Alternatives Unlimited Hydro Project

The early 19^th century John Whitin Mill. which once used the water flowing in the Mumford River for hydromechanical power to manufacture    thread-making equipment, now harbors a hydroelectric turbine with the potential to produce 47 kW of electricity for use in the renovated mill complex or to sell to the electric grid.

The Whitinsville mill is home to Alternatives Unlimited, Inc. a non-profit social services organization that provides programming and services to developmentally challenged adults in central Massachusetts. In addition to the modernized hydropower system, the mill also sports a 9.6 kW solar PV system, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and super-efficient insulation and lighting.   All these renewable energy installations are expected to provide nearly 90 percent of the energy needs of Alternatives’ energy- efficient building.  The US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification was recently awarded to Alternatives for their extraordinary efforts to make their historic structure a sustainable building.    

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Renewable Energy Trust Fund was instrumental in helping Alternatives achieve this distinction, awarding $344,000 in grants toward the hydro project and $74,348 toward the solar and geothermal.  On August 5, 2011 MassCEC celebrated the LEED Gold award and a symbolic start-up of the hydro facility at a festive event hosted by Alternatives’s Executive Director Dennis Rice and attended by State Senator Richard T. Moore, State Representative Steven N. Peterson, and Town Manager Ted Kozak.  As Rice says, “The Mill project reflects the organization's commitment to live in a more collaborative and sustainable community with a strong sense of place– one that welcomes people of all abilities."