In addition to saving the campus energy and money, the electrical mini-generators are providing an opportunity for upper division engineering students to get some hands-on experience in studying energy and the environment.

"We want to celebrate the installation of the first introduction of distributed generation in the California State University system and at CSUN," said Hildo Hernandez, director of Northridge's Physical Plant Management. "CSUN is a pace setter in promoting not only low-cost energy, but also clean air and clean technology used in support of our educational program. And we are particularly pleased that this project also includes an opportunity for our engineering students to study distributed electrical power generation."

The dedication ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. in the university's Physical Plant Management building at the northeast corner of Etiwanda Avenue and Plummer Street.

Among those on hand to celebrate the installation of the electrical mini-generators will be Norman Chambers, chief operating officer of Woodland Hills-based Capstone Turbine Corp., which manufactured the microturbines, as well as representatives from the Air Quality Management District, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the CSU Chancellor's Office.

"Our microturbines have won high interest from municipalities, government entities and business operations throughout the United States, and CSUN represents the first, large educational institution to implement the system," Chambers said. "We are very pleased that CSUN is further using our technology to develop an exciting collaborative teaching and learning experience."

Cal State Northridge is the first major institution of higher education in the state to use the microturbines and is considered a leader in energy conservation among universities across the country.

The Coalition for Clean Air recently praised the university for its use of alternative fuels, citing the installation of the microturbines as an example.

The microturbines, which were installed at the university earlier this year and are valued at $315,000, are reducing CSUN's reliability on California's fragile electrical grid as well as saving the campus money. They are about the size of a refrigerator and look surprisingly like the hard drive of a personal computer. Each generates about 30 kilowatts of electricity.

A preliminary analysis indicated that CSUN can expect to save, conservatively, about $39,000 in energy bills per year through their use.

This fall, about 10 mechanical engineering students studied the microturbines and will eventually do some environmental testing on the units. Other classes also will use the microturbines for "real world" and hands-on experience in distributed electrical power generation, including design projects as well as problem solving.

California State University, Northridge has more than 30,000 full- and part-time students and offers 59 bachelor's and 41 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the third largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges recently said CSUN "stands as a model to other public urban institutions of higher education."