USA - Wind turbine to be used as learning tool

The South Dakota winds that predictably blow across the prairie will soon provide a hands-on educational experience for students at Sanborn Central.

The school was one of eight in the state recently selected to participate in the inaugural launch of the Wind for Schools program.

The program involves the installation of a 70-foot, 1.8-kilowatt turbine on campus. Students will be able to monitor the electrical output of the turbine inside the school, which is expected to be between 3,600 and 4,000 kilowatt hours per year.

Linda Whitney, superintendent, said the program will provide her students with a unique chance to learn firsthand about wind power.

“It’s an opportunity to see how wind energy actually does work,” Whitney said. “They’ll learn about kilowatts in a lab setting instead of a book.”

Whitney said she’ll meet with the Sanborn County Zoning Commission on Sept. 4 to discuss obtaining a conditional use permit to construct the turbine in front of the school along Highway 34. The permit is needed because the turbine will be taller than 30 feet.

Although the power generated for the school will make up only a fraction of the building’s electrical needs, the educational value of the tower will be “exciting,” Whitney said.

“At any given moment, they can see what it’s producing,” Whitney said.

The program was initiated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Wind Powering America, a component of the U.S. Department of Energy. Whitney is hoping that the program will include more schools in the coming years.

On a local level, the school has partnered with East River Electric Power Cooperative and Central Electric.

Whitney said the project will cost the school approximately $3,500 to assist with construction costs.

The costs of the project were known when the school applied early this year, Whitney said, and were deemed worthwhile considering the growing interest in wind power both locally and nationally.

“We kind of sit out in the middle of nowhere, so wind energy is becoming more and more of an alternative to fossil fuels,” she said. “I thought, and the (school) board agreed that it would be good to apply for it.”

Other schools in the state that will participate in the program include Douglas, Faith, Selby, Aberdeen, Elkton, Stanley County and Memorial Middle School in Sioux Falls.

The data gathered from the eight participating schools will eventually be studied by officials at South Dakota State University.

As more wind farms are discussed in South Dakota, Whitney is also hoping that once the tower is constructed, drivers passing by will have their interest piqued in wind power.

“I think it’s something of the future,” Whitney said.