(University of Iowa) - The Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development (IAWIND), a collaborative project led by the University of Iowa College of Engineering, has received a $3 million, three-year grant from the Iowa Power Fund, a part of the Iowa Office of Energy Independence. The 18-member Iowa Power Fund Board sets the strategic direction for Iowa's clean energy future by identifying goals to achieve desired results. The board voted unanimously to provide the grant.
The grant allows IAWIND, started last year, to continue helping the state attract wind energy companies and related industries in an effort to enhance Iowa's already high position as a U.S. leader in wind-generated energy. Last year, Iowa captured the No. 2 national position in wind energy generation capacity.
According to UI College of Engineering Dean P. Barry Butler, no other state has assembled an alliance that includes industry, state and federal agencies, private colleges, universities and community colleges in a synchronized manner. "Iowa already leads with research university strength, an enviable community college system, one of the strongest collections of independent colleges in the nation, a pro-active economic development environment, and an enviably solid industry base in the state," he said.
The $3 million grant was approved to implement research, education and evaluation of testing needs expressed by numerous wind energy companies. Some elements of the grant have an industry match, while all of the elements will serve to further stimulate wind industry development in Iowa.
Butler explained that research will center on partnerships with industry. Some potential examples include studies in supply chain management, meteorology and icing, grid management and power optimization. The grant will also enable the IAWIND alliance to explore such critical manufacturing areas as gearbox certification, testing new designs and failure assessment of current designs.
"The national goal of 20 percent wind energy by 2030 will require significant growth in the industry and overcoming technical challenges," Butler said. "The nation's wind industry will cluster in regions with a supply of well-educated talent, demonstrated partnerships between academia and industry, and a welcoming business climate. That perfectly fits the state of Iowa."
Butler added that the Midwest -- with Iowa centrally located -- has a unique opportunity to further secure its national prominence in wind energy to become the "Silicon Valley of Wind."
Global wind energy capacity surged by 28.8 percent in 2008 as the United States became the world's leading market, according to an industry survey. The United States and China showed the strongest growth in wind energy as the global electric-generating capacity rose to 120.8 gigawatts at the end of 2008. Wind power accounted for about 42 percent of the new power capacity last year in the United States.