Centura College has a new attraction that stands 60 feet tall in its parking lot.
The two-bladed, G-11 wind turbine with a 40-foot rotor diameter needs a wind speed of 7 mph to continuously spin. The massive sculpture was manufactured by Ryse Energy in the United Kingdom.
The 11 kilowatt energy output is approximately equivalent to providing nine months of electricity in a home, Centura College spokesperson Nicole Gleaton said.
“Centura College’s Norfolk campus has become our hub for green energy job training,” Centura College President and CEO Joel English said.
The school has provided wind turbine technician training at its Norfolk campus since 2020. The curriculum is tailored to prepare technicians for the budding wind energy industry in Hampton Roads.
The school’s labs include smaller wind turbines, outside climbing towers and energy production trainers, which are needed for students to earn their Global Wind Organization certifications. Now, the school has added a functioning wind turbine on the campus to serve as an additional training aid.
The turbine will provide energy for the campus while reducing the carbon footprint of the school, English said.
“We will rely on our students to keep the turbine functioning productively,” he said, “just like we will rely on them to keep the offshore wind turbines producing energy after they graduate.”
The wind turbine technician program is a 48-week course. Areas of study include electrical circuits, alternating current and three-phase systems, circuit breakers, climbing wind towers, wind turbine safety and other fundamentals associated with wind turbines. The program provides students the opportunity to complete maritime, construction, turbine maintenance and CPR/basic life support certifications.
The campus has added a solar technician program as well, the president said. Solar panels will be going up soon as part of the college’s full green energy curriculum.
“We are teaching electricians and renewable energy technicians to be thoughtful, responsible and at the front of the technologies that produce energy in the future of Hampton Roads,” English said.
Lee Belote, jlbelote@verizon.net
