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May 27, 2008 Wind turbines provide campuses with environmental, economic and educational benefits by Paul Bylaska I N 2006, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME ACADEMY installed a 660kW wind turbine on their Cape Cod campus. It provides about 20 percent of the institutionšs power, and it also enables them to sell energy back to the electric company when available. They did so with the assistance of Solar Design Associates and Energy Design, Inc. and general contractor Jay Cashman. The project was partially funded by the state of Massachusetts and a $500,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The turbine yields $230,000 worth of savings and renewable energy certificate revenue annually. They expect a payback of the $1.47 million project cost in less than five years. Paul OšKeefe, the Academyšs Director of Facilities says, łThe wind turbine provides the three Ešs for the Academy and its students: environmental, economic and educational benefits.˛ The environmental and economic are fairly obvious, and they go hand in hand. The education benefits accrue to the Academyšs engineering students who can use the turbine as a working classroom in renewable energy. Wind power in Massachusetts has not been without its critics. A larger-scale project at Nantucket Sound stirried environmental concerns. The Maritime Academy has studied the effect of the wind turbine on the nearby bird population, and there are no significant negative effects after two years of use. According to OšKeefe, concern about sound levels from the turbinešs blades was addressed during construction. The turbine is 525 feet away from its nearest neighbor, according to guidelines. Other turbine issues involve the terrain surrounding the campus. Dr. Anthony Vega, Professor of Earth Science, says, łlandscape characteristics can cause wind friction, which reduces the ability of wind turbines to generate electricity." Landscapes filled with trees, buildings and mountains are not good candidates. Landscapes on or near water are good candidates. However you approach it, wind turbines are a mature technology worthy of consideration as a potential energy source, rather than a mere Quixotic endeavor. Click to read these articles on GreentreeGazette.com • Tom Robinson writes about Yestermorrow, a sustainability education startup • A Gazette Minute Interview with Michael Clifford, purchaser of Myers University • Student Loan Chronicles: A Gazette Minute Interview with Jamie Wolfe • Student Loan Chronicles: A Gazette Minute Interview with Rick Lovell • Herschell Gordon Lewis travels to Mostar, Bosnia • A.G. Gancarski on: Should athletes get paid? • Stacie Berdan tells how the declining dollar affects students studying abroad • Bob Clougherty scrutinizes the łsmall piece˛ argument within online learning. • A Gazette Minute Interview with Alan Drimmer, president of AIU Online • Future not so bright for 2008 college grads? How about high school grads? • Best cities for grads. • Why is the Netherlands a higher education magnet? Are you sponsoring an event? You can list it free of charge in our Events Calendar. All it takes is a Backstage Pass. You may also purchase a spotlight ad here in the newsletter and on our homepage. Greentree readers attend lots of conferences! Luise D'Orta is our Concierge and she can handle either or both. Call her at 561.630.4300. Are you a "green" company? Advertise in Greentree publications. Do you have "green" or sustainable solutions? Let the decision makers at colleges and universities know about them. The July magazine is an ideal print publication to do so. We have online publications as well. Call Luise at 561.630.4300 to discuss our publications and rates.
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