USA - Wind turbine could net $2 million for US school

Wind turbine-generated electricity could net $2 million for Woodland School over a 30-year period, the school board was told. "The life expectancy (of a wind turbine) is up to 30 years," said Kirk Heston, construction sales engineer for Johnson Controls. "It takes 20 years to pay for itself. Everything after that is all revenue for the school." The Woodland School Board could decide as soon as its April 24 meeting whether to proceed with a feasibility study to determine if a wind turbine would be effective near the rural school four miles south of Streator. If the board gives the go-ahead then, Johnson Controls would submit a grant proposal to the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation for $25,000 to pay for the feasibility study. Such a grant could be awarded as soon as July 14, Heston said. If the rest of the process goes smoothly, a wind turbine could be powering Woodland School by October 2007, he said.

"We're looking at a positive revenue stream for Woodland School - $2 million after it's paid for itself," Heston said. The wind-generated energy market increased 43 percent globally in 2005, Heston said. Although some schools in California, Iowa and the Dakotas are powered by wind turbines, it is a fairly new concept in Illinois, where only Bureau Valley High School in Manlius has a wind turbine. Bureau Valley Superintendent Rick Stoecker said in an interview prior to Thursday's meeting that his school's wind turbine has saved about $100,000 a year in electricity costs. Bureau Valley's wind turbine has been online two years. The Bureau Valley wind turbine is 217 feet high and has the capability to generate 660 kilowatts daily, though energy-cost savings vary daily depending on wind speeds. How tall or powerful a potential Woodland wind turbine would be determined by the feasibility study, which involves constructing a 50-foot meteorlogical tower to gather wind data where the proposed wind turbine would be located.

The wind patterns would be monitored for about three months, Heston said. They will be measured at 30 feet, 40 feet and 50 feet, he said. The Bureau Valley wind turbine requires 20 mph winds to generate enough energy that none needs to be purchased from Illinois Power. Lesser winds mean the school has to purchase energy from the power company, but higher winds result in the school selling power to the electric company. Heston said that other wind studies in northern Livingston County indicate steady winds of at least 20 mph during 37 to 41 percent of the year.