Ontario High School Harnesses the Wind and Sun

Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS) in Shelburne to unveil solar and wind powered turbine on Earth Day

Shelburne (April 15, 2005) On Earth Day (April 22nd), Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS) in Shelburne will celebrate an Ontario first, unveiling the first solar and wind powered renewable energy system to be installed at an Ontario secondary school.

"Earth Day seemed like the perfect time to celebrate what we call the Green Power Project" said Doug Morrell, principal of the school. "This project has been an amazing educational opportunity for our students, one that not only provides a great learning, but that will also helps to reduce global warming." Students from the school’s Environmental Club will host and moderate the Earth Day unveiling event at 1:00 PM, on April 22, at the high school, which is located at 150 Fourth Ave., in Shelburne.

Members of the public are encouraged to join the celebration. Donna Cansfield, MPP for Etobicoke Centre and Parliamentary Assistant to Energy Minister Dwight Duncan, will be a featured speaker at the event. Attending will be many of the project supporters, including representatives from PURE, the Upper Grand District School Board, the Fairfield Group, EcoAction, Hydro One, Canadian Hydro Developers, and Fines Home Hardware.

Jeff Wellman, a Physics teacher at CDDHS highlights the importance of these partners: "Without the support and contributions provided by these organizations the Green Power Project simply would not exist," he said. "Our school could never do this alone."

"Investing in our schools is an investment into the health and wellness of our students," said Minister of Energy, Dwight Duncan. "The Green Power Project is a prime example of Ontario’s conservation culture in action and the role clean, green, renewable energy will play in Ontario’s future".

The Green Power Project started a year ago, with the donation of a 1 kW wind turbine and 12 Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels to the school by The Power Up Renewable Energy Co-operative (PURE Co-op), a Shelburne community group. PURE also provided students with the expertise required to set up the solar panel array and to engineer the installation of the wind turbine.

"Solar and wind technologies will be part of their future," said Matthew Fairlie, a director of PURE and the original owner of the system. "The best place to learn about renewable energy is in school. And the best time to learn about it is now."

Students and staff from the school dismantled the wind turbine at its original location and helped re-erect it on the school roof. The school Construction class built the supports needed for the solar panels and catwalks to protect the roof. Students in Physics classes 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.

"Part of what is so exciting," said Mark Greenfield, a technical teacher, "is that the students who work on the system learn that creating green energy is neither magical nor beyond their capabilities. They begin to understand the principals behind renewable energy and to see that solar and wind systems make sense for homeowners as energy prices go up."

CDDHS is proud of its renewable energy system, but the school is not stopping there. A "smart meter" has been installed which will allow computer monitoring of energy use in the school and enable students to measure the results of classroom energy reduction initiatives. The success of the Green Power Project has also encouraged a number of other future possibilities - solar water heaters and wind turbines built in-house by Technical classes, fund raising efforts to increase the number of solar panels, and the sale of "Green Credits" to represent the green house gas emissions avoided by producing power using solar and wind technology.

"Everybody is in favour of Earth Day that’s easy," said Chris Cosask, a member of the CDDHS Environmental club. "It’s a lot tougher to show people that it is possible to produce power in an environmentally friendly way. That’s what the Green Power Project tries to do."

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For more information, contact:

Randy Dryburgh, CDDHS Project Coordinator, 519-323-1074, randyjoy@distributel.net

Richard Procter, PURE Board President, 705-434-1175, info@powerupenergy.ca

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

Local High School Unveils PHASE 1 of Energy Awareness and Education Project - November 19, 2004

PURE and CDDHS Partner on Renewable Energy Project - April 15, 2004

PURE Inaugural Meeting - February 28, 2004

PURE - First Press Release & Backgrounder - January 12, 2004