ASU Wind Turbines Generate Electricity and Interest
By Michelle Schwartz
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Global Institute of Sustainability
Why has Arizona State University installed six parapet wind turbines on the roof of the recently remodeled Global Institute of Sustainability building?
Wind turbines generate electricity from a free and clean renewable resource. They don’t add to global warming. And unlike solar power, the wind is often available both day and night.
More impressive than the power the turbines generate, however, is the discussions they stimulate. From their prominent rooftop location, the iconic turbines are visible from Cady Mall and University Drive where students, alumni, parents, and visitors from across the country and around the globe have a chance to see and think about them.
“The real value of the turbines comes when they prompt a student to say ‘I should study wind power,’ or an alumnus to think ‘My company could convert to renewable energy,’” said Jonathan Fink, the Julie Ann Wrigley Director of the Global Institute of Sustainability and University Sustainability Officer.
