Green Power at Southampton Campus

Recently there has been a lot of talk about green power from sustainable sources. The benefits of using this type of power include reduced dependence on foreign sources and less impact on the environment.

In 2002, a 10kW Bergey Excel-S wind turbine was installed on a 100 foot tower at the Southampton campus. This was done under a combined project with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Long Island Power Authority to gather data regarding wind energy in New York State. The average annual wind resource measured at this site was 11.4mph; which allowed the turbine to generate roughly 9,500kWh during the first year.

At one point during the initial stages the nose cone became dislodged and had to be replaced. This allowed the manufacturer to install newly designed blades as well. The efficiency of the new blade design could now be compared to the original design of other turbines installed under the program.

The study has been completed and as noted above, the turbine can produce up to 10kW of green power; enough to operate about 8 window air conditioners (12,000 BTU; EER 10). The wind turbine is used to help offset the power requirements in the Montauk dormitories.

Update: New York Tmes article about Stony Brook Southampton

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