Program helps Utah residents and businesses assess wind potential

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake Community College has taken over the state's Anemometer Loan Program, which provides equipment to measure wind speeds to determine potential wind energy development.

ALP collects data to help assess the economic feasibility of installing a wind turbine for residential, commercial power supplementation or determine the potential for a site to be developed into a wind farm.

Applications for ALP will be evaluated on criteria such as wind speed predictions from existing wind resource maps, favorable topography, accessibility, and proximity to transmission lines.

The most promising sites will be loaned either a 20 or 50 meter meteorological tower equipped to measure wind speed and direction at one or more elevations, typically for one year. Applications for 2012 are now being accepted through June 1, 2012. 

For more information about the program or to apply, visit http://tinyurl.com/slcc-wind or contact Brandon Malman, Anemometer Loan Program manager at 801-957-5405.