Anyone who has passed by IT Sligo in recent weeks will have been impressed with the large wind turbine erected on our Sports Campus just before Christmas. As the famous Bob Dylan song goes, the answer to IT Sligo’s future energy needs is indeed, ‘blowing in the wind’.
Operational since December 17th, the impressive structure has a design life of at least 20 years and is approximately 20 metres high with a turbine diameter of 13 metres.
The turbine generates 22kw of power and is a small part of the long terms strategy for energy needs at IT Sligo. The turbine was manufactured by a leading manufacturer of small-scale wind power stations.
Head of Business Development and Operations at IT Sligo, Gordon Ryan, said that the initiative highlighted the progressive outlook at IT Sligo.
“Renewable energy is the way forward. This wind turbine demonstrates in the clearest possible fashion our commitment at IT Sligo to not only move with the times, but take the initiative from both an energy efficiency perspective and from an academic view point,” he said.
The output of the turbine is connected to the Knocknarea Arena and will offset the power normally used by that building. At night time when the turbine is operating, the power generated will also feed external lighting on the campus.
The turbine will automatically power itself into the optimum angle of wind and will have a cut in design wind speed of 2-4 m/s and will deliver its maximum KWh output at 9 m/s. Should the wind strength exceed this maximum the turbine will gradually yaw itself out of the wind to a point at 20m/s where the brake will be applied and the turbine will shut down.
Mr. Ryan added: “The turbine will be connected to the campus Building Management System and the data captured on wind speed, wind direction, and KWh generated will be made available to feed a database of information that can be used by students studying courses in the schools of engineering, science, and business.
“There are limitless possibilities for its academic exploitation. Students who may use the turbine in the course of their studies range from engineers identifying its mechanisms and functions to business students studying cost control and new business feasibility plans. Science students could examine its potential for the commencement of a plan for environmental protection and power generation. It is a small but practical demonstration to the people of Sligo and the North West what IT Sligo can begin to bring to the wider community in terms of leadership and innovation.”
The Turbine at IT Sligo.