The H. Lavity Stoutt Community College recently installed a monitoring system to test the feasibility of gathering wind energy in Paraquita Bay.
Some 20 people worked on the project on Oct. 19 in the Colonial Manor area, including students in the Renewable Energy Club, HLSCC faculty and staff, and workers from Alternative Energy Systems, according to a press release from the college.
The system includes two monitors that record wind speed and direction at two altitudes, and a monitor that measures sunlight.
For one year, the system will be used to collect data, which will be sent to wind turbine manufacturers to get estimates of energy production.
After that, club members will conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine the costs to install a wind turbine at the site and the payback time for doing so. The results of this study will be passed on to stakeholders for a decision on whether to install a wind turbine at Colonial Manor.
{fcomment}