Norfolk Aggie students learn about clean energy – News – Milford Daily News

WALPOLE — When Norfolk County Agricultural High School students return to school this fall, they’ll find a striking new addition to the school grounds – a 50-foot-high wind turbine.

The turbine was assembled by students and staff as part of the Aggie Clean Energy Corps, which has been running throughout the summer. Twenty-nine students – including some from Framingham, Milford and Franklin – and three teachers participated in the program.

In its first year, the Corps is funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, said teacher John Lee.

“(The students) love it,” Lee said. “They’re outside, and they’re learning something they care about.”

The Skystream turbine – which was raised on July 18 – has generated 3 kilowatt hours of power so far, said Julia Lee. Julia, a student in the program and John Lee’s daughter, said she originally went to the school to work with plants, but shifted gears after electrical projects drew her attention.

“The wind turbine was the crowning moment,” she said, noting the project began during the school year and progressed into July. “It was all hands on deck.”

Fellow student Courtney Imbaro said she heard about the program during the winter, and that she had an intense interest in the topic. Imbaro, of Plainville, said working hands-on with the technology was helpful, as it allowed her to see how concepts taught in the classroom complement each other.

“They’re like puzzle pieces,” she said.

Though the wind turbine is the most prominent aspect of this summer’s work, other projects took place as well. Another looks to use solar energy to provide hot water to the school’s plant science and environmental science building. Walpole student Trevor Marshall said placing a frame for solar panels on an exterior wall proved difficult, as students had to secure it without hitting the water pipes on the other side.

Other students were at work placing solar panels on a model roof – something intended as a demonstration of the energy the panels can generate. Teacher Benjamin Polito said during a recent day’s activities that students were trying to figure out how to place the six panels on the roof.

“With any construction, nothing’s truly square,” he said, adding that the panels themselves needed an exactly square space.

John Lee said students suggested things that the array could power, including Christmas lights and an inflatable tube man. He noted that although the panels are not the newest available, they are still remarkably efficient when compared to older models.

The program has also taken the students on trips, Lee said, with one sending them to Rhode Island’s Block Island, which has a sizable offshore array of wind turbines.

“We took the students there to show them that this isn’t just theory – it’s working,” he said.

Julia noted that those turbines contribute to the environment in another way, as their bases act as a coral reef, creating a new underwater habitat.

Linda Radzvilla, the school’s vocational assistant principal, said she is pleased with the program’s presence at Norfolk Aggie.

“I’m beside myself – I think this is the best thing we could be doing,” she said. “This is really where we think the future workforce is going, but it’s also good for the planet.”

Mike Gleason can be reached at 508-316-2809 or mgleason@wickedlocal.com. For news throughout the day, follow him on Twitter @MGleason_MDN.