The
Future Is Now: Hudson Valley Clean Energy
by
Ross Rice
Insulation
is on the top of the list. “The whole key to performance is
a tight envelope: air-sealing, upgrading the insulation. We used
all spray-foam insulation here—6” in the walls, 12”
in the roof.”
One big advantage Wright and Irish had was that they were building
the warehouse from scratch, instead of retro-fitting. This allowed
them to put their concrete foundation slab on 2” of Styrofoam,
as well as dig the wells for the geo-thermal system: another part
of the equation. A small lawn-shaped patch of new grass covers the
area where 4 loops of plastic tubing probe deep into the earth’s
surface. An anti-freeze solution is then pumped through the underground
loops, returning through the closed system at a mean temperature.
In summer, excess heat from the system can be used to heat water—in
winter the system uses the earth’s temperature to assist in
warming the building. Another element involved is the Heat Recovery
Ventilator, which maximizes heat usage, and provides airflow throughout
the building’s ductwork, inputting fresh air and exhausting
stale air. Other than small pumps and fans, these systems employ
very few moving parts [thus very quiet], nothing is burned so no
chimney is needed, resulting in a carbon footprint of . . . zero.
The
office/conference area of the building is an open area, with comfy
cubicles, each with a computer. Only on further inspection does
it become apparent that the entire space is lit with bulbsized fluorescents,
underscoring the importance of conservation to achieving cost-free
power...
CONTINUE...
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