PLATTEVILLE – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville erected a 20-kilowatt wind turbine outside of Southwest Hall as part of university-wide energy conservation measures.
The turbine is expected to produce about 31,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. If the average home uses about 1,000 kWh per month, over the course of one year, the wind turbine would generate enough energy to power three average homes. In terms of on-campus power, the wind turbine will primarily be used to power a portion of Southwest Hall’s electrical needs.
“Energy produced by wind in the United States has increased significantly in the past four or five years,” said Dr. Mesut Muslu, professor of electrical engineering and member of the campus Renewable Energy Council. “It is a major component of renewable energy sources, and it is the closest thing that is competitive economically to traditional electric energy sources such as coal and natural gas.”
The turbine comes from Renewegy, an Oshkosh-based company that specializes in designing wind turbines for businesses, farms, schools, universities and municipalities.
The energy conservation measures began a year and a half ago, and energy-saving improvements include the wind turbine, building assessments and the solar panels on the Engineering Hall roof, among other things. The wind turbine will reduce energy consumption by offsetting electrical use in buildings.
Planning for the turbine began in 2009 when H&H Solar Energy Services, based in Madison, conducted a wind survey of UW-Platteville campus to determine where the prime locations for a wind turbine would be. The Wisconsin Department of Administration facilitated a performance contract through McKinstry, a company specializing in renewable energy options for buildings, which enabled financing for the turbine to go ahead. It was erected on Oct. 11, and began producing power for the university on its first day.
One kWh costs the university around seven cents, meaning that the wind turbine would save around $2,200 a year in energy costs, and if those savings were put towards the cost of the wind turbine itself, McKinstry estimates that the turbine could pay itself off in about 19.5 years. However, the value of the energy produced is dependent upon the current cost of electricity, so if the cost of electricity goes up, the payback period falls. If the price for electricity were 15 cents for one kWh, it would take about nine years for the turbine to pay for itself.
In addition to providing power and savings for the university, the wind turbine will also provide educational opportunities for students, according to Peter Davis, Director of Facilities Management. The university offers a renewable energy minor, and observing the turbine could help students pursuing that minor.
“It’s good to have renewable energy systems on campus,” Davis said. “The wind turbine is one step we have taken to reduce our use of fossil fuels by instead focusing on electrical power derived from renewable means.”
Muslu, who teaches a course on the fundamentals of renewable energy sources, said that the wind turbine would be an ideal educational tool for students in the renewable energy program.
“I can take my students out and show them the turbine components,” he said, “but the best way to have experience with the connections and components would be to get involved with maintenance of such systems.”
Despite the many improvements the university has implemented, renewable energy is something that definitely has room for growth, according to Davis.
“Construction is scheduled to begin next year on an anaerobic digester at Pioneer Farm, which would break down organisms in cow manure and other organic materials to create gas that could be burned for fuel,” he said. “There is also a tower at the campus farm collecting wind data in order to determine if some large-scale turbines established there would be effective.”
Large-scale turbines are units that have the capacity to generate 1,500 kW of electricity, which would be 75 times greater than the turbine that is currently on campus. Such turbines have smaller relative cost, better efficiency and shorter payback period, said Muslu.
“The turbine that we have adds an educational element and a tremendous opportunity for students,” Muslu said. “That, coupled with the fact that it is moving the campus forward in terms of renewable energy, only adds to its value.”
Contacts: Jeff Watson, Facilities Management, watson@uwplatt.edu; Charlie Knox, Industrial Studies, knoxc@uwplatt.edu; Muslu, EMS, muslu@uwplatt.edu; Pete Davis, Facilities Management, davisp@uwplatt.edu
Written By: Angela O’Brien, UW-Platteville University Information and Communications, (608) 342-1194, obrienan@uwplatt.edu