Students may have noticed what appears to be a windmill on top of Building 11. The new structure has less to do with Don Quixote and more to do with alternate energy study.
Alternate energy sources, such as solar and wind, have seen a spike in interest recently.
“The green movement is here,” said Professor Bob Gilbert. “We have to break our dependence on fossil fuels and the way we do that is with alternate and renewable energies.”
The price of alternate energy remains high for now, but Gilbert says that can quickly change in the right environment.
“As technology increases, the cost will come down,” said Gilbert.
Gilbert admits that many current alternate forms of energy serve as short-term solutions to long-term problems, but he says that it is still important to move forward.
“We need to put the infrastructure in place, so when we come up with better methods, that infrastructure will already be there,” said Gilbert.
The Center for Energy Education installed the wind turbine as an educational tool.
“Education is the prime goal,” said Gilbert. “We are producing 20 cents worth of electricity and $1,000,000 worth of education and awareness.”