Published: July 15, 2007 11:43 am      

Up And Running

Wind-solar study can go ahead at FSU

FROSTBURG — Now that the installation of the solar panels and wind turbine is complete, Frostburg State University will begin to study the pros and cons of renewable energy.

“The main purpose is to generate unbiased data that will be available to students, faculty and members of the community,” said FSU physics and engineering professor and project coordinator Hilkat Soysal.

Through a grant from the Maryland Energy Administration, a residential- scale solar- and wind-powered energy system was constructed at the FSU Fuller House on Braddock Road.

The 2-kilowatt solar panels were installed in early June, and the 1.8-kilowatt, 33-foot-high, wind turbine was installed July 6 by Cumberland-based Big D Electric.

“The goal of the project is to give residents accurate information so they can make cost-effective decisions,” said Oguz Soysal, FSU physics and engineering professor and project leader.

In addition to analyzing the pros and cons of renewable energy, the study will compare the effectiveness of solar and wind energy.

“In some cases, a combination of wind and solar may be more cost- effective,” said Oguz.

Energy-monitoring instruments will be installed to make system data available real time on the Web, said Hilkat. FSU students will be involved in the study.

As part of the project, residents may borrow anemometers to measure wind speeds at their homes.

A renewable energy symposium and expo will be held at FSU’s Compton Science Center on Sept. 14 and 15.

For more information, contact Hilkat or Oguz Soysal at renewable@frostburg.edu.

For more information about FSU’s wind-solar energy system and to view construction photos, log onto renewable.

Jennifer Raley can be reached at jraley@times-news.com.