Winter has played havoc with our class schedule here at ACWHCC, but our work doesn’t stop as we address issues and move the district forward.
Our Building and Grounds Committee has been studying the replacement of our emergency generator which is original equipment from circa 1973. This generator is failing and is not capable of running all our vital systems. A new larger generator will be purchase-cost effective, able to meet the new code requirements, and will be large enough to power the needed systems in an emergency. The replacement process has been approved by our Board of Education (Feb., 2010).
Currently we are working on a solar energy project which will provide us with an alternative energy source that can provide up to fifteen percent of our present energy needs. Contrary to what you might imagine, we are in an ideal location to take advantage of solar energy and the Board of Education recently entered into a contract with NexGen Energy to study the feasibility of the project. If the study results are positive, our initial investment of $9,500 will give us a rooftop “array” of photovoltaic solar panels which will be acquired, installed, operated, and maintained by NexGen Energy. We will purchase the power generated by these solar panels at a lower rate than we now pay and we will enjoy a fixed rate of cost for this energy though the rate will be subject to small scheduled cost increases over the next ten years. Also, over this ten years, our original $9,500 investment will be returned to us through energy credits. The project offers educational benefits, too, via a live data system with online capabilities that could be accessed via our website and curriculum support for teachers who wish to incorporate alternative energy topics into their classes or programs.
The solar energy topic leads to my next topic which is our evolving efforts to incorporate advanced energy technology into our courses of study. We originally considered a stand-alone advanced energy program but now believe green energy concepts can be successfully introduced into current programming. This would mean a quicker start-up and would meet our goal of having our students study and understand the concepts and technical applications for renewable energy systems. For example, Resource Conservation students may be able to attain a waste water treatment certification and they could also work with hydroponics while Construction Technology students may study green residential applications such as solar panels and other alternative power systems. There are many other possible applications for programs and classes which leads us to believe this is the direction we should take.
This is just a brief update on what is happening at ACWHCC at the moment. I am sure there will be much more activity as we near the end of the school year.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.
2/22/2010