A Skystream small wind turbine seen from Milford Elementary, Utah.
Wind Powering America (WPA) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) launched the Wind for Schools (WfS) project in 2005. WPA and NREL conducted a WfS pilot project in Colorado that resulted in one small turbine project in Walsenburg, wind energy curriculum development, and a great deal of enthusiasm for the WfS program's potential. The approach of the WfS program is to replicate the process piloted in Walsenburg by installing many more small wind turbines.
How the Wind for Schools Project Works
A wind turbine located at a school provides students and teachers with a physical example of how communities can take part in providing for the economic and environmental security of the nation while allowing exciting, hands-on educational opportunities. The Wind for Schools Project approach is to install small wind turbines at rural schools, initially replicating the Colorado pilot process in five Great Plains states (CO, ID, KS, MT, NE). Read more about how the Wind for Schools Project works (PDF 1.4 MB) Download Adobe Reader. Additional information resources can be found in the schools resources and tools section.
Participants
Eight entities are involved in each Wind for Schools Project: the school; a Wind Application Center; a state facilitator; Wind Powering America/NREL; a green tag marketer and sponsoring company; a wind turbine manufacturer; the local utility or electric cooperative; and the state energy office.
Wind Application Centers
A Wind Application Center (WAC) will be implemented at a state university or college under the leadership of an interested university professor. The WACs provide technical assistance to rural schools (analyzing the wind resource, energy usage, siting, permitting, land use, and financials, as well as overseeing the installation of the power system and the DAS and analyzing the performance data). The WAC will implement a wind energy curriculum and will graduate engineers and systems analysts knowledgeable in the wind application process and hopefully interested in pursuing wind energy as a career. After the 3-year implementation period, the WAC will assume the responsibilities of the state facilitator and will become the primary repository of wind energy applications knowledge and expertise. Schools, small business owners, residential users, state policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders will view the WAC as the source of information regarding wind energy applications.
Colorado Wind Application Center
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
The Colorado wind facilitator is Tom Potter.
For more information about the Colorado Wind for Schools Project, please visit the Governor's Energy Office Web site. It has a candidate host school summary and declaration of intent document that you can download and also a host school checklist.
Idaho Wind Application Center
Boise State University, Boise, ID
The Idaho wind facilitator is Brian Jackson.
Kansas Wind Application Center
Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
The Kansas wind facilitator is Dan Nagengast.
Montana Wind Application Center
Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
The Montana wind facilitator is Mike Costanti.
Nebraska Wind Application Center
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
The Nebraska wind facilitator is Dan McGuire.
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