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A 100-kilowatt wind turbine was recently installed at the Toledo Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) in Rossford, Ohio. The 37-meter-high tower and wind turbine will provide an important training tool for JATC students and supplemental power for the JATC. The turbine is already showing energy-saving results.
“We just received our first electric bill since the tower and wind turbine were commissioned, and the bill is one-third less than the previous one,” said Dave Wellington, JATC training director.
The turbine installation is partially grant-funded. The Department of Labor “Ohio Grows” has commissioned WBGU public television station to film a documentary, which will be presented to Congress. The JATC is one of only four construction--training centers nationwide with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers wind-turbine certification.
Two JATC graduates, now employed by GEM Inc. of Walbridge, Ohio, installed the wind turbine and performed electrical work at the site.
The U.S.-manufactured, direct-drive permanent magnet turbine functions without a gearbox, making this turbine more efficient. With no gearbox, there is no power loss due to the gear’s friction, and the unit requires less maintenance. The hub is directly attached to the generator. The system uses a three-blade, fixed-pitch rotor. An active yaw drive system ensures the blades always face into the wind, and the system has integral lightning protection.
