http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=55549

from InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report

Indiana Tech has installed a 120-foot wind turbine on its Fort Wayne campus. The school says it will allow engineering students to learn about alternative energy sources and help lower energy costs.

September 10, 2012

News Release

Fort Wayne, Ind. -- Indiana Tech installed a wind turbine on its Fort Wayne campus on Friday to help engineering students learn about alternative energy sources.

The wind turbine tower is 120 feet tall, and the blades have a diameter of 26.5 feet making the total height about 134 feet. A turbine of that size is expected to generate between 700 and 1,000 kilowatt hours per month, which is about the amount of energy used by the average household in the United States, said Dr. John Renie, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

Indiana Tech offers a bachelor’s degree in energy engineering, and the wind turbine on campus will allow firsthand study of wind power. The operation of the turbine also will have applications in the mechanical engineering and electrical engineering programs.

“This an excellent teaching tool for our students,” Renie said. “We’ll have real-time monitoring equipment so that students and others can see how much energy is being produced.”

The wind turbine is located on Maumee Avenue, next to the Zollner Engineering Center. A 2010 gift from the Steel Dynamics Foundation will cover the $110,000 cost of the equipment, installation and software for the wind turbine.

The power produced by the wind turbine will flow back to the power grid because the university does not have any storage capacity, Renie said, and it will be credited to Indiana Tech’s electric bill.

Source: Indiana Tech