Wind Energy Abuzz at University Environmental Conference

Community-scale wind will be on the forefront for the 63rd Annual Environmental Engineering Conference held at the University of Kansas. This presentation, featuring a case study of a 1MW wind turbine, will be provided courtesy of  Kurt Bookout, Director of Public Utilities for the City of El Dorado in conjunction with GBA’s Energy Studio Leader, Jennifer Gunby, PE, LEED AP. Participants will learn about the benefits of community-scale wind, elements to spearheading a successful project and the future of wind energy for the City of El Dorado.

The full day conference, hosted by the Continuing Education department and located on campus at Memorial Union, will commence on April 17. Following the keynote, attendees will have the opportunity to select from three tracks centering on sustainability. In addition to wind energy, air and waste management and nutrient control will be highlighted topics at the event.

Bookout and Gunby have worked in partnership since 2010 with the launch of a feasibility study to identify wind energy sources to power the El Dorado Wetlands and Water Reclamation Facility. With the installation of the 1MW wind turbine, the City is projected to see savings of $5-8 million over the next 20 years with a return on investment of six to eight years. This presentation will begin at 3:40 p.m. and will offer a unique insight on applications of community-scale wind.