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School will use wind turbine for instruction, help with power bills
Since 2008, Richard McKenna Charter High School has worked on bringing a wind turbine, a Skystream 3.7, to its school campus.
The turbine project is led by Todd Thorn and his Alternative Energy class. They gained some expertise in the project from a recent field trip to Jerome High School.
The project will cost $15,000 to complete. The school will work toward acquiring $3,000-$5,000 in either in-kind donations or grants. Once completed the turbine will produce 1.8 kilowatts of electricity.
The donations the school would be requesting include equipment, labor, cash or any materials needed to help complete the project
Among the grants, the school will apply for is the Tool Box Grant for Schools, a grant applied for previously by schools out of Shelley and Pocatello.
As of last Thursday, the project began implementation with the students sending out brochures promoting the project and letters to encourage participation from community partners.
"I think we want to be able to give something to tangible to the potential partners and be able to say what the energy provided will allow us to run, instead of the watts or kilowatts the turbine will produce," said Thorn.
Thorn's class will also being issuing the calls for concrete, electrical supplies and other materials needed for the project.
As calculated by Thorn's students, once complete, the turbine will power all 39 computers (1,720 watts) and 20% of the school's lighting.
"It makes you feel good about the environment and going green. It gives you a sense of pride," said McKenna student Austin Callentine.
"It's great that we will be the first school in Mountain Home to have a turbine," said Justine Clark.
Following the mailing of the brochures and letters, the class will be sending an application of acceptance to the Wind for Schools project, sponsored by the Department of Energy.
Once accepted, the class will coordinate with the BSU engineering department for their expertise, to set up an installation date and being able to respond to potential partners.
In order for full completion, the school must fill out a building permit, pass an electrical inspection and receive a zoning variance, if required.
According to Thorn, after installation, McKenna will become a community leader in the transition to alternative energy. The turbine will later become a science lab and expose the students to the career opportunities in the alternative energy market.
Thorn projects a time frame of 6-9 months for completion, or between fall of 2009 and spring of 2010.
"It will bring some benefit in terms of energy production because of the low school cost to do it," said Thorn.
The Skystream 3.7 turbine is designed for homes and small business and aids in the conversion of wind into clean, renewable energy without any greenhouse emissions. The turbine can operate in winds anywhere from 8 to 55 miles per hour.
The specificiations for the turbine include a rotor diameter of 12 feet, a length of 43 feet, a weight of 170 pounds, three blades made of a fiberglass composite and a five-year limited warranty.