From lower energy bills to hands-on energy education, schools win when they implement wind power.

• Educational opportunities: Having a turbine in your backyard – and even the process of planning for it – adds an experiential dimension to your school’s science, math, and civic classes. What better way to train the technicians, engineers, and leaders of tomorrow?
• Lower utility bills: Your electrical costs drop the second your blades start spinning.
• Taxpayer benefits: Lower facility costs for your public schools can help balance budgets and lower the tax burden on community residents.
• Stable cost of power: You’ll know what your wind-powered electricity will cost you for 20 years or more so you can safeguard your school’s budget against the volatile and increasing costs of energy.  In a way, making your school financially independent from most of your energy costs, if planned out.
• Green economy: Your school-based wind turbine – and each new installation it fosters – will bring high-value jobs to your community.

Turbine considerations

When considering which turbine to purchase, schools should think about their setting, local permitting regulations, and economics.   Here are some of the issues that schools consider in making their turbine choice.   

•  Load matching:    All else being equal, schools will want to choose a turbine – or 2 or 3 – that can support as much of its electricity needs as possible so it can gain the greatest benefit from site-based generation.  
• Aesthetic fit:    The turbine’s height profile and operational sound levels will be a consideration if it will be located near neighbors and/or classrooms.  
• Educational support:    Educators will often create their own curriculum around their turbine, but it can be a big help if the turbine supplier can provide supporting materials and ideas.  
• Technology:    Not every wind turbine is created equal.   A turbine’s technology and design can affect many things including energy capture, maintenance requirements, and sound performance.       
• Proven operation:    Like any major capital investment project, you will want to know that your wind turbine is not a concept waiting for a test site.   Proven results are very important. 

The first step of project is difficult.  Wind projects take funding, and in today’s economy that can stop most decision makers in their tracks.  Though, if nothing is done now to help, we will probably be dead in tracks in the future.  Proactive thinking is the solution.  Kansas now has a grant program provided through the Kansas Corporation Commission to assist with ONLY State agencies, counties, cities, and unified schools districts for upgrading to green energy, such as wind, solar, and geothermal.   This grant has many requirements and will not pay for the entire project, but it definately is an avenue consider.  More information can be found at KCC’s website.  

For homeowners, there is a  program called “HowSmart” provided through Midwest Energy.  In a nutshell, they provide an energy audit to be done on the energy efficiency of your home, then the audit shows your possible energy savings with new systems/performed maintanence.  The cost savings for the homeowner (the difference) can be utilized through the existing credit maintained through Midwest Energy to establish the payments (over 180 months) for the changes, with very little if any immediate out of pocket cash (depending on circumstances). 

For the business owner,  the USDA Rural Development provides applications for grants and loan guarantees for farmers and rural small businesses to install renewable energy systems, make energy efficiency improvements, or conduct feasibility studies for a renewable energy system. These funds are administered through USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) program.   At this time, this is an ongoing program for the USDA.  The energy audit needed for this program is a cost to the business owner, but if assistance for the audit is needed; the business could possible recieve financial assistance for the audit through the local EBE program in Phillips County.  Please visit with PCED staff and schedule an appointment.