The Answer is Blowin' in the Wind 

People who drive by the side of Marywood's campus that skirts Interstate 81 often wonder about the large object they see, resembling an oversized megaphone on a flag pole.

It's a wind turbine, a free-standing unit that harnesses wind energy to power our Aquatics Center. 

The turbine was produced by the WindTamer Corporation and is the company's first in Pennsylvania, as well as its first at a university. You may think it works like a fan, but, as WindTamer explains, "while a fan uses electricity to make wind, a wind turbine uses wind to make electricity. A basic wind turbine consists of a rotor and an electrical generator at the top of a tower. The wind turns the blades, which spins the rotor's shaft. The turning shaft connects to a generator and makes electricity. Wires then deliver the electricity to where it's needed."

Installed in August 2010, Marywood's wind turbine has been doing its job efficiently and can be seen facing any number of directions, depending on which way the wind blows. If it continues to perform as expected, Marywood will consider purchasing up to six additional turbines to provide power to other buildings on campus.