Students hope to harness the wind

Students at Abingdon High School have received a $70,000 grant to find out if it's possible to power several area school districts with wind towers, and they'll soon present their work to state officials in Springfield. "We're doing some ground-breaking things in our classroom," said Phil Willis, who teaches the 20-student science technology class that has spearheaded the research project. In 2004, Willis and his class began researching the possibility of obtaining a wind tower for the high school. "Do you think we can power this school with a wind turbine? How about all the schools?" Willis asked his class. When students were told funding wasn't available for just one tower, they decided to think bigger.

The students have researched the feasibility of having wind towers power Abingdon, the Abingdon School District, Carl Sandburg College, Galesburg School District 205 and the Farmington, ROWVA and Knoxville school districts as well. The class already has done wind speed studies on its own and hired an engineering company Friday that will conduct a study to meet state regulations. Engineers will meet with the class next week and will conduct the study in mid-February. Students also plan to travel to Chicago to talk to attorneys about permits, a timeline and a business structure for the project. The class of juniors and seniors will send four representatives Feb. 16 to Springfield, where they will participate in the 15th annual TECH 2006 Students for the Information Age event.

The students will show the public and legislators how technology is being used in the classroom. The high school is among nearly 120 schools in the state that will participate in the event in the state Capitol. Abingdon High School senior Tyler Rodeffer is one of the four students who will explain how the class has gone from an idea to being the first in the state, and possibly the country, to attempt such a project. "Finally, I've been able to utilize myself to my best abilities," said Rodeffer, who has worked on turbine technology, how wind energy works and the best way to set up the towers for the project. The $70,000 grant, given to the school by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation in Chicago in October 2005, will be used to pay for the engineering company's study and the consortium's business structure, Rodeffer said. "It's very fulfilling to be working on a project like this," he said. "We're really trying to get some heads turned and get some legislation to help us in our project." Willis said the Abingdon students are setting the standard with the project. Other areas want to do similar work, but foundations are waiting to see how the Abingdon project turns out before releasing any money, Willis said. "We're breaking ground that way," he said. "The class is the driving force behind it," Willis said. "They're seeing the fruits of their labor come about."