NRG Systems has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Wind Energy Group on a multi-phase project to advance the use of renewable energy at MIT’s campus and further the science of remote sensing with laser-based technologies. The MIT Wind Energy Group, an on-campus organization that addresses global wind energy challenges through fact-based research, analysis and education, initiated the partnership after meeting with NRG Systems’ employees last year at an energy career fair.
“NRG Systems is a name synonymous with wind resource assessment here in the U.S.,” says Katherine Dykes, vice president of the MIT Energy Club and founder of the group. “Their reputation, in addition to their role in developing new technology such as lidar, makes them an ideal partner for MIT.”
Along with Kathy Araujo, current group president, Dykes has been leading the project that should culminate in the installation of small-scale wind turbines on MIT’s campus. Last month NRG Systems’ employees Larry Jacobs and Emeric Rochford installed measurement equipment on an existing light tower at the MIT athletic fields to begin collecting wind resource data. This will be followed by deployment of a WINDCUBE™ lidar remote sensor, a laser-based sensor that provides 200-meter vertical wind profiles, and a 34-meter meteorological tower. Installations will support student research in the fields of wind measurement and renewable energy. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the MIT Wind Group on this initiative,” says Jacobs, NRG Systems’ marketing manager. “Not only does it deepen scientific understanding of lidar, it also supports ongoing innovation and technological advancement in the field of wind resource assessment.”
NRG Systems is an independently owned company that has served the global wind energy industry for 27 years. Its wind measurement systems and turbine control sensors can be found on every continent in more than 130 countries. The Wind Group of the MIT Energy Club was founded in the summer of 2008 with the mission of bringing together people within MIT and the broader community who are interested in all aspects of wind energy. For more information go to www.nrgsystems.com or www.mit.edu.
