Hopkins County, KY - According to local sources, Madisonville Community College has implemented plans to take active steps toward becoming a leader in environmental responsibility in the Western Kentucky region by “going green” in regards to power resources.
 

According to local sources, Madisonville Community College has implemented plans to take active steps toward becoming a leader in environmental responsibility in the Western Kentucky region by "going green" in regards to power resources.

According to Madisonville College Advanced Industrial Integrated Technology (AIIT) Instructor Jake Hildebrandt, the Madisonville Campus has received two grants towards this goal and visited the The Museum of Science of Boston and agreed to share data of their wind turbines.  They can also offer their students the Siemens Mechatronic Certificates exam once the students complete the AIIT program. Currently, the college has already purchased and received a three kilowatt solar panel system that will be installed on the campus maintenance building. The college is also in the process of purchasing five wind turbines, two of which are skystream 3.7 and three that are Windspire vertical axis wind turbines.

The concept of going green actually began with Hildebrandt's proposal to the campus to create a program that would be accent the normal AIIT degree. The proposal would add a new option under the current AIIT degree under the title of Mecatronic Power Plant Technician. The AIIT degree currently has two options, the Medical Equipment and Instrumentation Technician and Multi-Skill Industrial Technician.

The new option would allow students to go straight from college to becoming a Power Plant Technician. However, the majority of power plants in the United States are currently mandated to produce a certain amount of green energy.  Although the concept of going green has been accepted, the new AIIT program is still in consideration. The campus goal is to have everything in motion by spring.
It is the Campus long-term goal to attain partnerships with local power companies and possibly create a wind-turbine park. This would involve the power companies to actively help in installation of wind turbines and the creation of a park setting.

"Green technology is here to stay," commented Hildebrant. "Everything in our local community is mostly coal-fire. Eventually it will all be replaced by environmentally sound alternatives. The college is trying to stay one step ahead and implement our future technology now."

Dr. Janardan Rohatgi, another campus Instructor and author of Wind Energy basics, a Guide to Small and Micro Wind Systems, was also vital in making the green concept a reality by aiding in choosing the wind turbines and planning. Dr. Rohatgi will be teaching wind and hydro energy systems class at the campus.

J. L. Graham - iSurf News