Brownstown Middle School plans green projects
Brownstown Middle School is going for the green building trifecta by installing a wind turbine, solar panels and green roof.
The Woodhaven-Brownstown School District received a federal grant to install the three sustainability projects this summer that will help generate clean energy for the school and help teach its students about science, biology and environmental issues. The green rof promises to be the biggest teaching tool.
“They are putting a football field-sized green roof on top of the building,” says Andrew Clark, the assistant principal at Brownstown Middle School who is helping organize the project with Ann Arbor-based Energy Works Michigan. “There will be five different types of grass.”
Those types will range from resilient vegetation that grows year round to plants that flourish during the warm months of the year. Next to that will be six solar panels that will generate electricity for the school. The generation will also be monitored and studied by the school’s students.
A 60-foot tall wind turbine will also be installed at the front of the school. The school’s staff will also use it as a teaching tool for students who want to learn about wind energy. Clark says the turbine will create minimal noise that won’t impact the surrounding neighborhood.
“They assured us that the noise it would generate would be less than the ambient noise that the wind makes,” Clark says.
The projects are expected to begin construction after school lets out this summer and be ready to go in time for classes this fall.
Source: Andrew Clark, the assistant principal at Brownstown Middle School
Writer: Jon Zemke
Related Articles
Partner Partner Content How Downtown Farmington is Balancing 40 Years of Legacy with a New Era of Social Entrepreneurship
In downtown Farmington, the shift from late spring to summer heat brings more than just patio dining and farmers’ markets; it’s ushering in a change in how businesses and the community work hand in hand.
Metro Detroit Death Doulas Want You to Talk about Death
Death Doulas in Metro Detroit are working to change how people approach the end of life — with less fear and more understanding. It can be a tough sell in a culture that largely avoids talking about death, but with the right support and guidance, these non-medical advocates promise life’s final chapter can be rich and rewarding.
How Talent Together is helping solve the teacher shortage
In response to statewide teacher shortages, Michigan has invested in alternative routes to teacher certification. One program, Talent Together, helps Metro Detroiters realize their dreams of becoming teachers by providing a free education and a paid student-teaching experience.
