Even in preparation for full construction and renovation, we greened up 100% of our electricity through RECs (100% wind green-e energy certified) as a demonstration of a sustainable and responsible company. Cost Containment Intl, a member of our project team handled the procurement process. (www.c2intl.com )
I am sure our builder and the subs are frustrated to the degree we need transparency in costs of job sections but we know the rules for renewables and Cost Containment Intl (www.c2intl.com ) will be doing oconsulting on a Cost Segregation study to accelerate depreciation. Hotels are usually good prospects for a Cost Segregation analysis and are able to classify 25% to 40% of items from 39 year depreciation to 5 to 15 year depreciation. That can be a big benefit to pay off the investment earlier. More on that process later.
In 2011 you can still get a cash grant of 10% to 30% and have accelearted depreciation. We expect the grant to go away in 2012 but the ITC or Investment Tax Credit will remina in place. Geothermal and Cogeneration or CHP only qualify for a 10% grant(residential geothermal is 30%) and solar- both thermal and electric qualify for 30%. Between the grant or ITC and depreciation, 55% of your solar is recouped (assuming you can monetize the depreciation value) so it is critical to have the cost of these parts of an overall project broken down carefully. Wind is also at 30% and we will run through how the numbers actually work later.
Underground rainwater storage, electric, gas, geothermal wells, thermal water storage insulated to R-80, domestic water well, just like the veins and arteries and nervous system for the entire campus to function in a holistic energy system. Each part of the system is designed to do more than just one thing. Typically the well guy does his thing and the rainwater capture guy does their thing and the geothermal guy does their thing and the aerobic on site waste water system does their thing but in a Holistic Energy System design, the geothermal is integrated to use the domestic water being pupmed out the ground and the heat exchanger opens up the 20,000 gallons of underground water storage and the aerobic waste water treatment ties into the geothermal system as it pumps and treats water from tank to tank before returning it to the earth. And the highly insulated thermal storage tank allows us to shift heating and cooling capacity from off peak times to support and enhance onpweak energy usage time of day.
More on Holistic Energy Systems but they can be applied to communities and cities to use resources they are already have spent capital and energy on to reduce their load and carbon foot print.
Everything takes ten times longer and costs twice as much- actually we will be working on both of those items over the next couple of months to get some things finalized. Our real estate investment company is going to own the solar at The Green Leaf Inn all due to some issues on some grants. GLI will just host the systems and purchase the electricity- KMV will get all of the tax benefits.
Thanks to Tom who did our energy audit and solar site survey (available here at our website) we will be doing a bunch of noise level tests. This will help us quantifyactual noise documentation compared to statements like a wind turbine is like putting a bumble bee in each ear and ductaping it shut. More on that in a couple of weeks.
We need some co-operation from the weather to get the construction area back to something other than a mud version of slip and slide but we have finally set a date for the commissioning. This will be a great opportunity for officials and other area residents to be up close and personal for the first time to a real wind turbine. It is important for people to have the opportunity to see solar panels, solar tracking modules, turbines and towers to hear a turbine up close and get used to seeing these technologies all around. It was no different when telephone poles and electric wires were being strung everywhere. People were up in arms tearing them down. Can you imagine not having electricity or phone service.
I still don’t like seeing celltowers everywhere but not having calls dropped has been important to growing commerce. When cell towers were first coming out, local authorities were doing everything they can to block the ugly things from being installed in their backyards. It finally took national pre-emptive laws to remove the local barriers to get cell service rolled out under the commerce and national security clauses.
Personally, I can’t imagine not having a wind turbine in my back yard.
There is no real economic drive for places to put in fueling stations for alternative fuels until there are enough alternative fuel vehicles that need the fuel so it makes economic sense for the investment.
Since The Green Leaf Inn is to be that sustainable solution, we will be reviewing and ordering a natural gas fueling station and an electric fueling station over the next two weeks and placing are orders to get installed before Ecofair360 so they can be art of the energy tour from the fairgrounds. And GLI is looking for a natural gas fueled van or mini-bus. It will be interesting to see what is around and how the tax incentives all work.
There is a ton of stuff happening but every once in awhile you have to stop and just be amazed at life. I was running around trying to get to work and I look out the front window of what is called The Cottage and there running across our front yard- about 70 feet away were four male turkeys running across the yard. That of course got our three Brittany Spaniels excited.
I guess that is part of the experience we are trying to create for www.thegreenleafinn.com – a place where couples can have time to rest and relax and enjoy each other – sustainable building for a sustainable relationship.
There are still some final items that have to be done on the 50kw Endurance Wind turbine (distributed in WI by www.frontierwindenergy.com ) like hooking up the internet link, changing a control, plugging hand holes in the tower. It is a beautiful site to see out our windows. In fact, every time I go by a window I look up at it. Almost done and operational- should be this week. Then we just have to pay for it! Randy Faller’s crew did a great job on the installation and will be handling the annual service- (www.kettleviewre.com ) A lot of pictures and video will be coming so check back.
