CA Wins NYSERDA Windmill Grant

From the CCSD Home Page:

“The Canandaigua City School District has won a $752,400 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to fully fund installation of a 50 kW wind generator to provide electrical energy at Canandaigua Academy. District consultants estimate the wind generator has the potential to replace 292,000 kilowatt hours of Canandaigua Academy’s annual energy consumption, yielding an anticipated cost avoidance of $28,235 per year over the unit’s 30-year design life. Preliminary NYSERDA estimates are even higher, $32,210 annually. The installation will also serve as a unique educational model for District students.

“This is very exciting news for the Academy and the school district,” says Superintendent of Schools Don Raw. “Not only will taxpayers benefit from a cost reduction utilizing alternative energy sources, but students will be able to study the machine directly and analyze data regarding energy produced and energy used. The ‘windmill’ will also be a daily reminder of our school district’s commitment to renewable energy and the importance of alternative energy in our country’s economic and political dialogue.”

Approved project details include:

  • Installation of a wind generator rated 50kW, 480V, 3-phase, 4-pole, 60 Hz.
  • Installation of an appropriate feeder circuit from the wind generator to the Academy’s main power distribution switchboard, connected through a new switchboard circuit breaker.
  • Installation of a demonstration kiosk in the Academy to display energy produced by the generator for student, faculty, and visitor use.
  • Creation of a public access website, linked to the school district’s site, displaying the same information as at the demonstration kiosk.


Engineering details, final product design, and placement at the Academy site are still to be determined. “We will work with the Canandaigua community and neighborhood residents to make certain that this is a project to be proud of,” says Superintendent Raw. No timeline for bid procedures or construction has yet been established.

The project is one of just 24 approved for public K-12 schools statewide through a competitive process governed by NYSERDA. 87 projects (out of 427 submissions) were approved, totaling approximately $24 million. Funds for these projects are from the federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act”

School Newspaper Takes Top State Award

Canandaigua Academy’s student newspaper The Cannon came home with the biggest prize from the Empire State School Press Association’s 72nd annual conference in Syracuse on October 23, 2009. The Cannon earned three top prizes: the Gold/All New York Award for Best All-Around Newspaper Publication, Best Online Publication, and for Service to School. It also earned a Silver Award for Layout and Typography Portfolio.

Individual awards went to:

Haley Blanchette (CA Class of ’09) – Gold Award – Feature Photograph
Tommy White (’09) – Silver Award – Editorial
Haley Blanchette: Silver Award – Feature Story
Tommy White: Silver Award – Special Topic/Event Coverage
Mary Hydar (’09): Bronze Award – Sports Feature
Gannon Osborne(’10): Bronze Award – Sports Feature
Zach Dallmeyer-Drennen (’09): Honorable Mention – Editorial
Zach Dallmeyer-Drennen & Haley Blanchette: Honorable Mention – Editorial Page Design
Zach Dallmeyer-Drennen & Skylar Dallmeyer-Drennen (’10): Honorable Mention – Editorial Page Design

Congratulations to all the students involved with The Cannon, and to Cannon Advisor Todd Feldman for a wonderful accomplishment!

The Cannon Website

This post is reprinted from the Canandaigua City School District website.