Mequon Campus celebrated the erection of a wind turbine with a ribbon cutting ceremony Nov. 12. The 160-foot-tall unit with a blade diameter of 56 feet is the largest wind turbine on a college campus in the state. It is part of a sustainability initiative designed to educate students and the public about renewable energy technologies.Dubbed the “Blades of Freedom” by student Solomon Roberts, the turbine was commissioned on Friday, Nov. 7. Roberts won a contest to name the wind turbine.

Located at the south end of the campus building, the 90-kilowatt, V-17 turbine is a re-manufactured unit made in Denmark by Vestas, the world’s largest manufacturer of turbines. It does not feed electricity to We Energies but supplies power directly to the Mequon Campus. It will directly provide about 8% of the campus’ electricity, saving taxpayer dollars.

The wind tower cost approximately $200,000, with grants of $57,000 from Focus on Energy and $25,000 from We Energies. The college expects to recoup its investment within eight years or less at current energy prices.