Business Leadership Program Visits Grasso Tech

About 30 employees from the region visited Ella T. Grasso Southeastern Technical High School Thursday to learn more about renewable energy, discuss its costs and impact on jobs, and see what the school is teaching students about the industry.

The day-long event was part of the 2010-2011 Leadership Program of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, where businesses send their employees to an 8-hour session, once a month, to learn about a topic. After attending sessions for one year, employees become planners for students the following year.

Meghan Akeman, manager of programs and events for the chamber, said the group opted to hold the event at Grasso Tech because of the school's programs on renewable energy.

"We picked this location because of Grasso Tech's green energy programs, particularly the wind turbine, " she said.

Two years ago, Electrical Instructor Jamie Lamitie worked for almost half a year with 16 students to install solar panels at the school's greenhouse and a wind turbine to generate power. The students, then sophomores, are now seniors.

Groton Utilities bought the wind turbine, then donated it to the school. The solar panels and turbine combined generate about enough electricity to power a small house.

"The electricity is fed into the greenhouse," Lamitie explained. "Whatever the green house doesn't use, is used by the school."

Thre's never enough to send out beyond the school, but Lamitie said the purpose of the instruments isn't to maximize power, but to teach.

"Right now, there's no apprenticeship training for renewable energy, so it's difficult for contractors to find anyone with experience," he said. But Lamitie said unless you've actually installed a solar panel, you don't know what it entails.

He said the school wants to give students "hands-on experience with these products and how these products are put together."

Employees at Thursday's session also toured school shops including carpentry, the electrical shop and plumbing.