Vermont Business Magazine
Dec. 14, 2009

Stafford Technical Center is as successful as it is today largely in part to the strong relationships it has cultivated with area businesses and the local community. Through the Cooperative Education Program, Students at the Stafford Technical Center receive hands-on, on-site job experience that will prepare them to be vital and contributing members of the community.

Trust, responsibility, fun, freedom and professional relationships are the five ingredients that make up the Stafford Experience. Students are given the opportunity to earn college credit while they are in high school, in addition to the chance to complete an industry certification or license that can be immediately relevant to employment opportunities following completion of Stafford program. Fun is also key in the Stafford Experience. Many students will point out that the freedom they have to pursue their own projects, find their own success and work within the community on site is what makes Stafford so fun and enjoyable.

A great example is the project that is currently underway on Route 7. The town of Rutland is working towards completing one of the largest solar project in the state. CVPS, ReKnew Energy Systems Inc. and CV Solar and Wind are overseeing the construction project with the assistance of students from Stafford Technical Center. This unique and community orientated project highlights the Stafford Experience while at the same time bringing the community the benefit of solar energy.

Educational emphasis has been put on every aspect of this project by CVPS and Stafford. Several parts of the project were planned by the Stafford students, from the landscape design to the signage and shed that will be on site. Stafford’s Landscaping and Forestry students removed trees and redesigned the surrounding area for the project. Stafford’s Electrical and Plumbing students are constructing and installing the solar panels. Architecture students designed the shed that will serve as the educational headquarters for the site after the completion of the project. The collaboration between the students and the community has been mutually beneficial for all involved. The students have received a unique learning opportunity, and the town of Rutland has been provided with a cutting edge solar site.

The site is aimed at being the top educational site in the state for renewable energy. The solar project will provide an example of what a solar energy collector can look like, how it can benefit a community, and how it can be constructed. The clear visibility from the road will help to educate and create awareness to passersby that solar energy is a clean and renewable source that can also be aesthetically pleasing. These features were designed by Students during their landscape and architectural planning. In order for the project to get underway a large section of trees had to be removed. The Stafford Forestry students tackled this challenge and also developed a plan to replace the trees that were lost elsewhere on site. The students learned by looking through the soil after the trees were removed that the area used to be farmland. Old tools and pieces of scrap metal were found in the soil and provided the Stafford students with an archaeological learning opportunity.

Stafford’s architecture students worked on the project from the classroom. They worked together to plan and design the shed that will be on site and will serve as the educational headquarters for the project. Given just the basics of what purpose the shed would need to serve, they let their own creativity and knowledge of architectural detail do the rest. Through planning and teamwork a plan for a shed that closely resembles a sugarhouse was born.

Everything from the dimensions of the building to the window placement was strategically planned by the students. The shed will blend into the landscape of the site and be the headquarters for measuring and maintaining the panels. The energy produced will be measured at the shed and the basics of solar energy and how it works will be presented in an educational manner from the building.

Once completed, the project will include about 256 solar panels organized onto 33 post-mounted arrays. Walkways will be constructed to allow school groups, community members, and passersby to embark on an educational tour of a fully functioning solar site. One that CVPS, ReKnew Energy, CV Solar and Wind, the Stafford students and the community as a whole can be very proud of.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20090728/NEWS04/907280355

This project serves educational as well as practical roles in electricity generation.  It was designed to be highly visible by the public and will be used extensively as an educational site for STC.  This solar array will complement a nearby hydroelectric station, Glen Station.