Renewables

The Nantucket Public Schools are now partially powered by wind. In September 2010, Alteris Renewables constructed a 100-kilowatt turbine between the football field and back parking lot of Nantucket High School through collaborative funding from Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and The Schmidt Family Foundation and donated services from Cape Cod Express, Victor Paving, National Grid and Baines & Jones.

With the extremely favorable wind conditions on Nantucket, the High School’s Northwind 100 direct-drive turbine manufactured in Barre, Vermont, began operating full time November 19, 2010 and as of mid-May 2012 has produced 318,016 kilowatt hours of power. Annually, the turbine has created about 12% percent of the combined annual energy requirement of the Nantucket High School and the Cyrus Peirce Middle School.

As an additional benefit, the wind turbine provides a platform for a renewable energy curriculum in the public school system. A kiosk has been installed to provide students with access to current data regarding the turbine's role in supplying energy to the school.