New generation of recyclers

Sasha Edgington hard at work stripping plastic off of copper wire that he collected off the floor of the new building. He has dreams of the money he will make by selling the copper wire... What fun as he also turns the copper wire into creations of art (or guns)

Progress continues...on the inside

It is down to Nitty Gritty time as the electricians, plumbers, and inspectors come and go getting us ready to put up the dry wall. If every home was to be inspected as a commercial building, there would be a lot less problems for many homeowners...needless to say, our building will be safe! Even the Health department has a say in how the building is designed to make sure there will be no contamination or bug homes when I serve our delicious Blue Heron scones and Gene Hicks coffee.

My 2 sons have decided to make enough money to buy a snow mobile so they are reclycling all the copper wire bits and piping left behind. Every piece is picked up and peeled of its plastic coating. Our little recyclers.

Our solar panels will be here in 2 weeks and we are so excited to finally have them up and ready to work. Now... please send us more sun!

Our winter this year has brought us a lot of snow and cold... not much in the way of sunny days, other than the ones that also brings us the temps below zero for highs. Great for all the ones who love to play in snow.. myself included. However, this has been a huge challenge to our building....

Think spring...Think SUN!

About our solar installation

Conservation Technologies' background is in building construction, the performance of buildings, and energy issues in general. We sell and install energy efficient building supplies, Venmar heat recovery ventilation systems, and solar electric and hot water systems. We also consult in building design and performance. Conservation Technologies has a comprehensive support team that includes sales, installation and technical support professionals. We serve a growing area in the upper Midwest from our Duluth office.

Here are a couple of pictures of recent Solar Hot Water Installations:

Details of the Adventure Inn Solar Hot Water System:



Conservation Technologies will be installing 20 MN Made 4x10 flat plate solar collectors. The collectors are made by Solar Skies Mfg and are made in Alexandria, MN. These 20 4x10 collectors have a cold climate btu rating of 24,000 btus / collector / day. The total system will produce approximately 175 million btus/ year. This system will reduce the Adventure Inn’s Carbon Foot Print by 51,000 lbs / year.



Background on Solar Hot Water:

Solar water heaters, sometimes called solar domestic hot water systems, may be a good investment for families and for businesses. Solar water heaters are cost competitive in many applications when you account for the total energy costs over the life of the system. Although the initial cost of solar water heaters is higher than that of conventional water heaters, the fuel (sunshine) is free. Plus, they are environmentally friendly. To take advantage of these heaters, you must have an unshaded, south-facing location (a roof, for example) on your property.

Solar water heaters can operate in any climate. Performance varies depending, in part, on how much solar energy is available at the site, but also on how cold the water coming into the system is. The colder the water, the more efficiently the system operates. In almost all climates, you will need a conventional backup system. In fact, many building codes require you to have a conventional water heater as the backup.

Contact Information: Please call 218-722-9003 or email info@conservtech with any inquiries

Another Winter Perfect Festival in frigid Ely

The effects of global warming are missing Ely this winter (or is it because of?) We have had incredible snow falls and not a day over freezing for almost 2 months. Temps down in the -20's and even down in the -40's one night. That being said, it has made Ely a perfect winter destination. We revel in it, we play in it, we carve in it! The first 2 weeks of February bring the Annual Winter Festival to Ely and with it comes the Snow carvings! Children, families, individual compete in amateur contests, and the Pro's come out to outshine each other. Every year, I believe they are the best ever, and this year is no exception. I am sharing just a few of the carvings this year and the deep freeze that we are experiencing is preserving them. All you southerners heed some advice. Come and experience a real winter for a vacation in Ely. We have dog sledding, snow shoeing, nordic skiing, sledding down Big Dutch (the only golf course that becomes killer sled runs in winter)

Ice fishing (yes, we Minnesotans haul houses on lakes and cut holes in the ice and fish) and for the true adventurer, winter camping in the BWCA. You can experience a sky far away from city lights, air as pure as you will find anywhere on the planet and silence. No where can you go and experience no sound. It is an incredible experience. It is so quiet out in the wilderness that you can hear the blood rush through your body and the buzz of your brain as it takes in the beauty. Winter in Ely is why we live here.

Another Important Piece of the Puzzle

Another cold, windy, snowy day as these intrepid builders put the finishing touches on our roof.

Silver Birch Builders, Inc. is a remodeling and new construction company that strives to help people achieve quality, sustainable homes and businesses that minimize environmental impact, are cost effective and maximize energy efficiency and comfort. As a general contractor, Evan Faltesek's goal is to facilitate the many decisions involved in the building process to make the experience a smooth process for the client. Silver Birch Builders is knowledgeable and experienced in advanced building techniques for energy efficiency.

The crew at Silver Birch Builders, Inc. are both experienced and highly skilled. The four skilled carpenters have close to 50 years of building experience between them. The crew takes pride in their craft and they share their love of the northwoods with their clients. Customer satisfaction and building for durability for the long term are top priorities.

Not only are the crew from Silver Birch great builders but...... they are also some of  Ely's most eligible bachelors. So ladies, I highly recommend checking these guys out.

Blurb about our Architectural designers and our design

  

I wanted to provide information about our Architectural team as they have been crucial to our project. It is a bit long but I believe that what they have to offer is of benefit to anyone thinking of building a green building. They have been incredibly helpful and full of passion as we work together to make this happen. We highly recommend them to anyone who is planning to build a green building whether it be for personal use or commercial. About Us Rachel Wagner and Doug Zaun are the owners and principals of Wagner Zaun Architecture, located in downtown Duluth, MN.  Together they nurture a business and a philosophy with a commitment to client service, inspired design, community involvement, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.

Doug Zaun                                                                                   

Rachel Wagner 

About our Work

Services include architecture, research, and consulting; utilizing a creative and communicative process, and emphasizing environmentally preferable practices and materials. The standard for all work is based on the conviction that good design supports communities and enhances both the built and natural environment.  Our integrated approach defines sustainable design as that which balances the needs of individuals and communities, conserves resources, adapts over time, creates beauty, provides comfort, and endures.

The most sustainable approach in architecture is to make buildings habitable with less energy input from fossil fuel sources. We typically strive to design a building to use half or less energy than would a typical building of the type.

Placing energy use as the highest priority does not mean that other elements associated with green design are not significant or important. In general, a green approach will emphasize the use of materials, assemblies, and systems that are durable, easy to maintain, and are not associated with health risks to occupants, installers, or the general public. In addition, the very design of the space can contribute to the sustainability of the structure.

About the Design of the Adventure Inn

The best design solution often comes when the process includes a vision, a few constraints and the opportunity to explore the unconventional. The Adventure Inn offered all three conditions, first defined by the Owners. We came later, and both process and solutions unfolded as we defined and developed the vision, the constraints, and the unconventional.

The Vision

• A building that reflects the personality of its owners, with a feeling evoking the practicality and warmth of a farm kitchen
• A simple, pleasing place where guests feel comfortable and welcome
• A building that makes use of the sun’s warmth and light, evident both inside and out
• Design, construction, and operation that signify environmental stewardship

The Constraints

·         Site limitations: property size, slope, topography, existing layout

·         Budget

·         A specific timeframe for construction

The Unconventional

·         A building form guided by a design for roof-mounted solar thermal collectors

·         Porch and balcony to encourage outside time and interaction with neighbors

·         Sleeping rooms all face east to welcome morning light and face the quieter street

·         A super-insulated building enclosure: extra insulation under the slab, in the SIP (structural insulated panel) walls, and in the attic

·         Insulated fiberglass window frames with triple pane glass

·         High performance ventilation system for energy efficiency and indoor air quality

·         Quiet, low energy radiant heating

·         As much as half the building’s hot water, and some heating, provided by the renewable energy of the sun

·         High efficiency air conditioning from a heat pump system

·         Space for flowers, owing to the green thumb of the owner

Adventure Inn's trusses are up!

Yes!! It is January and we have between 3-4' of snow in the forest and piles of snow in town that are as big as houses, but our intrepid, hardy crew from Silver-Birch Construction managed to place all of our trusses on top of our new building without mishap. Single digit temps didn't phase them and in spite of the fact that cars would slow down and watch, they managed to keep those smiles on their faces. (or were they frozen there?) What made our roof so difficult is that we have 2 pitches and 2 roofs. The front roof faces the south and the pitch is steeper to accommodate the suns rays to the best advantage. The entire southern slope will be outfitted with Flat Plate Solar Thermal collectors this spring. These collectors are made right here in Minnesota. http://www.solarskies.com/

The back roof has a more gentle incline and will be outfitted with rain gutters to collect rain water to be stored for use in the flower gardens in the summer. When the roof is enclosed and weather-proofed, we will be blowing in enough cellulose insulation to give the roof a R rating of 70! If you look closely, you will notice the house wrap on parts of the building already.