From Harford County Government:
(Bel Air, MD.) – In 2008, County Executive David R. Craig formed the Energy Management Steering Committee, otherwise known as the Green Team, as one of his Environmental Initiatives. The goal of the Green Team is to guide energy and resource efficiency practices within the County. To foster a culture of sustainability, in June 2010 the Green Team created the Green Star Program to recognize actions by county employees that demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship, promote energy efficiency, and resource management.
Aimee Harris of the Department of Parks and Recreation and the “Micro Hydro Team” were selected from 10 green stars awarded between October and December of 2010. Aimee was awarded the Green Star for her work with the Eden Mill Nature Center hydroelectric turbine project. This project explored the restoration of the mill’s hydroelectric capabilities as a way to use renewable energy to power the mill.
According to Roland Beckman, co-chair of the Micro Hydro Team, “The power generating equipment is still present in the back room of the mill, and the structure is set up to support a small generating system. This type of small-scale hydroelectric system is called a micro hydro system. Micro hydro systems convert the energy that is in flowing water into electricity. Some of the water above the dam will be diverted to a turbine housed below the back room of the mill.”
“The goal of this project is to install a micro hydro generator by utilizing the existing structure at the mill. Throughout the project we will maintain and preserve the historical aspects of the historical mill and vintage power plant. The overall goal is to educate and demonstrate to the public through simple displays showing the generation of micro hydro power with a green, renewable resource. One of the benefits is to reduce or eliminate Eden Mills carbon footprint and reduce the cost of operating the Mill and Nature Center.”
The winning selection was voted on by the members of the Green Team. The selection process consisted of two phases. The first phase was an initial review of all Green Stars awarded between October and December of 2010 to identify the top four Green Star awards. The final selection was made from among the top four awards to indentify the Green Star of the quarter. To learn more about the Green Star Program and to see all of our Green Stars, you can visit our new Environmental Stewardship webpage at http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/Green.
One more reason why I love that place.