Community Hydro School Curriculum

School Curriculum - Community Hydro can work with your school to promote the benefits of energy conservation (including lower property tax rates) and build support for small-scale hydro power within your city or town. The goal is to work with a small, core group of students or community volunteers interested in math, science and engineering throughout the life of the project. Students would work on real-life project to develop skills for understanding and solving real-world problems:

Year One - Study electrical use in the school. Determine load requirements, electric use and conservation opportunities.

Year Two - Study potential sources of renewable energy to provide part or all of the school's power needs. For hydro, the study would include defining the watershed, developing a flow duration curve, precipitation normals, surveying head at potential sites. Solar and wind studies would include wind speeds, location, solar radiation.

Year Three - Develop technical plan for installation of the chosen renewable energy system. Research engineering requirements of system. Examine sources of financing, permit requirements, potential risks, historical considerations. Present the project to the school board, town leaders, and state government, including the Legislature.

Year Four - System installation.