Some companies are specializing in refurbishing wind turbines and placing them near schools for about half of the cost of buying new. "We weren't looking to be an energy producer or seller," said Kathy Dickens, a student-services director at Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker School District, which purchased three refurbished turbines.

New 65- to 100-kilowatt wind turbines wind turbines, large enough to power a farm or help defray a school's electric bills, can cost between $3,000 and $6,000 per kilowatt, meaning the entry prices would be close to $200,000, according to American Wind Energy Association.

Michigan's Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker School District wanted to connect a few wind turbines to its elementary building to save on energy and integrate alternative energy into its curriculum.

"We weren't looking to be an energy producer or seller," said Kathy Dickens, the junior high school's student services director. "We were really just looking to minimize our bills."

After failing to find newer models that suited the district's needs, she entered a few search terms into Google and found three Nordtank turbines from Tehachapi, Calif., that were being refurbished by enXco Inc.

The on-campus wind farm, which was fully funded through a $265,000 Michigan Public Service Commission grant and installed with volunteer labor, saves the district a little cash.

But it has provided a gold mine of educational value, as students get to study physics and electricity by building small mock-up wind turbines and competing for the top design.

"That's been the golden nugget right there," Dickens said. "We're not saving tons of money, that's for sure."

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Source: Forbes/The Associated Press, 3.13.09