REC ( Renewable Energy Center) is part of Cape Cod Tech’s REEAP (Renewable Energy Education and Awareness Program) The REEAP and REC is supported and funded in part through the MTC (Massachusetts Technology Collaborative) Vocational Technical High School Support Grant. Additional funding the REC building has been provided from local business and private donations. The majority of the construction and installation of the REC building will be accomplished by our students as part of their renewable training within their specific shop.

The objective of the REC is three fold. First, it will provide hands on and visual working systems related to renewable energy education for our students at Cape Cod Tech. Second, it will function as a hands-on classroom for work force training and continuing education. And thirdly, the REC will be open to the public for tours to increase the awareness of renewable energies. The building will provide an opportunity for the general population to observe many functioning renewable energy systems and technologies.

The REC building was once a groundkeeper’s work shop and equipment storage. It is being converted into a more energy efficient classroom/lab which will also house our biodiesel system. The construction of the REC building is being accomplished by our students from the construction cluster, including Carpentry, Electrical, Plumping, HVAC, Masonry.

The original build was constructed of concrete blocks. Because concrete block is not very efficient at preventing heat loss, we needed to insulate the building from the inside as well as outside. The retro fitting of the REC began with the exterior of the building by added 1.5 inch rigid foam board insulation. Total reframing of the entire interior for the building with 2 X 4 construction allowed the addition of standard R19 fiberglass insulation. All of the doors and windows were remove and replaced with high performance, EnergyStar doors and windows.

The future plans for the heating system of the REC include a small addition to house the new duel fuel boiler. The new boiler will be able to run on traditional number 2 heating oil or biodiesel, which we will be producing from the REC biodiesel system. The addition for the boiler will also allow viewing of the mechanics of the boiler.

The boiler will fuel a floor heating system with hot water. The radiant tubing will be embedding in under floor of the REC. The manifolds and other components of the radiant system will be visible from the inside of the building. Additional energy efficient aspect of the building will be all low energy fluorescent lighting and solar thermal hot water.