Interested in Sponsoring KWHS Alternative Energy Program?

The Key West High School Alternative Energy Center has gotten the approval to have formal sponsorship from businesses and individuals. If you may be interested in sponsorsing our energy-friendly attempt to make a difference in the world, be sure to contact us through our Head Honcho, Josh Clearman, at josh.clearman@keysschools.com

We would be honored to promote your product! Just give us some of your stuff and we'll put your name out everywhere!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Exciting news for the KWHS Biodiesel Program!

Breaking news coming to you straight from the news-makers themselves; US!

Taken from their website,
the Yankee Freedom II was
on the cover of the EPA's
(Environmental ProtectionAgency)
magazine. 

The Yankee Freedom II is the fastest, largest and newest state-of-the-art vessel that takes passengers from Key West to Fort Jefferson Dry Tortugas National Park. With the help ouf our Key West High School Biodiesel program, we assisted the ferry in its competition to be named the National Park Sevice's Official Key West Ferry to the Dry Tortugas Because of the damage boats are causing to our reefs and especially to the Dry Tortugas, it was decided that only one boat was allowed to transfer visitors out to the islands. The NPS issued a prospectus soliciting proposals for this contract in May 2008 and received four proposals. The proposals were analyzed by a panel of NPS concession specialists and industry subject matter experts. The panel operated under the provisions of the 1998 National Park Service Concessions Management Improvement Act, and applied the selection factors described in detail in the prospectus. Yankee Roamer VIII, L.L.C.'s proposal was selected by the panel as the "best proposal." (Credit to http://www.yankeefreedom.com/dry-tortugas-official-ferry.htm for official information)

We are so proud to have been a part of such a big deal in our community and we have some great news for our very own classroom. Because of our help and support, they are donating $20,000 to our program! The class was pleased to help them without any reward, but we are so grateful for their generous donation! There will be a "big check" ceremony for us in the coming weeks, where we will be presented the money as a class. We are so excited and we will be sure to post pictures!

If you'd like to read more about the Yankee Freedom II and their unique ferry, check out their website at

http://www.yankeefreedom.com/



Long time, no blog...

1st and 2nd period biodiesel has been behind on blogging and we sincerely apologize. I have been out a lot the past couple weeks, but I am back and ready to inform you of our progress.

Last week, the class took a trip to Home Depot to purchase a ton of items for our new and continuing projects. The class bought things from a huge toolbox, which Clearman has "always wanted and needed", to bugspray. Every project needed something to get it started or to keep it going, and our school district acknowleged that. Clearman filled out his paperwork, acquired the cash, and we went all out. Each team went right to work with their newly attained products and tools.

The planter box team is working hard and going strong. They are painting the concrete to also provide shade to the building and lower the air conditioning costs.They have fully completed each box and have primarily finished painting the concrete.

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Planter box team members Jack and Mary work hard to
finish painting the concrete outside the building.

As an added bonus, the planter box team purchased two "water balls", which they fill up with water
and it drains into the box. They are also solar powered lights that fend away unwanted visitors at night.
They charge up during the daytime and light up at night.

The car team is awaiting the car's new paint job, but in the meantime, they are helping Clearman clean up the back area where the biodiesel tanks are. They are also assisting the rain barrel/concrete team finish up their project, which is the barrel that connects to the rain catcher and air conditioning and brings the water to one of the palm trees in our planter boxes.

Amongst the car teams' small projects while they're paitently waiting for their beloved car
is putting together Clearman's toolbox. The teams' two Brandons work together to begin building it.

The car team is also working on a piping system for the storage
and release of our bidodiesel.

The paint team is continuing their murals and making the outside of our classroom beautiful! As of right now, they are repainting the planter boxes and will soon begin on their painting of the barrel.

Painting experts Eva and Arielle  working hard to make our classroom pretty!

Last, but ceratinly not least, is the roofing team. They are almost done with their house model and within the next week should begin building the actual roof for it. Explained in earlier blogs, Jeremiah had an idea to create a curved roof that would have one side painted white to absorb sunlight in the day and one side black to absorb heat in the night. Pictures to come later!

And the energy keeps on rolling;

Hello again fellow blog followers! Savanna Booth reporting with a brief update on what is happening in the world of alternative energy.

As the days get hotter, the skies get bluer, and our students get busier. All of our projects are making way and getting closer and closer to their end. Every day is a new challenge for the students, making the projects a little more interesting. And with the school year ending in less than two months, deadlines are starting to pick up!



Today, the Solar Panel girls, Bianca Almero, Victoria Albury, and Danielle Meriscal, acquired, not only their panels, but the administrators golf cart. As you recall, the girls are planning on converting the golf cart to solar energy, using the panel they will attach to the roof. This is going to be a tedious project so be sure to check in frequently on updates!





Even during this time of summer heat, our students are not afraid to get down and dirty! Joey Mercurio, Otto Irwin, and John Leonard are digging holes and securing rods for our biodiesel tank to be tied down. A pretty good project to take on, especially with hurricane season right around the corner. Each hole takes 4 - 6 bags of concrete, and each bag is 60 pounds. That is 240 - 360 pounds of concrete this guys are pouring into each hole. Such hardworking men!



Even I was able to get down and dirty with the guys and mix concrete!

I apologize for such a short blog, however it was time for an update! More information will be coming soon along with photo's and possibly sponsorship information. Thank you again for following up on all of our projects and any donations you might have made. If you haven't made a donation and would like to, contact Josh Clearman at josh.clearman@keysschools.com. Thank you again!

Dream girls AKA painter girls?



L-R: Taylor Averette, JT Mathis and Alexis Averette are all smiles and
satisfied with their completed project! 



Watch out, next on the spotlight in 5th and 6th period are the painter girls! Cousins, TAYLOR AVERETTE and ALEXIS AVERETTE with JA'TAURE MATHIS' project are to paint one of the biodiesel bay doors. They not only paint but also provide the class with our usual entertainment with Taylor as the talented happy-go-lucky artist, Alexis as the voice of reason and brains of the operation and JT as hardworking team member ready to get the job of the day done. During class hours you can catch them singing and lighting up everyones moods with their little antics. The finished product is a beaut! These creative group of girls have incorporated light colors in the artwork so the room will be more cooler since dark colors absorb more heat. Lighter surfaces reflect less sunlight therefore producing less heat than darker colors.The girls experienced hardships in chipping off atleast 5 layers of paint lasting the whole semester last year which they weren't enthusiastic about but still put their game face on and completed the task at hand. Once they designed the basics of the artwork they were going to do, they began to outline it with a marker over a white background and started painting using light colors. It took the girls about 2-3 months to finish painting. Below is a photo of the finished masterpiece:

 “The possibilities of creative effort connected with the subconscious mind are stupendous and imponderable. They inspire one with awe.” - Napoleon Hill

Car troubles?

The Mercedes is at a standstill, ladies and gents.

Because of the car's age, it is really struggling these days. It is a 1985 that was converted to a biodiesel engine in 2008. The engine conversion suprisingly makes the car run better, but its age is slowing it down. On Friday, the car would not stop running. Even with the key out, it was still going. Eventually the fuel ran out and the car stopped, but it is still having some complications. Today, the team figured out it is the ignition switch that is broken and they are working out the kinks so they can drive it to the shop at lunch to finally get painted! Woo hoo! Pictures will be up as soon as the paint job is finished and status updates on other projects will be available as well!

Our version of "renewable resources"

A new project is in the works here in the KWAEC: the cistern. The AC unit on the side of the building discharges a lot of water, so the cistern team in first and second period biodiesel class has decided to connect a pipe to the leaking unit and run it to the cistern. From the cistern there will be another pipe that will run to one of the planter boxes for a cheaper and more efficient way to water them. The palm tree in the planter box will grow larger with the new watering system and provide more shade for the building, which in turn will lower heating costs.

The cistern and half of the team. They're pressure-washing the cistern to get rid of the dirt marks and prepare it for a paint job!

The planter box that the AC unit water will be nurishing. The tree is already growing strong, imagine if it was getting watered constantly! The building would have great shading.