Why a wind turbine on UD’s Lewes campus?
UD officials chose wind power to meet its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint due to the favorable winds in the coastal area of Lewes and also for the educational and research opportunities it presents. With the turbine, the campus meets all its electricity needs with no net carbon emissions and becomes a model for other institutions in the nation. At times, the turbine generates more than enough power for the campus; the excess is fed to the electric grid for use by others in Lewes. In addition to providing carbon-free electricity generation, the project enhances the two parties’ research in areas such as turbine corrosion, avian impacts, and policy issues related to renewable energy. Information gained from the project will help the university and Gamesa establish the first offshore wind turbine in the Americas in 2011 or 2012.
