Biodiesel wins Sunsmart E-shelters Grant

Today the Key West High School Alternative Energy Center recieved news that it has earned yet another grant, this time from The Florida Solar Energy Center. The grant is worth at least 50,000 dollars and was written by students Cole Acevedo and Zack Harden.
This money will be used to install a large solar array on the school grounds, making Key West High School the first school in the state to have such a setup.

Students replace filter

Today, students changed out the filter on the biodiesel car. Pictured is the old filter as well as the remnants of what it helped clean out from the engine.

The biodiesel serves a dual purpose, while it helps keep the enviroment clean, it also helps keep the engine clean by getting rid of much of the excess material conventional gas has left behind.

Working Hard

Some of the hardest workers in during these series of projects is the group digging the hole in order to place the sign next to the turbine. Digging the hole under the hot sun is difficult work but the group is persevering and plans on having their work done soon.

Back to work...Again

The biodiesel portion of this class has come around again; this session will focus on finishing projects that were started earlier in the year, including:

Work on the biodiesel car

Finishing the houses that will be used in an experiment to test the efficency of the new "Peel and stick" PV sheets verses traditional bolted solar arrays

Finishing the walls that will surround both the gas pumping station as well as the grease storage area

Additionally,a few new projects go along with the one of the centers lessons:that green energy can also be beatiful. A few of these projects are:

Continuing to beautify the front of the biodiesel building by staining the concrete

Making a sign to thank the State Farm Youth Advisory Board for their grant

Turbine Officially Running

Key West High School has officially become the first high school in Florida to have a grid connected turbine following the opening ceremony on Saturday, March 20th. After the ribbon was cut, tours were given of the biodiesel center, and lunch was served in view of the turbine.

Sign commemorates the unveiling of Colbert Wind Turbine

A group of Alternative Energy Center students consisting of Madison Disson, Emily DeRoche and Michael Commander finished their work on a sign that will be placed next to the turbine in order to properly label it.The official opening of the turbine will take place on March 20th at 4 o'clock in front of the turbine; all friends, family and members of the community are invited to attend. It is not yet known who will do the ribbon cutting during the ceremony.

Starting up again

Today, the members of the Energy Center are happy to working on their biodiesel projects once again following a short period of regular class. During this time, the students made their own biodiesel as well as going over a chapter on momentum. All projects that were in progress have been started back up, including building the planter boxes, working on the biodiesel-powered car as well as doing a general clean up in order to get the building looking neat again.