NORTH CAROLINA: Appalachian State University Installs 100kW Turbine
Installation of a 100-kilowatt, community-scale wind turbine on the Appalachian State University campus was completed in June. Electricity generated by the turbine will be fed into the system operated by local utility New River Light and Power. The Northwind 100 turbine, manufactured by Northern Power Systems of Vermont, was installed by Alteris Renewables, headquarted in…
Installation of a 100-kilowatt, community-scale wind turbine on the Appalachian State University campus was completed in June. Electricity generated by the turbine will be fed into the system operated by local utility New River Light and Power.
The Northwind 100 turbine, manufactured by Northern Power Systems of Vermont, was installed by Alteris Renewables, headquarted in Wilton, Conn. Installation of the turbine began June 15, which was Global Wind Day. The wind turbine is located behind the Broyhill Inn and Conference center on campus. It sits atop a 121-foot tower. Each of its three blades is 34 feet long.
The $533,000 project was funded by Appalachian students through a $5 Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) fee collected each semester. Students approved the REI fee by referendum in 2004. New River Light and Power contributed approximately 50 percent of the project’s cost. The Senior Class of 2009 also contributed to the project.
The wind turbine has the potential to generate approximately 145,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, roughly equivalent to the electricity needs of about 10-15 typical households in the South per year.
Source: Appalachian State
