Wind power is one of the fastest growing forms of new electricity generation in the United States, and Idaho National Laboratory's (INL) Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) is keeping pace by installing another educational wind turbine.
The Skystream 3.7, manufactured by Southwest Windpower, is now running at CAES. The Skystream spins vertically and joins the existing Blackhawk turbine, which spins horizontally. The performance of both turbines can now be monitored and analyzed by students all over the region as part of Wind Powering America's (WPA) Wind for Schools (WFS) program.
With the addition of the Skystream, CAES will stream live data and video to classrooms, giving students at all levels easy access to realtime information for both turbines. Students and researchers will be able to use this data for experiments andongoing classroom activities.
"Having the two turbines side by side creates an opportunity for comparative and inquiry-based learning," said INL researcher Gary Seifert, who manages WPA's Idaho region.
WPA is a Department of Energy program committed to increasing the use of wind energy in the United States. WPA's Wind for Schools program emphasizes education at all levels, encouraging students to pursue additional college training that will prepare them to enter the wind energy work force. It also aims to engage local citizens in wind energy discussions and to develop a knowledge base for wind energy within schools. The program's general approach is to develop a learning curriculum by installing small wind turbines in rural elementary and secondary schools while developing a Wind Application Center at higher education institutions.
As the nation's demand for wind energy grows, INL continues to contribute resources and education needed to provide a trained energy workforce.
Idaho became one of the original six states supporting Wind for Schools projects when Skyline High School in Idaho Falls installed a Skystream turbine in 2007. The other participating Idaho schools are Eagle Rock Junior High School, Jerome Middle School, Shelley High School and the Pocatello Community Charter School.
The data from each school's Skystream turbine will be available on the Internet at http://wind-for-schools.caesenergy.org. Through observation and analysis, students can predict and compare differences in energy production under varying weather conditions.
"What we're really trying to do is build excitement for science- and technology-based fields," said Seifert. "And this is the kind of hands-on technology that gets kids excited."
