September 21, 2011
North Carolina

Alleghany school system turbine update

By MARK KETCHUM, Staff, The Alleghany News, www.alleghanynews.com 21 September 2011

[excerpt]

The [Alleghany County Board of Education] heard an update on the school system’s wind turbine project from Appalachian State University professor, Dr. Dennis Scanlin. After a delay to secure funding, the wind turbine project is moving forward. A 500 kilowatt-hour-per-year “Skystream” turbine from Sundance Power Systems has been selected. Local permits for installation near Woodruff Field are being sought for the project.

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s “Wind for Energy” program, four wind turbines are scheduled for installation in North Carolina this year. This is the first year the program has been implemented in North Carolina. Scanlin noted Alleghany was one of the first to apply for the program.

It was noted that grant-offering bodies favor “green energy” projects, and the presence of the turbine could make the Alleghany school system a local and state model.

The Wind for Energy program does not pay for wind turbines, but funding was secured from another source to pay for the installation.

If all goes well, the foundation for the turbine could be poured by October, and the tower and turbine could be in place by March of 2012. Once the turbine is operational, a variety of teaching kits and materials will be distributed to various grades at local schools.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/21/alleghany-school-system-turbine-update/