DYSART -- One of Black Hawk County's parks will soon be getting some of its electrical power from nature.

Students with the University of Northern Iowa's electrical and information engineering technology and manufacturing technology programs have installed a station using three forms of renewable energy at Hickory Hills Park.

Power from the wind, sun and water will help run the lights, cabins and recreational vehicle hookups at the park, which is located north of Dysart.

"If the weather is sunny, it's going to generate power from the sun. If its windy, it's going to generate from the wind, and the water is always there," said Recayi "Reg" Pecen, the industrial technology professor who coordinated the project.

When the alternative power plant is hooked up to the park's wiring sometime in the near future, the park will continue to buy power from the rural electrical cooperative where it has been getting its energy.

But it will cut Hickory Hills' dependence on outside power, maybe by as much as 30 percent, according to some estimates.

"Depending on the number of windy and sunny days, $3,000 to $4,380 could be saved each year," Pecen said.

The cooperative receives its energy from nuclear and coal-fired plants, Pecen said, and widespread use of renewable energy will reduce pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

"Hopefully it's going to promote more clean air technology in Iowa," he said.

Located next to the dam at the end of the park's lake, the power station boasts two solar panels that contribute 1.2 kilowatts and a 3.2w kilowatt wind turbine generator.

Buried under the dam is a hydroelectric unit that brings in another .5 kilowatts.

The project was in the works for three years and was paid for by a private donor through the UNI Foundation and the Iowa Energy Center. The county Conservation Board is a partner in the endeavor.

Area businesses like Young's Heating and Plumbing also made contributions and loaned materials and equipment.

Undergraduate students have been supplying the elbow grease.

"We did a lot of extra work because we wanted to be a part of this," said Eric Webb, who graduated from the electrical and information engineering technology program in May and now works as a manufacturing engineer at John Deere. "A lot of this is our own time."

Webb identifies with the concept of being self sufficient because he grew up on a farm.

Before choosing a location, organizers collected data from area parks to see where it would be feasible to set up the wind turbine, Pecen said.

Some places don't have enough wind to justify building windmills, but the study showed Hickory Hills was ideal.

"It turned out to be very good wind potential, Pecen said.

The park has an average wind speed of 7 to 10 mph and can go as high as 40 mph, he said.

The next step will be teaching park visitors about the system.

To this end Celeste Geralds, an UNI art student from Marion, is creating an educational display that will be erected in the park.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.