In March 2005, the University of Minnesota-Morris was the first public university in the United States to install a large wind turbine to help power the school. Since it was put in, the generator has provided about 60% of the power for the university. The rest of the school's power needs are met by the Tailwinds Program of Otter Tail Power Company.
Based on these numbers, 100% of UMM's electricity needs are met by wind power, whether the electricity is made on-site or bought from the grid. However, the school's commitment to energy independence doesn't end there. Students at the university have helped the school meet its energy goals by using less electricity, water, and trash. The teachers are also getting into the spirit by putting a lot of emphasis on green energy and saving resources in their classrooms.
With 135-foot blades and a 230-foot tower, the UMM 1.65 megawatt Vestas generator is an impressive sight. The huge machine stands about 365 feet tall, but it has a much bigger effect on the community and the state of Minnesota than that. Since it was built in 2005, the generator has become a popular place for tourists and school field trips in central Minnesota. It has also helped raise awareness among thousands of people, especially school children.
The generator is very efficient, and all it needs to start making electricity is a breeze of 7-9 mph. To make the full 1.65 megawatts, the unit needs a wind speed of 26 miles per hour. There is a dedicated power line to the UMM campus, and if the University needs more power, the local utility lines provide it automatically. No one on campus knows if the power is coming from the generator or the grid at any given time. On the other hand, when UMM's power needs are less than what the generator can produce, the extra electricity is sent back into the local utility grid.
All of this is impressive, but the university has even bigger plans to make itself less dependent on outside energy sources. Plans call for a biomass gasification plant to be built at UMM in 2006. This plant will be able to meet 80% of the campus's heating and cooling needs. As fuel, the plant will use stover (leftover corn stalks) from local cornfields, as well as waste wood, other crop residues, and different organic stocks.
Only Germany makes more electricity from the wind than the United States as a whole. California, Texas, and Minnesota make the most electricity from the wind.
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