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Scotland’s First Rooftop Wind Turbine Unveiled
Entec attended the official unveiling of Scotland’s first rooftop wind turbine at Collydean Primary School in Fife on 18th May 2004. This installation marks the first of a series of pioneering systems which are set to demonstrate renewable energy at Schools in the region.
The scheme is partly funded by the Energy Savings Trust and by Fife Council. Entec are technical advisers to the Trust and assessed the engineering design of the SWIFT turbine and the installation at Collydean School.
Lewis MacDonald MSP, Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, who attended the event, is well-known for his active support of renewable energy in Scotland. The local school children who had spent the previous weeks making their own model wind turbines also watched the unveiling.
Wind energy is one of a number of technologies that will meet our energy needs in the future with small-scale integrated systems working alongside the larger wind farms. These small systems will be sited near to where people live and work and offer communities the chance to familiarise themselves with wind energy and benefit directly from it.
The SWIFT turbine is made by Renewable Devices from Edinburgh. It will show the Collydean school children how renewable energy is produced and how it is used. The turbine is mounted on the roof of one of the main school buildings, directly above the playground. Inside the school lobby is a small control box which has an electronic display that shows the amount of energy that the turbine has produced.
The SWIFT design is a new concept intended for installation on building roofs. Wind turbines are typically mounted on poles sited well clear of buildings but the SWIFT is engineered so that it can make use of the winds that are speeded up as they pass over buildings.
Siting turbines on buildings brings some important challenges too, as noise and vibration from the turbines might transmit to the inside of the building and be an annoyance. The SWIFT has some cleverly designed components that minimise the noise and vibration produced so that occupants will be unaware of the turbine above their heads. The SWIFT is one of the first systems specifically designed for mounting on a building.
The electricity from the turbine is fed into the school’s supply to power all of the school’s electric devices. The system works in parallel with the mains electricity ensuring that the school is always supplied with the electricity it needs. This is just a smaller version of the national electricity systems where large-scale wind farms are used alongside conventional power stations.
For more in formation contact Richard Boud at boudr@entecuk.co.uk or by phone on 01189 036 606.
Useful links
Energy Savings Trust – www.est.org.uk
Renewable Devices Limited – www.renewabledevices.com
Fife Council – www.fife.gov.uk
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