Birmingham Covington School installs wind turbine

Birmingham's Covington School has cut the ribbon on a new wind turbine that will serve as not only an alternative energy generator but an education tool.

The Windspire, manufactured in Michigan, is not your normal wind turbine. It stands 30 feet high and is shaped like a vertical cylinder. It's made to harness winds at speeds of about 10 mph in urban areas.

It will supply electricity for the school, which is actually on Covington Road in Bloomfield Hills. At its engineering technology lab, students will be able to monitor activity and use that information as part of its curriculum.  

A number of local organizations helped make the installation happen, including Mariah Power, Centerline Electric, Rauhorn Electric, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, American Fence, TMP Associates, Peter Basso and Associates, and GreeningDetroit.com.

John Carlos, CEO of TechTown-based GreeningDetroit.com, is a parent at Birmingham's Covington School. He is also part of the school's Proud Dads organization, which harnesses parents' abilities to improve the school. That was an easy task for Carlos to determine.

"It was an easy match to find the niche to help out the school," Carlos says.

Source: John Carlos, CEO of GreeningDetroit.com
Writer: Jon Zemke
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