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DCCC weighs benefits of wind generator
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Dodge City Community College will contract Entegrity Wind Systems, Inc. and Sunflower Power Company to conduct an analysis of the campus to find out if it would be financially feasible to install a wind turbine.
In May 2007, Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed into law a bill that would allow DCCC to install a 1.5 megawatt renewable generator. Although the college had not yet researched the possibility of investing in a wind generator prior to the bill’s passing, they have since begun to look into the financial benefits of such a project.
Pratt Community College has already installed three wind generators to the tune of $465,000, Vada Hermon, director of business services at DCCC, told the Board of Trustees on Wednesday evening.
“They’ve had them for a year,” Hermon said, after speaking with Kent Adams, vice president of finance and operations. “He said he was real skeptical at first about it. But it is turning out to be about 20 percent savings, and that they guaranteed that the savings will pay for this, and they will write you a check if it doesn’t.”
Hermon said the turbines should pay out over 10 years.
Entegrity Wind Systems contacted DCCC to do a cost benefit analysis, offering the service at no cost.
“If this is something you’re in, we’ll go ahead and pursue it,” Hermon said. “We don’t have anything to lose; it’s not going to cost us anything.”
The turbines would be used for the sole purpose of providing energy to the campus and the college would not sell the energy to an energy company.
Under the provisions of the law, however, the college could sell any excess energy. The Kansas Development Finance Authority could issue revenue bonds to cover the full cost of construction and installation, and any interest accrued from those costs. The bonds would then be paid off through any revenue received from the sale of the excess energy.
A preliminary report has already been generated on the college’s utility data, said Barney Korbelik, physical plant director.
An analysis report could be finished by Dec. 10.
“They truly believe that they can make this come in with a pay back in around 10 years,” he said.
Bob Johnson, executive director of engineering and energy services for Sunflower Power Company, has also offered to conduct a free cost benefit analysis for the college. DCCC will take both companies up on their offers and compare the two.
By Ashley Nietfeld
29 November 2007
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