Welcome to PURE

Community-Based Sustainable Energy Strategies for Dufferin County and the Headwaters Region

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 19, 2004

Shelburne

re: Local High School Unveils PHASE 1 of Energy Awareness and Education Project

The staff and students of CDDHS - Centre Dufferin District High School, and members of PURE - the Power Up Renewable Energy Co-operative, invite you to join us in celebrating the completion of the first phase of the CDDHS Green Power Project, on November 30th, at 2:00pm, at the CDDHS Library, 4th Ave. in Shelburne.

This occasion will mark the first major solar and wind powered renewable energy system to be installed at an Ontario high school. Join us for comments from project participants and partners. Student teams will then be on hand to conduct tours of the solar panel installation. TENTATIVELY scheduled speakers at the event include: Doug Morell - Principal of CDDHS; Jeff Wellman - lead teacher/coordinator of the Project; Matt Fairlie - PURE; Tom Smith - Chief of Operations, Upper Grand District School Board and a SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR from the Office of the Honourable Dwight Duncan, Ontario Minister of Energy.

The Green Power Project includes a 500-Watt Photovoltaic (PV) solar panel array, a 1.5 kW wind turbine on a 13 meter tilt tower, a battery storage system and associated monitoring equipment installed on the grounds of the high school. Students and teachers at the school have assisted in all phases of the project, and will be part of the maintenance and education team associated with the project in the future.

Phase One of the project, the installation of 12 solar panels, batteries and monitors is now complete and is powering the school public display board. Later phases will include a connection to the Ontario power grid, a "net meter" which will allow computer monitoring of energy use in the school, the addition of a solar water heating system and the erection of a wind tower and turbine. Students will monitor the energy system on an ongoing basis, conduct tours for other students and members of the community, collect data and gain valuable hands-on experience with a working renewable energy system.

Ontario’s future must involve the rapid growth of renewable forms of energy generation and significant reductions of our energy use. The Green Power Project offers students, teachers and citizens a fantastic opportunity to learn about our future energy technologies, energy choices and methods of energy conservation.

Our thanks and appreciation go out to our partners and supporters - the Fairfield Group, the Upper Grand District School Board, Canadian Hydro Developers, Hydro One and several other local suppliers. Without the support and contributions provided by these organizations the Green Power Project would not be the exciting educational opportunity it is certain to become.

We believe the Green Power Project will make CDDHS a leader in energy technology in the Ontario school system and we hope other schools will learn from this experience. Please join us to celebrate these first steps and encourage this project as it moves forward.

For more information about PURE and the CDDHS project, please contact:

Randy Dryburgh, PURE / CDDHS Project Coordinator, 519-323-1074, randyjoy@distributel.net
Don Hayward, PURE Board President, 519-925-3286, dhayward@hurontario.net

or visit our website: www.powerupenergy.ca for recent news and announcements