News Item
Wind Turbine to Save Money and Energy
October 2010
It’s not a bird or a plane and you
don’t have to be Don Quixote to see the new 80-foot wind turbine
tower that now stands on the grassy knoll between the Rutherford
Elementary School and Monticello High School.
The Bergey 10kW EXCEL turbine was installed in late September as
part of a larger energy conservation plan. Its main purpose is to
generate a percentage of the electricity the high school uses. At
its optimum performance, depending on the quantity, velocity and
direction of wind currents in any given time frame, this single
structure could produce up to 10 percent of the kilowatt hours
utilized by the high school annually. In addition to the energy
savings, the turbine and how it functions will now be a hands-on
part of the high school curriculum in some math, science and
technology classes.
Walking the “Green” Mile
With national attention focused on the
utilization of alternative energy sources, Monticello Schools
Superintendent Dr. Patrick Michel committed the district to making
the wind turbine a reality as one of the ways of accepting this
responsibility on the local level.
“As role models for our children, we need to show them that we are
doing positive things to preserve our planet for their future,” said
Dr. Michel. “We need to be a part of the solution.”
Monticello is the first public institution in Sullivan County to
utilize this technology and district officials will monitor energy
savings during the next year to decide whether it is cost efficient
to install more units. Director of Facilities and Operations, John
Travis, worked with energy project contractor Ameresco and ETM Solar
Works - who was subcontracted to install and maintain the unit until
it is fully operational. At that point, which is projected to be by
the beginning of November, John’s maintenance crews will oversee the
tower.
With the predicted cost savings and virtually no out of pocket
expense, members of the Board of Education thought it was a good
time to embark on this endeavor. And if all goes well, as the
technology improves and advances, perhaps one day upon the rooftops
of the schools, solar panels will be installed.
The wind turbine was paid for by grants and incentives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) combined with cost savings from NYSEG. Once the unit is fully operational, it will require only minimal maintenance. For more information about NYSERDA and its grant funded programs and alternative energy resources, visit www.nyserda.org.
CLICK HERE for this story in the Times Herald-Record.