A wind generator built by students is now helping to power the Sustainable Living department.

The silent generator, capable of producing up to 2,000 watts of power, is located on a 30-foot tower. Within the next year the generator and solar panels will provide all of the power for the Sustainable Living department.

Here is how the system generates electricity: the wind turns blades connected to powerful neodymium magnets, causing the magnets to go across coils and produce a charge. The resulting alternating current goes to a control room where rectifiers convert it to direct current for battery storage. An inverter then converts the current back to alternating current for use in the classroom.

Eventually the four-battery storage system will grow to a bank of 16, according to Julian Potter, a graduate now working for the University to implement sustainable technologies.

Students Robbie Gongwer and Troy Van Beek are also installing a new daylighting system with nine skylights, and other energy saving systems.