Wind powers school, educates students

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - It must have felt a bit like the future at a Minnesota high school, when a new wind turbine on its property began producing electricity to power the building.

The city of Buffalo, population 15,000, is one of 11 communities in the state to receive a turbine as part of an initiative to have utilities deliver 25 per cent of their electricity from clean power sources by 2025. Just recently, Buffalo High School began receiving electricity from its new clean energy source.

"When I first started looking for a site, I was looking for the right partner," says Buffalo's utilities director Joseph Steffel, explaining how the wind turbine ended up at the school, hooked up directly to the building's power supply. "When I first explained the idea to one of the administrators there was a pause on the line. Then they said, ‘Wow, this sounds great.’ They thought it would be a great educational opportunity."

It fit well with the school's conservation initiatives, which have won statewide awards for eco-education. "I jumped at the opportunity," says Eric Hamilton, the school's building director. "We've been trying to lessen our footprint."

As part of the agreement with the city, the school and its 1,700 students have access to the wind turbine and its data for educational opportunities.

"Real-time energy use, with wind speed, wind direction and kilowatt-hours produced will be available around the clock," he said.

Teachers are champing at the bit to start taking students out to the turbine, which is about 300 metres from the building.

The site was perfect because the school sits on a large parcel of land, surrounded by open fields at the outskirts of the town, with a nearby transformer. When the wind blows 23 km/h, the school receives 40 per cent of its electricity from the wind turbine, with any power sent to the municipal power grid.