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Wind blows Kenston way with $630,500 federal grant
(by Sue Hoffman - December 02, 2009)
Wind blows Kenston way with $630,500 federal grant
By SUE HOFFMAN
A $630,500 federal stimulus grant will pay most of the remaining cost of the planned wind turbine at Kenston High School and offers the possibility of making it taller.
The grant is for installing the district's wind turbine and integrating the technology as a teaching tool in the classroom.
"It's great for our community, and we'll be in a better position to save money from day one," School Superintendent Robert A. Lee said. He received the news Monday at Lincoln Electric Co. in Cleveland, where Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland announced grants for solar and wind projects.
In addition to paying for most of the 600-kilowatt wind turbine, which has been estimated to cost approximately $1 million, the grant "opens up options for tower extension," Dr. Lee said. The wind turbine is being planned at 42 meters high, but he originally wanted it to be 58 meters to produce more electricity, he said.
The district also has received a $300,000 grant from Cleveland State University and the State of Ohio and a $50,000 grant from the Cleveland Foundation for the project. With the new stimulus grant, the district will have funding totaling $980,500.
A reconditioned wind turbine from Europe, which is on order from Parker Hannifin Corp., of Mayfield Heights, is due for delivery this winter, Dr. Lee said. The school board is waiting for the specifications of the tower to advertise for bids for the foundation and electrical work, he said.
Dr. Lee, who started researching the wind-turbine project over two years ago, has estimated that the tower will save the district $100,000 annually in electricity.
Parker Hannifin's research into the most efficient and economical way to do the project has caused some delays, which, in this case, were a benefit, Dr. Lee said. If the project had started sooner, the district could have missed out on the stimulus funding, he said.
Kenston's wind turbine is one of 25 Ohio projects receiving more than $13 million in grant awards funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's state energy program.
"We are shaping Ohio's future by strengthening our advanced energy economy today," Mr. Strickland said. "Supporting the growing wind and solar industries creates jobs, creates energy and reduces costs for hardworking Ohioans. These Recovery Act-funded projects take the state another vital step toward our goal of making Ohio a world center for advanced energy."
The renewable-energy awards are the first to be awarded from Ohio's $96 million state energy program, which was accepted by the U.S. Department of Energy on June 26.
According to state officials, proposals for wind and solar projects were accepted beginning Aug. 25. Projects were selected through a competitive review process based on several criteria: project readiness and ability to be completed within 12 months, a matching investment of at least 50 percent and direct economic impacts to create and retain jobs in Ohio.
Other districts to receive stimulus grants are Archbold and Pettisville local schools in Fulton County. Each was awarded a $750,000 grant to install a 500-kilowatt wind turbine and integrate the technology as a teaching tool in the classroom. The Parkway Local School District in Mercer County received $16,080 to install a solar-thermal system.
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