The landscape surrounding Indian Lake Schools has two new editions and representatives from Honda HTM hope students are inspired by this new horizon.
Honda Transmission Manufacturing Wind Turbine Project Leader Joe Wauben recently spoke to a group of about 100 Indian Lake science students. He said that early last year Honda HTM completed the erection of two 420-foot wind turbines on its campus which neighbors Indian Lake Local Schools. The project is part of a company-wide effort on Honda’s part to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and produce cars in the most environmentally responsible manner possible. Honda HTM is the first major auto manufacturer to put wind turbines into use on its own property to provide power for the plant and these turbines are the largest in Ohio at 1.7 MW.
Indian Lake Schools helped inspire the wind power project according to Wauben. “Indian Lake Schools took leadership in erecting a wind turbine years ago,” Wauben said in reference to the district’s 100-foot windmill on campus. In 2006, Indian Lake Schools partnered with the Logan County Electric Cooperative to put up a 100-foot wind turbine at the intersection of State Routes 235 and 274. This small windmill was one of the first in Ohio to be erected on school property and is used to generate about 7,000 KWH annually for the district.
Wauben walked the students through the entire project process-- from concept, to meeting with neighbors and local officials for input, ending with extensive explanations of environmental, sound and shadow flicker study results. He also detailed the construction process and answered many questions. Science teacher Blythe Moorhouse said she appreciated the presentation. “We’ve talked about the turbines in class and I wasn’t able to answer all their questions. I wanted them to hear the facts about these giant structures right outside our doors.”
So far, Wauben reports, the wind turbine power output at Honda HTM has been greater than projected. He said the target was for the turbines to produce ten-percent of the transmission plant’s power, but the yearly average has been approximately twelve-percent. Ultimately, the use of their own wind power reduces the amount of coal-fired electricity HTM pulls off the traditional grid to operate the plant.
Wauben hopes by having a better understanding of the wind turbines purpose, the students will be inspired to become Honda’s future environmental leaders.
“Hopefully you join us in doing what we can to preserve our planet for us now and future generations,” he said. Wauben also presented Indian Lake Schools a $1,000 donation from Honda to the science department to continue their studies into clean energy.
Crews recorded Wauben’s presentation to Indian Lake students for use in part four of a Honda Environmental short film series. That film will be released in a few months.