07.12.07
Tremough students given unique opportunity for wind research

Staff and students from the University of Exeter’s Tremough Campus, Penryn, are being given unlimited access to a new wind turbine cluster. The renewable energy department from Camborne School of Mines is teaming up with Cornwall Light & Power to carry out a series of research projects on the new Roskrow Barton wind cluster, near Penryn.

The University, which runs the UK’s first undergraduate degree in Renewable Energy, has been given unlimited access to Roskrow Barton by Cornwall Light & Power. Staff and students are installing sensors during the construction of the turbines so they can monitor the mechanical properties of the structures. They are also being given access to the data system, which gives information on the amount of energy being produced. With the life of the cluster expected to be at least 20 years, the potential for research is enormous.

Dave Parish of the University of Exeter’s Camborne School of Mines said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our staff and students. The access to the site and the data acquisition system will greatly enhance the students’ understanding of wind energy conversion. Additionally the many research opportunities created by this offer of access will allow this University to make a significant contribution to the continuing development of wind energy conversion. By being involved in this project right from the start, we will be able to carry out long-term studies on many aspects of wind power. This partnership has a great potential and it is much to their credit that Cornwall Light & Power are looking to the future by promoting such research.”

Cornwall Light & Power predicts that the two turbines will produce 5,500 megawatt hours of clean electricity a year, equivalent to the annual electricity use of 1,100 Cornish households. The electricity will go into Western Power’s network via underground cabling. Allowing six months to repay the carbon debt involved in manufacturing the two turbines, the project will produce carbon-free electricity for the rest of its working life, expected to be at least 20 years.

Cornwall Light & Power Chief Executive, Neil Harris said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity of enabling University of Exeter students to gain first-hand experience of working with wind turbines. These will be the highly-qualified recruits for renewable energy as the sector continues to expand.”

The University of Exeter’s Camborne School of Mines (CSM) launched the first undergraduate degree in Renewable Energy in 2003. The majority of its graduates are employed in the renewable energy sector. CSM was founded in 1888 and became part of the University of Exeter in 1993. CSM has an international reputation for research and teaching related to the understanding and management of the Earth's natural processes, resources and the environment. Its portfolio of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree programmes provide an excellent basis for careers, in the UK or overseas, within the Earth resources, civil engineering, environmental and energy sectors. CSM is based at the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus, near Penryn, Cornwall, which is shared with University College Falmouth as part of the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) initiative.

For further information please contact Sarah Hoyle, Press Officer, University of Exeter, on 01392 262062 or email s.hoyle@exeter.ac.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) project, both Phase 1 and Phase 2, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). University of Exeter is a partner of the CUC.

Editor's notes:

Clare Morgan
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