Wind turbine blessing Sept. 22 at JustGoods

From press release

Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, United Methodist Northern Illinois Conference, will bless the alternative energy project at 201 Seventh St., at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Rockford Urban Ministries (RUM), which is supported by the United Methodist of Northern Illinois Conference, placed a new wind turbine and generator on the roof of its fair-trade store, JustGoods.

This is the largest vertical axis wind generator installed in an urban setting, on top of an existing building, and will generate electricity from wind in any direction and any type of airflow. It will be complementary to a 3,000-watt photovoltaic RUM hopes to install in the future. Any electricity not used immediately is put into the energy grid as a credit.

“This should supply electrical energy without the production of pollution or greenhouse gases,” says Stanley Campbell, director of RUM. “This project will hopefully show the viability of small-scale electrical production in an urban business setting.”

United Methodist Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, from Chicago, will lead the blessing. RUM is an outreach of 25 area congregations, mainly United Methodist.

RUM hopes to continue receiving donations to finish the alternative energy projects, including installing an array of solar collectors on the roof.

Lee Schreiner, treasurer of RUM and mastermind of the project, said: “Another $30,000 for a 3-kilowatt solar array should make the building energy neutral. There are many folks who are stepping out in faith.”

Schreiner also helped with the installation of solar collectors at Guilford High School, where he teaches physics.

The wind generator, assembled in Rockford, is placed on the roof that houses non-profit entities RUM, the Total Health Awareness Team and JustGoods, a fair-trade market.

The program is free and open to the public.