When I was growing up in New England, I used to chuckle at neighbors and members of our church who wintered in Florida. These snow birds struck me as not being fully in tune with their surroundings. I was wrong! The opposite was true!
Simply put, living comfortably in Florida involves climate control technology about half the year, much as it does in New England. By alternating halves, people can reduce their energy consumption significantly. Recently, I told you about Nonnie Chrystal and her husband Mark, creators and builders of Florida's Showcase Green Envirohome. Nonnie and Mark seek to continue living in Florida year-round, just as my wife Catrin and I do.
In order to remain habitable all 12 months of the year, Florida’s Showcase Green Envirohome will offer more than the usual amenities. It embraces solar energy and in more ways than you might expect.
The genius of FSGE actually begins with the understanding that Mother Nature is angry at humanity and with good reason. We have polluted our atmosphere and radically altered the planet’s weather systems with our reckless and unsustainable activities. Now, everyone will pay the price and coastal areas will suffer greatly.
FSGE will operate in harmony with nature, consuming very little energy and expelling a fraction of the waste water which conventional homes do. The dramatic reduction in energy used comes from understanding that solar energy works and works well. The key lies in embracing the sun’s benefits rather than trying to fight them at every turn.
The solar air conditioner which will be installed on FSGE in the near future is the type of next-generation technology I find most intriguing. I first learned the basics of solar air conditioners at the 2005 Solar World Congress in Orlando when we heard from NASA and how the power of the sun will be used in new ways for our lunar landings. It’s only fitting then that a home in the shadows of the Kennedy Space Center would incorporate space age technology.
FSGE has another inspired technology with similarities to space activities, too. A new type of paving technology called Flexi-Pave will be used. Flexi-Pave goes beyond the benefits of recycled asphalt to be porous, more porous than grass! Amazing! The benefits don’t stop there, though. I have spoken with Kevin Bagnall, the CEO of KB Industries which invented Flexi-Pave, and he told me about the product’s high calorific heat transfer.
Why does that matter? In the next thread, I’ll tell you why.
Sustainable Justice For All!
Corbett Kroehler
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