Harvard is planning to install small-scale wind turbines on top of the Holyoke Center and a parking garage, according to a media report.

While the wind turbines are not expected to generate a significant amount of electricity for Harvard, they will function as “outward symbols of our commitment to renewable energy and sustainability here on campus,” James Gray, associate vice president for Harvard real estate services told The New York Times.

Small-scale wind turbines, which are installed on top of approximately 3,000 American homes, are generally not economically feasible, according to a recent report by the American Wind and Energy Association. Electricity generated by such turbines can cost as much as $1.50 per kilowatt hour, compared to between 10 and 50 cents for normal wind power.

In addition, small-scale turbines installed in cities have lower productivity due to interference and intermittent wind, according to a recent report released by the Carbon Trust, a British-funded group that helps companies reduce their carbon emissions .

Still, the idea of installing wind turbines atop buildings in Harvard Square drew praise from some at Harvard, who said that the turbines can be used to send a message about the importance of renewable energy.

“Symbols are important,” said Center for the Environment Director Daniel P. Schrag, a professor of earth and planetary sciences. “Putting [the turbines] in a very public place will help people get used to them, to realize that they are cool and we want them here.”

The prospective wind turbine installations are part of a larger campus focus on sustainability and carbon emissions. In an announcement made earlier this summer by Faust, committed Harvard to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent below 2006 levels by 2016.

"It's great that Harvard is trying these [turbines] and seeing what can happen” said Spring Greeney '09, a former co-chair of the Environmental Action Committee.

While small-scale wind turbines are the first step, Schrag said that much work remains if Harvard is to actually use renewable energy to cover a significant share of its energy needs.

"It is important to realize that [the turbines] are symbolic, and are not an alternative to doing something more substantive,” Schrag said. “We need to think about how Harvard can change how electricity is generated in the region.”

—Staff writer Natasha S. Whitney can be reached at nwhitney@fas.harvard.edu.