Wind Turbines Enhance Sustainability Program

Top two photos by Jane Feldman '74.

Thanks to a generous gift from Dick Barzin ’49, Darrow is now the proud owner of four SWIFT Wind Turbines. The small-scale turbines, only 7 feet in diameter but capable of generating up to 1.5 kW at peak production, were installed on the roof of the Science Building on May 14. Not only will they help the School offset some of its approximately $65,000 a year in electricity costs, but, like the Living Machine, Darrow’s all-natural wastewater-treatment facility, the turbines are a visible testament to the School’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

For Dick, the donation is both a short-term and a long-range solution, the effects of which will be felt almost immediately -- and for years to come. “Darrow’s sustainability program is unique, and the School is doing a good job of demonstrating interest and expertise in this area. It’s a big topic right now nationwide, so this should help continue to attract new families,” he notes. “[And] you can produce information that’s not only available to Darrow and its students, but to local businesses. Now you not only have an energy program, but you can even look for grants. What we’re doing is taking an educational and fund-raising concept that is very intangible and trying to demonstrate it in a tangible way.”

Darrow has planned host of new sustainability initiatives, to complement the many that are already in place. On Saturday, June 19, during Reunion Weekend, Head of School Nancy Wolf and Director of the Samson Environmental Center Craig Westcott introduced the community to some of these initiatives and the fund-raising efforts that will help to support them. Stay tuned for progress updates!