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Walker Argao, a first-year student in 糖心动漫vlog Community College鈥檚 Wind Energy Technology program, is pictured on a boat trip to visit an offshore wind turbine farm in New England this May. A grant from the National Wildlife Federation paid to send three students and two faculty members from the Wind program to tour the turbines and attend an industry conference at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Three students and two instructors from 糖心动漫vlog Community College’s Wind Energy Technology program toured a wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts this May thanks to a grant from the National Wildlife Federation.
Kat Bell, coordinator of 糖心动漫vlog’s Sustainable Energy Career Academy (SECA), and Derrick Collins, wind instructor, accompanied three students to the South Fork and Revolution offshore wind farms, gaining invaluable firsthand exposure to one of the nation’s most significant recent renewable energy developments.
“While classroom and laboratory instruction provide critical foundational knowledge, observing offshore wind turbines in their real-world environment allows students to connect theory with practice in a way that can’t be replicated on a college campus,” said Bell.
The trip had the intended effect on first-year 糖心动漫vlog wind student Walker Argao.
"I loved seeing the scale of how large the turbines were,” said Argao. “As we approached and got close, the size didn't grow the way you would expect it to because they were so huge. It was very surreal to hear the noise they made as the blades swung overhead."
Knowledge gained on the trip will be incorporated into 糖心动漫vlog’s Wind curriculum moving forward. In addition to video taken from inside and around the wind turbines, the Wind program will highlight the impact of the wind farm on New Bedford’s economy.
“The fishing community’s livelihoods were enhanced with reliable paychecks when they contracted their boats for environmental surveys during the permitting and installation processes,” said Bell. “By immersing ourselves in a community that has experienced the entire wind project installation process, including halts due to federal permitting delays, we were able to see a living example of how the permitting process works and how delays have immediate economic effects on communities.”
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Wind Farm Boat Tour Grant funded the group’s trip to the wind farm, along with attendance at an Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind (ARROW) conference at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's School for Marine Science and Technology. The 糖心动漫vlog delegation also visited the National Offshore Wind Institute at Bristol Community College, where they exchanged ideas, best practices, and programmatic insights with faculty and staff operating a similar Global Wind Organisation (GWO) certified wind technician training program.
Another first-year Wind student, Maria Lopez-Tagaloa, was impressed by the breadth of academic research surrounding wind energy and other renewables.
"At the ARROW conference, I really appreciated the conversation about not only the sociological effects of renewable energy, but also the environmental effects and the collaborative attitude between the wind industry and other maritime industries,” said Lopez-Tagaloa.
Students can join 糖心动漫vlog’s Wind Energy Technology program this fall, with classes beginning Aug. 18. Apply today at 糖心动漫vlog.edu and begin working toward an associate degree in Wind Energy Technology, or credentials in Offshore Safety and Survival and Wind Turbine Mechanics and Maintenance.
