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BSU harnesses the cost of wind
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In this world of rocketing gas prices and global warming, society is constantly looking for alternate energy sources. Boise State University recently took a step to make its campus more “green” for its students. Boise State University Housing purchased 150 megawatt hours of wind energy credits from a
local wind farm. These credits will be used to help provide partial energy for Morrison Hall.
Morrison Hall will be one of the first residence halls in the Northwest to explore wind power as a form of energy. Right now, Boise State is paying for these credits on top of its normal energy costs. Eventually, when more wind power becomes available, the university may reduce some of its conventional energy sources.
The wind credits were purchased from the Lewandowski Farms. This is a small wind farm located off 1-84, near Simco Road. Lewandowski Farms is Idaho’s first commercial wind farm and currently operates only three wind turbines.
“While this may be a small step, it will be very educational for our students,” Executive Director for University Housing Jeff Hale said. “We certainly want to be environmentally friendly, but we believe the large benefit will be bringing awareness
to our students.”
Several different organizations on campus contributed to the funding of this project, including the Associated Students of Boise State University Senate, which passed a bill last semester allocating $1,000 to the project.
Purchasing energy credits and supporting future research and development of renewable energy sources was an added incentive for campus organizations to help fund the project, Whitney Rearick, manager for Facilities and Space Planning, said. Rearick is also the chairperson for the campus renewable energy committee, known as the Green Team.
Boise farmer and entrepreneur Bob Lewandowski built and maintained the wind farm until his death in 2005. His family sold the farm in April 2006 to a group of local wind energy advocates including three Boise State graduates.
“We’re excited that Boise State has gotten involved in purchasing renewable energy credits,” Lars Dorr, Lewandowski Farms manager, said. “Purchasing the credits from a local project helps everyone ensure that green
energy produced in Idaho keeps coming onto the grid
for everyone.”
Farm co-owner Todd Haynes, an energy research engineer for the Boise State College of Engineering, said that the farm is currently only capable of producing a small amount of energy. The farm will provide a research site close to campus for long-term wind energy research.
Students from Morrison Hall and the College of Engineering will have the opportunity to be involved in research both on campus and at the farm. Boise State is home to the Wind Energy Research Laboratory which was created in 2006 with a $500,000 grant from the federal government.
John Gardner, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at Boise State, heads the center for wind research. The laboratory is a partnership between Boise State, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Idaho National Laboratory, the Idaho Department of Water Resources and other public and private agencies.
“The goal is to develop new technologies to reduce our
dependence on fossil fuels while also contributing to the development of a local wind energy economic cluster,” Gardner said.
According to Dorr at Lewandowski Farms, Idaho has a huge potential for developing wind energy. California is classified as the 17th windiest and has the second highest installed capacity of wind turbines in the country. By comparison, Idaho is the 13th windiest state but currently has only three wind farms.
CHARLOTTE TAYLOR
News Writer
