Wind energy education goes hands on

SCSU's Wind Energy Association (WEA) has been working to provide workshops that allow students to build wind turbines since it formed last January.

WEA president Bevan Glynn, a junior at SCSU, said he formed the group to provide meteorology students with more opportunities to work in the wind energy field.

Glynn said he wants the WEA to be a hands on lab that focuses on skills and development in not only building turbines, but conducting wind speed assessments for cities that are interested in installing wind turbines.

The WEA currently consists of twelve members.  Most of these members are students majoring in meteorology.

Glynn said although WEA members are mainly meteorology majors, he is looking to get more engineering and environmental majors on board.

"I would like the WEA to be multi departmental,"  Glynn said. "Anyone who wants a future working with wind energy is more than welcome."

The WEA has had a few meetings so far.  The advising professor, Rodney Kubesh, said that the group has built around half a dozen mini turbines and tested them in wind tunnels on campus.

Many of the wind turbines the WEA has made so far have been from kits and models. 

The power conducting element itself was reverse engineered from an alternator.  Glynn said he believes the meetings were not about hard math or science.

"When you've been in class all day, studying equations, it's good to get out and do a little bit of hands on building," Glynn said.

The WEA is planning a field trip to the University of Minnesota in Morris on Nov. 26.  Glynn said the group is interested in the university's 1.6 megawatt turbine. 

"It's the big boy," Glynn said. "It has enough output to power 800 homes and the entire campus runs on wind energy."

For the next lab meeting, the WEA is planning to make hydrogen through a process called electrolysis. 

Glynn said this type of process was new to wind energy and may help make wind turbines a viable source of energy, even if they are away from the power grid.

Glynn and the WEA plan on visiting companies that specialize in wind energy including a trip to Windlogics in Minneapolis. 

Windlogics specializes in financing and forecasting for other companies that build and install wind turbines. 

Glynn also said there is a company in St. Cloud that sells gears and parts for wind turbines.

The WEA has four years of wind speed data on campus and are planning on conducting a wind energy assessment for SCSU. 

They plan to determine how much power the campus could receive from wind energy.  The assessment would also provide data on where an ideal spot would be to place a wind turbine.

St. Cloud currently has an ordinance that bans wind turbines on city limits. 

Glynn said St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis was trying to change the ordinance. 

The city council is expected to vote on giving out temporary permits to build a wind turbine this month. 

A construction company called Preferred Construction is planning on getting a temporary four-year permit to install a wind turbine.