See green technology up close

[ Originally published on: Friday, October 03, 2008 ]

SHELBURNE -- Kids who dive into the pool at YMCA's Camp Apex have good reason to be thankful for the sun.

A solar heating system installed a couple of years ago on a new outdoor pavilion keeps water temperature a cozy 80 degrees. The $15,000 system monitors temperature using a computerized thermostat that controls the flow of water from the Heliocoil solar collectors.

The Peckville Road camp will be one of the Franklin County sites on this year's Green Buildings Open House on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event, sponsored by Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, provides an opportunity for people to inspect solar installations at Zoar Outdoor in Charlemont, Greenfield Community College and Green Fields Market in Greenfield, as well as the region's largest commercial installation, at Small Corp. at 19 Butternut St. in the Interstate-91 Industrial Park.

The tour will also give people a chance to visit Wisdom Way Solar Village being built by Rural Development, Inc. Two of 10 affordable homes, designed to produce almost as much energy as they use, are ready to be inspected. The passive-solar homes are highly energy efficient and feature 'green' building materials, with photovoltaic and solar water heating systems.

Other installations on the tour are at:

Ashfield

u Photovoltaic and solar water-heating systems on a 4-year-old log cabin at Cranston's Christmas Tree Farm on Baptist Corner Road.

u Photovoltaic and solar water-heating systems as well as rainwater harvesting, local wood flooring, use of recycled materials and a super-efficient furnace, at 719 Barnes Road.

u Passive solar home with solar water heating at 152D John Ford Road.

Charlemont

u 15-kilowatt photovolatic system at Zoar Outdoor, 7 Main St.

u Passive solar saltbox home with photovoltaic system, native lumber and hardwood flooring, at 112 Maxwell Road. (Arrive by 3 p.m.)

u Photovoltaic and solar water heating at salt-box home at 94 E. Catamount Hill Road.

Colrain

u Affordable 'green' ranch home with photovoltaic and solar water heating built by Rural Development Inc. at 38 Ed Clark Road.

Deerfield

u Photovoltaic and solar water heating for home at Woolman Hill Conference Center, 107 Keets Road.

Greenfield

u Energy-efficient, century-old home with auxiliary solar heating, reclaimed hardwood flooring at 108 Crescent St.

u 80-kilowatt photovoltaic system at Green Fields Market, used for lighting, refrigeration and cooling.

u 2-kilowatt pole-mounted photovoltaic system at Greenfield Community College.

Heath

u Passive solar 1768 home with 6.6 kilowatt windmill on a 106-foot tilt-up tower at 93 Bassett Road. ( 1 to 4 p.m. only.)

u Home with 5.6-kilowatt wind generator and Tarm wood boiler at 198 Jacksonville Stage Road. (Route 8A)

Leverett

Home with geothermal heat pump, solar water heating and photovoltaic system at 46 Number 6 Road.

Leyden

Highly energy-efficient home at 394 West Leyden Road.

Montague

u Passive-solar home with geothermal heat pump and photovoltaic system.

u Renovated 1920s home with geothermal heating at 6 Main St., Montague Center.

Northfield

u Home with photovoltaic and solar water heating panels at 113 Coller Cemetery Road.

u Renovated 95-year-old home with photovoltaic system, passive solar elements and a wind generator at 16 Warwick Road.

u Renovated 200-year-old cape with high-efficiency heating system, photovoltaic and solar water heating systems, with solar hot air collectors in progress, at 31 East St.

u Passive solar-heated home with 22-year-old continuously operating solar hot water system.

Shutesbury

Several buildings at the Sirius Community Ecovillage at 72 Baker Road, feature straw-bale construction, solar water heating, composting toilets, photovoltaic system, wind generator, solar radiant floor heating and other features.

Turners Falls

House under construction at 389 Montague City Road, part of the Massachusetts Zero Energy Challenge competition, features passive solar features, a high-efficiency heat pump, photovoltaic, solar water heating and heat-recovery ventilation.

On the Web: www.nesea.org/buildings/openhouse

You can reach Richie Davis at rdavis@recorder.comor (413) 772-0261 Ext. 269

 

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