Abstract

Wind for Schools: Developing Educational Programs to Train a 

New Workforce and the Next Generation of Wind Energy Experts

Lawrence Flowers and Ian Baring-Gould

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, USA

PO. 37

Abstract

As the United States 

dramatically expands wind 

energy deployment, the industry 

is challenged with developing a 

skilled workforce and addressing 

public resistance. Wind 

Powering America’s Wind for 

Schools project addresses these 

issues by: 

• Developing Wind Application 

Centers (WACs) at universities; 

Objectives

WAC students assist in 

implementing school wind 

turbines and participate in wind 

courses 

•Installing small wind turbines at 

community “host” schools

•Implementing teacher training 

with interactive curricula at each 

host school.

Students at Idaho’s Pocatello Community Charter 

School participated in a Wind for Schools project. 

PIX16749/Billie Johnson.

Wind for Schools Project Team

Wind Application Center (WAC): The WACs are formed at universities in each participating 

state to train engineering students in wind applications analysis and deployment. WAC students 

gain valuable experience by providing technical assistance to school installations.

State facilitator: Assists the development of Wind for Schools projects in each state by 

identifying candidate K-12 schools and working with the community, teachers, school 

administration, local utility, and the WAC to implement the school wind project.

Host school, science teacher, school administration, and community: A Wind for Schools 

host school owns the small wind turbine, assists in its installation, and implements a wind 

energy educational curricula. The host school also provides land for the project, interconnection, 

facilities, and nominal financial support and agrees to make data from the turbine public. 

Wind Powering America/National Renewable Energy Laboratory/U.S. Department of 

The Wind for Schools project goals are to:

• Equip college juniors and seniors with an education in wind energy applications

• Engage America communities in wind energy applications, benefits, and challenges

• Introduce teachers and students to wind energy.

Results

• Active programs in six states 

g gy y p

Energy: Provide technical and financial assistance to the WAC and facilitator over the first few 

years of the project in each state to help implement the activity. Provide wind measurement 

equipment to assess potential school sites and assist in curricula development at the university 

and K-12 levels.

Community: The community (including the local utility and business groups) assists in project 

development, funding, and implementation.

State government: Provides funding support for the wind turbines. 

p g

(Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, 

Nebraska, and South Dakota)

• Five additional states added in 2010 

(Alaska, Arizona, North Carolina, 

Pennsylvania, and Virginia)

• At the university level, more than 60 

students graduated in 2008, more than 

125 students took wind-related classes 

in 2009, and almost 70 students were 

involved in the WACs in 2009

• Turbines installed in 42 schools with 

20 more in progress (March 2010)

• Teacher-training programs

In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy issued a report describing a 20% wind energy future 

by 2030. The report noted that 500,000 new jobs would be created, including:

•5,000 construction

•2,200 manufacturing

•6,500 indirect positions.

The Wind for Schools project focuses on K-12 and university educators and students, 

countering the trend of reduced numbers of U.S. students entering science fields. Studies 

indicate that if women and minority students are not interested in math by the 6th grade, they 

are unlikely to pursue math or science-based careers.

1. Baring-Gould, I.; Flowers, L.; Kelly, M.; Barnett, L.; Miles, J. (2009). Wind for Schools: Developing Education 

Programs to Train the Next Generation of the Wind Energy Workforce. 11 pp.; NREL Report No. CP-500-

45473. 

2. Baring-Gould, I. (2009). Wind for Schools: A Wind Powering America Project (Brochure). 8 pp.; NREL Report 

No. BR-500-45684; DOE/GO-102009-2830.

Methods

References

Teacher training programs

implemented in participating states

• Strong interest in many other states

• Defined affiliate program to allow 

interested schools to participate.

Wind for Schools system installed at Greenbush 

High School in Kansas. PIX16245/Josh 

Cochran.

• Build in-state capacity to provide technical assistance for community projects

• Develop college-level wind energy programs, incorporating wind curricula and small 

turbine installations at community schools

• Work with the American Wind Energy Association, The NEED Project, and others on K12 curricula to incorporate wind energy education into the classroom

• Use a low-cost replicable system for installation at host K-12 schools

• Work collaboratively with communities and local utilities to implement cost-effective and 

community supported school energy projects

are unlikely to pursue math or science based careers.

3. Wind for Schools Affiliate Programs: Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program (Fact Sheet). (2009). 4 pp.; 

NREL Report No. FS-7A2-45729; DOE/GO-102009-2833.

4. Wind at Work: Wind Energy and Job Creation in the EU. 

http://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/publications/Wind_at_work_FINAL.pdf

5. 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply; Executive 

Summary (Revised). (2008). 27 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-500-42864; DOE/GO-102008-2578. 

European Wind Energy Conference & Exhibition 2010, Tuesday 20 - Friday 23 April 2010, Warsaw, Poland

NREL/PO-7A2-47909

NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

community-supported school energy projects

• Provide technical assistance and training to universities by national laboratory staff

• Implement a low-cost data collection system with international accessibility

• Integrate information from a variety of school wind projects.