LAHARPE A small crowd of curious onlookers were given a keen insight into the world of wind energy technology Tuesday.
Dan Cyre, instructor of the new wind energy classes through the Regional Rural Technical Center, spoke at RRTCs open house Tuesday.
Classes, consisting of high school students from across Allen County, begin today.
Advances in wind energy technology allowing turbines to generate electricity with lower wind speeds has played a role in the explosion in the growing number of wind farms across the country, Cyre explained.
For example, Allen Countys Prairie Queen Wind Farm can produce electricity at wind speeds as low as 4 mph.
Cyre explained what types of students are best suited for such careers.
First of all, students must be comfortable working at the top of a high tower.
The RRTC course, offered through Cloud County Community College, will include at least two trips to Clouds main campus in Concordia, to take students to the top of a windmill.
Well get some kids who cant do it, Cyre said.
For others, it takes a while to adjust. Then there are others who take naturally to high heights.
The second prerequisite is a keen grasp of mathematics equivalent to intermediate algebra.
We have a few kids who get scared off because of the math, too, Cyre said. But I make the kids a promise. If they put in the work, Ill get them through the math.
Classes are five days a week.
The fall semester includes an introduction to wind energy, electrical theory, hydraulics and data acquisition and communications. The spring courses cover mechanical systems; electronic; motors, generators and programmable logic controllers (PLCs); and field training and operations.
By the end of the school year, students will have earned a16-hour wind energy technology certificate, and can conceivably enter the workforce straight from there.
Ideally, students will continue their general education courses, which gives them a leg up if they want to pursue a career as a wind farm manager, Cyre said.
Because of the high demand for both positions, students who complete the course are, in most cases, guaranteed a job.
