Six Days, a Hard Rain, & 2KW Later

Hello and welcome back to GreenTown's blog. For the last six days, we've been up to our necks in volunteers, visitors and events. While the actual date of the tornado was May 4th, this weekend  Greensburg celebrated the second anniversary of the storm and our rebuilding accomplishments. Throughout our preparation, Greensburg was oversaturated by a series of hard rains. Yet, a little mud and overcast skies didn't slow us down. Nor did it keep the Silo Eco-Home's newly installed solar PV panels from producing over 500 watts of electricity during the dimmest of days.

Thanks to our partner Bauer Power, the Silo Eco-Home now boasts an impressive 2KW solar PV system. This pole-mounted array consists of twelve panels manufactured by Sharp. The installers were in-and-out within less than three days. And what we're left with is beyond a work of art.

The solar array is an educational and hands-on demonstration of renewable energy generation in action. Over the weekend, hundreds of visitors had the chance to view a solar PV system first-hand. We began the tour at the solar collectors, traced the transmission wire to the garage, viewed a real-time counter of watts produced, and explained how simply the panels connect into a standard breaker box.

For GreenTown, this exemplifies our vision for The Chain of Eco-Homes and Greensburg in general: a living laboratory of sustainability. A place that demystifies the term Green. As Greensburg continues to grow as an eco-tourism destination each building will act as a teaching tool. The Silo Eco-Home will be part of our toolbox: an eco bed-and-breakfast. Be on the look-out for our advanced registration!

Comments

[steve]

Excellent post! Found it out through search engine.

[Ginny]

My husband and I were privileged to get to see the Silo Eco Home and the 5.4.7 Arts Center yesterday afternoon. The lady conducting the tour from GreenTown was so informative and friendly. At the Silo EcoHome my husband and I enjoyed viewing the curved concrete surfaces that will stand up to a 200 mph wind, the beautiful floor, the stool that uses the water from the sink when flushing, the bamboo wood stairs, the home full of light from the windows and skylight, and a perfect temperature due to all of the insulating properties of the wall's materials. The innovative staircase with the metal art work and the beautiful bamboo steps were so attractive. When we got to the top, it was fun to venture out onto the balcony that is created to have a green garden on the roof as well as a beautiful view of the community and sunset. The solar panels will help with the energy costs. What a pleasure to see what positive actions Greensburg is doing today after personally seeing its streets and blocks filled with debris following the tornado 30 months ago! What a resilient community!