Edwards Knox School Continues to Lead in Alternative Energy Efforts

Edwards Knox Central School broke new ground when it was one of the first school districts in New York State to install a biomass boiler to heat its facilities. Now a few years later, the district continues to lead the way in alternative energy with administration, school board, and staff all on the same page. A recently completed bus garage addition includes in-floor heating from the biomass plant. Summer 2015 will see an expansion of the solar energy at the school's campus on County Route 27 between Edwards and Russell. 25000 kw of solar photovoltaics will offset electrical use in the bus garage, while another 50,000 kw of solar panels south of the school will partially offset electrical use in the main school building. Finally, a smaller solar thermal unit atop the school will provide hot water to heat the swimming pool in those months when the biomass unit is off line. During a recent tour by St. Lawrence County's Environmental Management Council, Facilities Manager John Daniels reported that the Hurst biomass boiler had been trouble-free and saved the district hundreds of thousands of dollars since its installation.