Let Holy Name’s Building Begin!

Holy Name Central Catholic Jr. Sr. High School is moving forward, or should we say upward? The city of Worcester has issued the Diocese of Worcester a special permit for construction of its 600kW wind turbine at the school.

The special permit has finalized the location of the turbine and the equipment associated with the construction of the project on the Holy Name campus. The permit also serves as the final public approval needed before construction can begin. Holy Name, through the Diocese of Worcester, has hired Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. (SED) to do everything wind turbine related from the feasibility study in the summer of 2006 all the way through the completion of the structure and the first turn of the blades, which is expected in July of 2008.

Mary Riordan, President of Holy Name, started the process working with the students from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, who studied the initial feasibility analysis, and applied for funding from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) in August of 2006.

The diocese was awarded that funding in November of 2006 and, along with SED, has been proceeding through the permitting process, project design, and wind turbine selection since that time. The issuing of the special permit for construction has brought the process to present day. “This is a proud moment for Holy Name as well as the Diocese of Worcester as we continue to strive to be good stewards of our environment,” said Mrs. Riordan, “The educational value generated for both our students and the community is priceless.”

The equipment is currently en route from the Port of Chennai, India, and is expected to arrive on site in May, at which time SED will immediately begin building. The project, as it moves in to the construction phase, has already received half of the funding needed. Although the Diocese of Worcester has agreed to lend Holy Name the remaining funds needed, the goal is to have a fully funded project, so Mrs. Riordan is still on the fundraising trail for the remaining 50%.

“The site is perfect for SED,” said Kevin Schulte, co-founder and vice president of Business Development for SED. “Not only will the wind turbine be used for educational purposes now and for years to come, but we also get to put up a wind turbine in a city the size of Worcester, which helps in our efforts to continue the awareness of the need for renewable energy, especially wind power, in the northeastern United States.”