New project propels College’s wind energy training, research programs
ANKENY — Thanks to a $131,500 grant from the Iowa Office of Energy Independence, a new 100-foot wind turbine will be constructed on Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Ankeny Campus.
The wind turbine will become an important new feature for research and education in DMACC’s Wind Energy and Turbine Technician program and the Iowa Energy Center’s efforts to study small wind energy turbines.
DMACC and the Iowa Energy Center will collaborate to install the turbine, which will be connected to the Iowa Energy Center’s Resource Station and the DMACC electrical distribution system located on the DMACC Ankeny Campus.
“Wind energy is one of the hottest alternative fuels in the new energy economy,” said DMACC President Rob Denson. “DMACC is excited to be on the leading edge of this important initiative and that includes this new turbine to serve as a teaching and research tool.”
For DMACC, the wind energy turbine will give students in the college’s Wind Energy Technician program hands-on experience with wind power generation, transmission and data evaluation practice during their two-year education. The Wind Energy Technician program opened during the Fall 2009 semester with classes offered at the college’s Ankeny and Carroll campuses. Sixty-students are currently enrolled, 40 in Ankeny and 20 on the Carroll Campus.
In addition, the 50-kilowatt wind turbine will deliver 156,000 hours of kilowatt power to the Ankeny campus each year, supplying about 1.5 percent of the campus’ annual energy consumption while also reducing carbon emissions.
The project will allow DMACC and the Iowa Energy Center to study the effectiveness of small wind energy turbines and research the actual performance of small wind systems. Presently, little research exists about the effectiveness of small wind energy turbines and their value to small business as a source of renewable energy. The Iowa Energy Center will collect and evaluate the research data.
During the next several months, DMACC energy program and campus leaders will finalize site details, select the specific turbine for the project and work with Ankeny officials to ensure the wind energy turbine meets city ordinances. DMACC officials expect the wind turbine to be operational by mid-summer 2010.
The 100-foot tall tower will operate with three 30-foot blades, near the maximum size allowed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) due to the campus proximity to the Ankeny Airport.
The new wind energy turbine is the latest in DMACC’s “Operation Green” initiative to reduce the college’s environmental impact. DMACC has been working on “green initiatives” since the 1990s. Those efforts include recycling nearly 4,000 cubic yards of paper and cardboard every year, plus fluorescent lamps, waste oil, computers and other products. Geothermal heat also is now being used at the DMACC West Campus and in the newly opened Health Sciences Building on the Ankeny campus.
Within the last year, DMACC opened the Environmental Science program along with the Wind Energy Technician program in its commitment to educating and training workers for green industry jobs.
Des Moines Area Community College is committed to educating, training and encouraging lifelong success for students of all ages. As Iowa’s largest two-year college, DMACC annually serves more than 65,000 credit and non-credit students on six campuses located in Ankeny, Boone, Carroll, Des Moines, Newton and West Des Moines. As a result of continued record growth, DMACC has earned the rank of 17th fastest growing two-year college in the United States. For more information, visit www.dmacc.edu.
