New wind turbines bring green energy to campus

Chattanooga has established itself as a green community by inviting the commerce of eco-friendly companies into the city. In the past 10 years, companies have installed solar panels, researched nuclear energy and constructed wind turbines.

In 2005, TVA began adding 15 more wind turbines in support of its Green Power Switch alternative energy program.

Green Power Switch is a renewable energy initiative that allows consumers in the Tennessee Valley to buy green power, electricity that's generated by cleaner, renewable resources such as solar, wind and methane gas.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, during 2004-2007, wind generation capacity was installed to power more than 600,000 homes in the U.S. and 4,100 wind turbines had been installed across the U.S. by the end of 2007.

Demand is increasing so rapidly that an additional 2,500 units have already been installed so far this year in the US according to U.S. Department of Energy.

Chattanooga is home to Aerisyn, an alternative energy company founded in 2004, which operates the first automated wind tower production facility in North America. It is located at the Alstom Building at 1025 19th St. in West Chattanooga.

The company has invested more than $7 million in equipment and capital improvements to the building, and manufactures the tower structures for wind turbines in this facility.

The company reported building 200 towers during its first year of operation in Chattanooga.

"Aerisyn is a substantial addition to Chattanooga's existing high-tech manufacturers that support the community's efforts to assume a leadership role in energy conservation enterprises," Trevor Hamilton, vice president of Economic Development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, said.

Brian Moore, a Memphis senior, said, "The valley and this side [of the country] just seems like it'd be the ideal place to build wind towers."

In a report issued by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, wind energy allows Aerisyn to meet the increase in power consumption requirements in the U.S. and at the same time increases the Tennessee Valley's reliance on green power.

Some states, like California, already have a significant portion of their energy generated by green power, with some proponents seeking up to a 25 percent reliance on green power within a few short years.

Many other states are following the lead of California and Texas. Sixteen states currently have a renewable portfolio standard in place, where a portion of all energy consumption is green power.

Wind turbines convert wind energy into electricity for distribution. The turbine can be divided into three components, as outlined by the Wind Energy Association of America. The rotor component includes the blades for converting wind energy to low speed rotational energy. The generator component includes the electrical generator, the control electronics and, ,most likely, a gearbox component. The gearbox component is used for converting the low speed incoming rotation to high-speed rotation, which makes it suitable for generating electricity.

The structural support component includes the tower and rotor pointing mechanism.

"I've heard about nuclear power and hydra power, but not as much about how we're using wind power," Russell Rosarda, a Chattanooga junior said.

"It's good to know we're utilizing all the methods we can to be responsible consumers and producers [of energy].