Interested homeowners, businesses and contractors will have an opportunity to learn first-hand how to properly site, specify, permit and install a residential-scale wind energy system by participating in a week-long workshop to be held June 18 to 23 and organized by Cape & Islands Self-Reliance.
The workshop is part of a broader workforce development effort of the Cape and Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative, among whose participants are Cape Cod Community College, Cape Cod Economic Development Council, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Clean Energy Design, and the Cape's two regional technical high schools.
‘Wind energy can be a cost-effective energy source for a home or business,’ says Megan Amsler, executive director of Self-Reliance. ‘Interest in wind energy has grown exponentially over the last few years as people see their energy bills continue to rise, conflicts in the Middle East continue without an end in sight, and the predictions of climate change become more and more dire. Wind energy is often an attractive option when people start to weigh their energy choices.’
This six-day apprentice-level workshop (which costs $650 for registrants) will take place on a Monday through Saturday in Harwich, Mass. The workshop classes will take place at the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, and the hands-on installation will be at a nearby residence.
The installation will feature a grid-connected 2.5 kW turbine that will be mounted on a counter-balanced, tilt-up, mono-pole tower. The workshop will be taught by Ian Woofenden (Northwest coordinator for Solar Energy International), Richard Lawrence (director of special projects and education at Cape and Islands Self-Reliance and adjunct professor at Cape Cod Community College), and Tom Wineman (principal and lead installer of Clean Energy Design, Osterville, Mass.).
Online registration and more information can be found on Self-Reliance's Web site at www.reliance.org
