Minnesota winds
Well, blow me down! Minnesota wind power does it again! While a neighbor to the Plains’ Five Windiest States in the country, Minnesota outranks most of them as a Top Ten Wind Producer and for the twelfth year! (see article) Turbines have sprung up around the state since 2000, adding up to 1200 to the landscape. Wind has filled sails of ships for thousands of years and has turned windmill blades to grind grains or pump or drain water. Now it is turning blades attached to tall towers that spin a shaft connected to a generator to make electricity. (how it works) This electrical energy provides power for homes, institutions, businesses or utilities.
Wind turbines and wind projects vary in size, shape, and location. Small wind projects are small turbines designed to generate electricity for single homes, schools, or businesses requiring an output of less than 100 kW for on-site use. These include home and farm scale wind projects.
Large commercial scale wind projects include those that generate greater than one megawatt (MW). These range from one turbine to an array of turbines and include those built to provide power on-site to wind farms owned by corporations for the purpose of selling power to utility companies.
Community wind projects involve the community, those interested in developing a wind project locally for the benefit of the community. These projects may be owned by investors, a group of farmers or businesses, a school district, a public or private college, or any other group that supports alternative energy resources and wants to reduce energy costs in a way that benefits the community. Enter Carleton College.
In 2004, Carleton College became the first institution of higher learning in the nation to own a commercial scale wind turbine. Their goal was to practice their mission to be environmental stewards for the good of the school and the community. They sell the electricity generated by the 1.65 MW turbine to Xcel Energy for local use and reduce their own carbon dioxide contribution. Two years later, St. Olaf College installed a turbine of their own to supply energy for their own campus needs.
Since then, Carleton College installed a second wind turbine in 2011 to supply approximately 30% of its annual campus electricity while in 2016, St. Olaf announced that it would use renewable energy to power its entire Northfield campus through the Xcel Energy Windsource program. (more information) The wind is a wonderful but complicated resource. Read more about Wind energy next month.
Credit: https://wp.stolaf.edu/sustainability/files/2012/10/turbine.jpg
