Another SUNY school is showing interest in bringing renewable energy to campus. SUNY Oswego joins SUNY ESF in looking at a newly designed wind turbine that can be used for wind power in urban environments. Our Andy Mattison has details on what could become a very innovative partnership for the school.

OSWEGO, N.Y. -- When you're located near Lake Ontario, you can expect a lot of windy days all year around. And while it's nice to catch a breeze in the summer, SUNY Oswego's lakeside location also makes it a great place for wind power, and that's exactly what's coming to campus in the form of the pow-air sail.

"We're pretty excited about it. Our staff will be involved in a very high level of technology a very on the brink kind of technology. Our students will be exposed to that technology, so the education benefits are absolutely huge for us," said SUNY Oswego Director of Engineering and Sustainability John Moore. The eight-by-eight, 300 pound wind turbine will be installed on the roof of Lee Hall. In addition to its unique name, the wind turbine also has a unique shape that allows it to be lower to the ground.

"Typical wind turbines you want to be 80 feet in the air. We didn't want that to be a restriction for urban environments. We want to bring the energy to where people need it, so therefore, we were able to harness those turbulent winds and bring it right directly onto rooftops," said Impact Technologies Vice President of Marketing TriciaRae Davis.

The typical wind turbine needs wind speeds of at least seven miles per hour or more to generate electricity, but this one can produce power with speeds of less than three miles per hour. So if this new turbine is the future of green technology, SUNY Oswego could be looked at as innovators of wind technology in an area that has an abundance of it.

"The one we're putting up is going to generate 10 kilowatts of electricity. This goes a long way towards us producing renewable energy on campus and reducing our carbon footprint," said Moore.

The school chose Lee Hall because of the way the wind comes off the lake and hits the building throughout the year. The school hopes to have the wind turbine set up in late summer or early fall.