Crowder College turbine scheduled to go up by late November

Crowder College's long-awaited wind turbine should be up and spinning in time for an energy conference later this month, say college officials.

Or it will be erected anyway.

The foundation that will soon hold the 124-foot tower in place on the southeast part of campus has been laid and is now curing. The rest of the tower and the actual turbine should follow within the next couple of weeks, according to Art Boyt, director of Crowder's MARET (Missouri Alternative and Renewable Energy Technology) Center.

In August, Boyt predicted the entire project would be finished by Nov. 1.

But engineering issues have delayed the project, he said Monday morning.

These included soil borings down to bedrock to determine if the ground was stable enough to support the completed turbine, and studies on the tower to see if it could withstand the force of the working windmill. The bidding process took some time as well, Boyt said.

"It's a big project, it takes a while to put together," he said. "Now, we could duplicate everything we did in about 30 days. But the first time out takes a while."

The turbine - with its 65-kilowatt engine and three 750-pound blades - should be atop the tower in time for an energy conference at Crowder on Nov. 29. However, it won't actually be operational for another month or so afterward, Boyt said.

A public workshop, the "Energy, Efficiency and Environment" conference will feature as guest speakers "leading experts in the field" of renewable and alternative energy, Boyt said.

On the list, among several others, are Trudy Forsyth, senior project leader with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, who will talk about USDA support for wind-powered operations, and Mike Chiles, general manager of Watts Radiant, who will lecture on radiant heating and cooling.

Other speakers will address topics such as the Renewable Policies Act for the city of Columbia, Empire District Electric's wind program, current Missouri law regarding renewable energies, rebate programs for commercial lighting and efficiency upgrades, and much more.

The conference is $15, which includes breakfast and lunch, and will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Crowder's Elsie Plaster Center.

"We plan to have the turbine up and available at the conference," Boyt said. "But the actual connection to the utility is going to be a little beyond that date."

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