IIT Wind Consortium
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In 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) a competitive, $9 million grant to create a University-Industry Consortium for Wind Energy Research, Education, and Workforce Development. The consortium’s research and development objectives focus on addressing several challenges identified in the DOE’s “20% Wind Energy by 2030” report.
IIT’s grant was one of 3 awarded by the DOE nationally for wind energy research. The Wind Consortium has a diverse pool of public and private members working together to improve wind power reliability and performance, lower the price of wind energy, encourage greater integration into the utility grid, and build an educated workforce to drive the industry (read more about the IIT Smart Grid and Education and Workforce Training Center).
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Research and Optimization
Consortium research initiatives focus on improving the reliability and performance of wind turbine technology, and optimize its integration into the nation's electric grid. The technology created through this project will provide the framework to incorporate wind energy into the utility grid at a high quantity which will, in turn, position the United States at the forefront of the wind energy industry.
Education and Job Training
"Wind power has the potential to provide 20 percent of our electricity and create hundreds of thousands of jobs, we need to position the United States as the clear leader in this industry, or watch these high-paying jobs go overseas. The investment we’re making today will help ensure that America has both the talent and the technology we need to compete." -Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy.
The IIT Wind Consortium is focused not only on optimizing wind turbines and planning for grid integration, but also on cultivating an educated and efficient workforce to drive this emerging industry. The Wind Consortium will use insight gathered from research to inspire undergraduate participation in wind research and education. Consortium objectives include the creation of Inter-professional (IPRO) courses on related topics, creating teaching materials and textbooks for advanced coursework, and the creation of degree programs and professional certificates in Wind Energy.
The classrooms and research facilities in the Robert W. Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation at IIT will be used to create the curriculum, deliver the courses, and develop the teaching materials and textbooks outlined in Consortium objectives.
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| Phase 1 Partnership for Wind Unit Installation |
- Task 1.0 Procure a 1.5MW GE Test Wind Turbine
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- Task 2.0 Install an 8KW Viryd Test Wind Turbine
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- Task 3.0 Install a Small Wind Turbine for Public Awareness
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| Phase 2 Wind Turbine Reliability Research |
- Task 4.0 GE Wind Turbine Reliability Study
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- Task 5.0 Viryd Wind Turbine Reliability Study
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| Phase 3 Wind Energy Research and Development |
- Task 7.0 Advanced Reactive Power Technology and Low-Voltage-Ride-Through Technology
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- Task 9.0 International Collaboration in Wind Energy Research
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| Phase 4 Workforce Development for Sustaining the Wind Energy Research and Development in the United States |
- Task 10.0 Engage Undergraduate Students in Wind Research Activities
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- Task 11.0 Develop Undergraduate Courses and Teaching Laboratories on Wind Energy
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- Task 12.0 Offer Degree Program and Certificates on Wind Energy
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- Task 13.0 Develop Teaching Materials and Textbooks on Wind Energy
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| Phase 5 Project Reporting |
- Task 14.0 Project Management and Reporting
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Last modified: 05/03/2012 12:12:33
