Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The University of Maine at Presque Isle has been abuzz with activity over the last week, as construction of a wind turbine got underway on campus property adjacent to the soccer field.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
UMPI GOING GREEN — Just in time for Earth Day, April 22, construction on the windmill at the University of Maine at Presque Isle was completed over the weekend. UMPI, in addition to being a ‘Storm Ready’ facility, now also holds the distinction of being the first university in the state to have a wind turbine for energy production. The windmill, which stands about 180 feet tall, is not only the center of attention at the University — pictured here towering above Merriman Hall — but can also be seen from various locations around the Star City. The structure is located adjacent to UMPI’s soccer field.
The University entered into a contract with Lumus Construction Inc., of Woburn, Mass., to do the work on the $2 million project — the construction of a 600 kW wind turbine on the northern Maine campus — in November of 2008.
Blades were delivered to the site on Tuesday, with crews beginning the task of putting the windmill together late last week. The tower portion went up first, then the nacell, on Thursday. The blades were attached to the hub over the weekend. Blades measure 73 feet in length and weigh approximately seven tons each. A crane 240 feet high was used to raise the parts into place. The completed windmill is about 180 feet tall and is visible from miles away.
“For those who aren’t familiar with this story, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will be the first university in the state to install a mid-size (600kW) wind turbine,” said Rachel Rice, media relations coordinator at UMPI.
University President Don Zillman is pleased with the project and what it will mean for the campus.
“It’s magnificent. We’re using a renewable resource to generate power for the campus,” said Zillman.
Zillman said it’s an honor for UMPI to be a front-runner in the pursuit of freedom of dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels.
The project reportedly is about a week ahead of schedule and right on budget. It was also completed in time to celebrate Earth Day, which falls on April 22 this year. Campus officials did not indicate when the windmill will go online and begin producing electricity.
A wind turbine Web cam can be viewed by visiting: www.crownofmaine.com/camscenic.php.
For more information on the project, visit www.umpi.edu/wind or contact UMPI’s Media Relations Office at 768-9452.
Or stop by the university and see it for yourself.
Photo courtesy of Mike Gudreau
GOING UP — A crew steadies blades as they are raised into position on UMPI’s wind turbine over the weekend. The structure, bearing the UMPI logo, is the first wind turbine to be constructed on a campus in Maine.
