Related Links
Minneapolis Star Tribune Artile 11/25/07
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony official inauguration of turbine and panels
MN Sun Article-Final go-ahead for wind turbine 9/5/07
About the School
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Article about the S.E.S.
Minnesota Rural Electric Association Article
Pioneer Press Article 12/17/07
Dakota Electric Association Article
Installation Photographs
Printable Version of this page. (PDF)
FARMINGTON, Minn. (June 9, 2007) — Students, teachers, the
Apple Valley mayor, Dakota Electric Association personnel and others
turned out to turn some dirt Saturday at the School of Environmental
Studies groundbreaking for a renewable energy educational project. (Groundbreakers are from right to left --Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland, Greg Miller CEO Dakota Electric Association (DEA), Craig Turner DEA, David Winkelman WERC, Jacob Wagner SES, Robert Preston SES, Wayne Hilbert CNH Architects, and Christopher Anderson SES)
The
renewable energy education project will cost approximately $175,000
and consist of a 20-kilowatt wind turbine, standing 160 feet in
the air, and two solar panels, each capable of producing 1 kilowatt
(kW) each. The wind turbine will generate approximately enough electricity
to power one to three average homes.
While this system will not generate large amounts of power compared
to commercial turbines, the school hopes it will generate a large amount of learning.
“This project will help our students learn firsthand about
renewable energy sources,” principal Dan Bodette said. “Students
will be able to study the output of the solar panels and wind turbine,
and they will be able to do projects to learn about renewable energy
for years to come. We are generating learning opportunities with
this project.”
Everything about the project is educational. Students were involved
with the project from the beginning, learning about project management,
presenting the project for approval at the Planning Commission and
the City Council, designing the displays that will help others learn
about wind and solar energy and assisting in the design of the sustainable
building that will house electrical equipment and educational displays.
Even Dakota Electric Association, project leader and major sponsor,
is learning about this type of installation.
“We receive questions from time-to-time from our members about
these types of installations,” said Dakota Electric’s
President and CEO Greg Miller. “Now our employees will have
hands-on knowledge of a small solar and wind installation, so they
will be better prepared to help those who have questions about these
types of projects.”
Other major sponsors included Great River Energy, Dakota Electric’s
wholesale power supplier, and CNH Architects, Apple Valley, who
volunteered to design the sustainable building that will house the
onsite equipment and informational displays. The major sponsors
and other donors are making it possible for this educational project
to happen without any cost to taxpayers.
Real-time data from the wind turbine, solar panel and weather station
will be transmitted to the school building. A classroom computer
will access this data and historical data, so students can compare
the output of the panels and turbine with weather conditions. The
team plans to have an educational display at the building next to
the turbine, providing project information to the public. Plans
include having a flat-panel display with similar data to what the
school will receive, including wind speed, air temperature and electrical
output of the panels and turbine.
To facilitate learning, one solar panel will be mounted on the building’s
roof and be stationary. The other panel will be mounted on a pedestal
that can be manually adjusted to change with the angle of the sun.
This will provide an opportunity for students to compare the output
between the two panels.
“This was a great project to work on,” student Robert
Preston said. “I learned a lot and it will be nice to have
this system to provide some renewable energy to the school.”
Besides being an opportunity for Dakota Electric personnel to learn
about these types of installations, the cooperative will have antennas
on the turbine pole, which will allow Dakota Electric to fill a
communications void in its system. This improved communications
ability will aid in the cooperative’s ability to manage the
electrical distribution system and to maintain the reliable operation
of the system.
A customer-owned, non-profit utility since 1937, Dakota Electric
Association provides electricity to more than 99,000 members throughout
Dakota County and portions of Goodhue, Rice and Scott counties.
Dakota Electric is a Touchstone Energy cooperative.
- About
the Project: PDF format
Installation
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