Wray, Colorado, United States

The Wray School District is located in the City of Wray in eastern Colorado, a rural area in the United States. Faced with dwindling student numbers and high electricity bills of approximately $80,000 per year, the school decided to install an EWT DW54-900kW wind turbine.

This community-owned project was financed by individual pledges from local residents, a $350,000 Energy Impact Grant and by preselling the project’s renewable energy credits (RECs). All RECs to be generated over the 25-year lifetime of the wind turbine were paid upfront. The school’s Board of Education partnered with the City of Wray to establish a power purchase agreement. It is a Grid-Tie system, meaning that the renewable energy captured from the wind turbine feeds into the city grid network for consumer use.

The wind turbine became operational in February 2008 and generates on average over 2,000 megawatthour (MWh) per year. It offsets the school district’s annual energy costs, provides reliable, decentralized and environmentally safe power to the community of Wray and enhanced education opportunities for Wray students interested in renewable energy.

Ron Howard, Wray School District’s Superintendent said: “This project is a self-sustaining model of energy production, income generation, and an innovative educational opportunity for the Wray School District and rural Colorado.”