Comments on: Landscape & Architecture

By: chris

chris — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:48:01 +0000

Hi Boyd, you might consider joining us for a scheduled tour or event. We could discuss your situation and see if we can find common ground.

By: chris

chris — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:23:20 +0000

Hi Dave, we don’t really have much material written up for the subjects your researching. You might think about dropping in for a few days to work with us on the Ulinawi building project, which would give you some time to do photography, sketches, interviews, etc.

By: David Epley

David Epley — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:33:32 +0000

Hey guys! I am TN native and graduate of UT-knoxville. I got to know about you guys through my work with SPEAK and as an environmental studies major. After I got out of school I did home energy audits in the TN valley for a year or two and now I went back to school to get a degree in sustainable design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. One of my classes this year deals with green building case studies and I was really interested in showcasing a natural building style to my class. I thought about SVI and I would really love to put a paper/presentation together documenting some of the innovative techniques you guys use down there for your buildings and structures. If you guys think you could work with me I would really appreciate it. The kind of material I would need would be measured energy use, floorplans, sketches of passive systems, wall structures or any other unique and inventive techniques you are using.

Thank you for your time and I really hope to hear back from you. I’d like to show the guys up here in PA how we build right back home!

Best,

Dave Epley
931.265.0777

By: Boyd Nelson

Boyd Nelson — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 01:25:41 +0000

Sanford McGee sent me your page address. I need to talk seriously about something of value and worth to do. I have been a teacher and sustainable farmsteader all my life. I am retired with bad knee-hip. Had to sell farmstead. Cannot find community that is up and running where we could live nearby and join them for social-economic common cause. Master’s Degree and life science-ecology instructor. Years of interpretative work Nat. and State parks. Am going crazy trapped and worthless in mainstream apartment. Cannot find solution. Can someone help me find use for my mind that gives my life reason once again?

By: chris

chris — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:35:55 +0000

Teresa, that question would best be answered by Patrick Ironwood, or by our friend and benefactor Thomas Tripp at Big Frog Mountain Alternative Energy Sources, a Chattanooga-based solar energy contractor. A lot depends on whether you are thinking about solar electric or passive solar design. Adding a greenhouse as a solar "wing" onto an existing structure is one option. New construction can definitely benefit from passive solar design, probably at no additional cost. From what I've learned from Thomas, if you are thinking solar electric, you should factor in total cost of ownership. While the initial investment is high for the infrastructure, batteries, panels, power management, etc... when you consider the long-term savings amortized over the time span of the home loan, you can easily break even, and if also using passive solar design, see a cost benefit over a grid-bound home. If your home is in a remote area where the power provider has no existing infrastructure or right-of-way, then solar electric installation can also show a cost benefit over linking with the grid. Again, Thomas would be the expert, and if you can speak with him he can explain in detail the various cost/benefit solutions for alternative energy production. In my own limited experience, if you can use propane for cooking, heating and refrigeration, coupled with a small solar electric installation with a "cigarette lighter" inverter, you can power low-wattage electric devices and LED lighting to get a very efficient system off the grid. This would also require a gravity-fed springwater system, due to the high loads produced by an electric well pump. If you would like to experience all aspects of passive solar and photovoltaic installations, please come visit us during a monthly tour, or plan to visit during the National Tour of Solar Homes. Here is some archival information regarding the 2007 Tour... http://svionline.org/events/81/national-solar-homes-tour/ Check back soon to see the schedule of events and come see us!

By: Teresa Miller

Teresa Miller — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:52:41 +0000

Is it affordably possible to use solar to heat a home approx. 2,000 sq. ft.? By affordably, I am thinking around $5,000.

Thanks,
TMiller