Virtual Wind Farm

School Power…Naturally^SM has an educational wind resource for students and adults to investigate the potential energy generation by wind turbines throughout New York state. This virtual wind farm tool was developed to educate citizens about this emerging innovation in renewable energy technology. Educational materials have been developed for teachers, parents, and mentors to implement a virtual wind farm activity as an exciting platform for introducing wind energy generation concepts at home or in the classroom.

Virtual Wind Farm Tool

The New York State Virtual Wind Farm Tool is a graphical, Web-based computer application that replicates the factors and considerations involved in the design of wind farms. This educational wind tool provides both students and adults a means of exploring the available wind resources throughout New York state, and to design their own virtual wind farm while becoming familiar with such concepts as:

• Factors that influence where a wind farm is located and what natural features would make an ideal site,
• Areas of New York state that provide the greatest potential wind resources for power generation, and
• Effect that modifying wind tower and turbine variables has on energy output and cost effectiveness.

START THE NEW YORK STATE VIRTUAL WIND FARM TOOL

Supporting Educational Materials

Teachers, parents, and mentors can use the educational wind tool and associated education materials to conduct a virtual wind farm activity at home or in the classroom. Instructor and student guidelines, concepts worksheets, and other materials outline the recommended procedure for easy implementation. Level II materials are designed for students in grades 5-8 to optimize their design for maximum yearly energy output, and Level III materials are for students in grades 9-12 to optimize the design for maximum wind farm cost effectiveness. Design criteria such as the wind farm capacity, turbine spacing, and wind farm area are specified and can be validated by the New York State Virtual Wind Farm Tool. Additional design criteria, such as a county location, can be used;however compliance with these criteria must be verified manually. Additional instructor resources, including the suggested responses to the Student Worksheet and an automatic scoring tool, are available by contacting the project coordinator.

These educational materials are designed to harness students’ ingenuity with turbine concepts and the wind farm design process in order to educate students about the role that renewable energy can play in providing clean energy to our schools, homes, and businesses. Following completion of the following educational components, students should be familiar with the wind resource throughout New York state, the fundamentals of turbine technology, site selection concepts, and recognize that there are factors beyond the design and economic viability of a wind farm that may influence whether or not it can be built.

• Wind Energy Concepts Research – Instructors can facilitate activities from a recommended list of resources or the students complete a worksheet requiring them to explore related websites.
• Virtual Wind Farm Design – Using the New York State Virtual Wind Farm Tool students optimize their wind farm design for maximum energy output (Level II) and cost effectiveness (Level III) by adding and modifying wind turbines to meet the Wind Farm specifications.
• Design Synopsis – Students explain the design decisions and influencing factors that contributed to the final result.
• Outreach Component – Students conduct an activity (poster, website, presentation, letters, etc.) that raises awareness of wind power generation within their communities.

Statewide Content

The virtual wind farm activity can be conducted as a contest in the classroom where students compete in the design of the most efficient virtual wind farm using the New York State Virtual Wind Farm Tool. Scores from the design synopsis and outreach component can also be included. A statewide virtual wind contest was held in the beginning of 2010 to promote this activity and resource. Sample submissions from participating schools are included below. ill be held in January/February, 2010 in which students across New York state are invited compete in the design of the most efficient virtual wind farm using the New York State Virtual Wind Farm Tool. Sponsorship is currently being sought for to conduct additional yearlymore statewide contests. For more information about the statewide contest or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact the project coordinator.

• Herkimer HS Virtual Wind Farm Contest Components
• MPCS/Edenwald School (Level III) Virtual Wind Farm Contest Components
• Pioneer HS Virtual Wind Farm Contest Components
• MPCS/Edenwald School (Level II) Virtual Wind Farm Contest Components

Virtual Wind Farm Partners

• New West Technologies, LLC developed the New York State Virtual Wind Farm Tool along with the supporting educational materials and coordinated the statewide virtual wind contest. New West Technologies is an 8(a) certified small business that provides high quality, cost conscious, multidisciplinary technical support services for the transportation, building, power, and education sectors.
• Members of the advisory board who contributed their knowledge and expertise in the development of this educational resource included: Dr. Pam Carpenter from the North Carolina Solar Center, Arianna Alexsandra Grindrod from the North East Sustainable Energy Association, Michael Arquin from KidWind, Bill Peruzzi of the Research Foundation at SUNY Albany, and teachers Barry Witte, Joyce Putnam, and Mike Adams.

Contact

For more information about the Virtual Wind Farm Tool, materials, or contest please contact the project coordinator. Teachers, parents, mentors, and students are also encouraged to provide feedback to improve these educational materials for future participants. To provide feedback on the New York State Virtual Wind Farm Tool, or on the associated resources, please contact the project coordinator.

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© 2004 New York State Energy Research and Development Authority