A collaborative wind-solar alternative energy project between Vanderbilt University’s mechanical engineering department and Nashville Metro Water Services has picked up speed
with the installation of a modest 3kW (kilowatt) wind turbine at the Love Circle site close to campus.

“Once the power sharing agreement with Nashville Electric Service and the Tennessee Valley Authority is finalized the project will go online. We anticipate that will be the end of July or early August,” said Amruter Anilkumar, professor of the practice of mechanical engineering, who leads the project for Vanderbilt.

“Solar energy will complement power generation in months May through October. Apart from being a showcase project for the community, the project also provides training in alternative energy production and project management to mechanical engineering undergraduates through the Energetics Laboratory program,” Anilkumar said.

The main purpose of the project is to examine the feasibility of alternative energy production through solar and wind facilities, and the expectation is that about 30kWh (kilowatt hours) of power will be generated on a daily basis (the average daily consumption of electrical power per household across the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration).