BOONE – A workshop on small wind energy and solar electric power, and how the two technologies can work well together, will be presented June 24-25 at Appalachian State University’s Renewable Wind Energy Research and Demonstration facility in Beech Mountain.

The public is invited to the workshop, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. It combines classroom lessons and hands-on system installation.

Western North Carolina has some of the highest average annual wind speeds in the United States and three-quarters of a million acres of windy land. The region also has good solar resources.

“The two technologies can work very well together in North Carolina because we tend to have higher winds in the winter and at night when the solar resource is less, and greater solar resource during the midday and in the summer and fall when the winds die down,” said Dennis Scanlin, director of the Western N.C. Renewable Energy Initiative and coordinator of Appalachian’s appropriate technology program.

By combining the two technologies, a small farm or rural property owner can significantly reduce or eliminate their power bill, stimulate the state’s economy by helping support renewable energy businesses, lessen the nation’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, and reduce air pollution created by the burning of fossil fuels, according to Scanlin.

Participants will learn about the natural compatibility of wind and solar resources, how to design and install a photovoltaic/wind hybrid system; the basics of batteries, inverters, photovoltaic modules and mounting systems, wiring, wind turbines and towers; and how to put together an effective system.

Leading the workshop is Shawn Fitzpatrick, an engineer and solar energy specialist for the N.C. Solar Center. He has 10 years of experience in renewable electricity systems and is a leading authority on photovoltaic system design and construction.

Other workshop staff are Scanlin and Brent Summerville, manager and project engineer for the research and demonstration facility and the Western N.C. Renewable Energy Initiative.

The workshop is sponsored by Appalachian, the State Energy Office and N.C. Solar Center.

Cost is $70 for students and $150 for others, which includes continental breakfast and lunch both days, a copy of the N.C. Small Wind Consumers Guide, related reading materials, and an interactive wind map for North Carolina.

To register, call (828) 262-2933 or (828) 262-7333 or visit www.wind.appstate.edu.