Street in order to facilitate a submerged land lease with the State of Ohio; and declaring that the easement rights granted are not needed for public use.

 

This is the site of the Kirtland Pumping Station which was once submerged land in Lake Erie. The easement will be conveyed by the city for $1.

 

I uploaded a summary of the project and  easement here:

http://freepdfhosting.com/c85b6617fe.pdf

Well this is a bummer...

 

Lake Erie wind farm fails to make cut for major federal funding

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A proposed wind farm on Lake Erie has failed to win major federal funding that would have provided nearly $50 million toward the goal of producing wind-powered electricity in a few years.

 

While the so-called Icebreaker project of the Cleveland-based Lake Erie Energy Development Corp., or LEEDCo, shows promise, the U.S. Department of Energy appeared to judge three other offshore wind energy projects as closer to being ready. Those projects, off the coasts of New Jersey, Virginia and Oregon, will get up to $47 million each.

 

 

More at: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2014/05/lake_erie_wind_farm_fails_to_m.html#incart_river_default

We missed greasing the pocket of someone

We missed greasing the pocket of someone

 

Cynical, but not necessarily wrong. :-\

 

Also, I've never heard of LEEDCo before ... are they a startup?  Joint venture with more recognizable names (FirstEnergy, etc.)?  Or just a big player that I managed to miss hearing about until now?  The others that got the grants (Dominion, etc.) are established, major players, so that could have something to do with it as well.  And at least LEEDCo got a smaller grant to continue finalizing its designs.

Guarantee you that our natural gas development in Ohio had something to do with this.