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Gull's Nest Condominiums –Green Goes Affordable

Provincetown, on the very tip of Cape Cod, is known for many things: an active nightlife, great beaches, whale watching trips, and, now, affordable green housing. The country's first affordable housing unit to achieve LEED certification at the platinum level is Gull’s Nest Condominiums, located just outside of downtown Provincetown on the site of what used to be the Gull’s Nest Inn. The former motel was knocked down for this project, but, in accordance with the many stipulations for LEED certification (see sidebar), much of the original building material was recycled into the new condominium units.

The centerpiece of the Gull’s Nest certification, however, rises above the structure. On the roof of the L-shaped building are 100, 175-watt solar modules that are expected to provide up to three-quarters of the residents’ energy needs. Liz Argo of Solar Wrights, who provided both the initial technical consultation as well as the actual solar installation, was gratified by the interest generated by the project: “I was on-site when it was being finished,” Argo explains, “and I was thrilled by how many people entered the lottery that was held to sell off the units.” She concludes that the added green features may have helped create more than just marketing buzz. “Nothing feels more ‘home’ than something in which you have pride,” she says. The popularity of Gull's Nest is a clear demonstration that many potential home owners of all economic backgrounds are interested in reducing their impact on the environment. Significant energy bill savingshelps as well.  

Making the Green Shift, Away from Carbon Dependence.

Safe Harbor is sharing ideas about easy ways to reduce your carbon impact. Using Carbon has been like using a credit card to get our civilization to where we are now.  The bills are beginning to show up! We believe that even the smallest efforts, enacted together will inspire others and honor the power of collective action. The energy field of our future will be a hybrid of existing and innovative technology, such as vertical axis wind turbines, geo-thermal, photo voltaic and passive solar.

Liz Argo of Solar Wrights, presents solar hot water systems.

SolarWrights installs town's first renewable energy system

An Orleans renewable energy company reported today that the installation of a new renewable energy system consisting of 60 photovoltaic modules on the roof of Yarmouth Town Hall will be completed this week. The project is being done by Liz Argo, project manager and Massachusetts state director of SolarWrights, Inc., a Bristol, Rhode Island-based renewable energy provider with offices in Orleans.

The environmental benefits are equivalent to planting three acres of trees. The final commissioning of the photovoltaic electricity system will be done by the end of the month making the Town of Yarmouth a leader in taking the important first steps into the renewable energy age.

Grassroots made the town green

The effort was first conceived by Peter White of Yarmouth. He led a grassroots movement which placed an article on last May's Town Meeting ballot.  Yarmouth voters affirmed their desire to "go green" by voting overwhelmingly to appropriate $50,000 towards the installation of photovoltaic modules on the roof of their Town Hall. The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) matched the Town's funds with an additional $50,000 through the MTC's Small Renewables Initiative grant. By October the Town had released its Request for Proposals and the Town's first renewable energy system was on its way to becoming a reality.

"This 10.5kW photovoltaic system is an important first step in reducing  the Town's reliance on fossil fuels," according to Argo.  "This grid-tied PV electrical system will offset around 13,000kWH (kilowatthours) of electricity every year from the Town's electrical bills. With current prices of 20 cents per kilowatthour that will equal $2,600 the taxpayers will save on the price of electricity every year. As electric prices go up, the savings will be far more significant. Additional revenue will be realized by the Town's sale of their Renewable Energy Credits or RECs", added Argo.

To some residents the real success story of the Yarmouth Town Hall lies in the environmental benefits the renewable energy system will offer. Along with reducing the production off Nitrous Oxides and Sulfur Dioxide, the 10.5kW PV installation will eliminate 20,620 lbs of Carbon Dioxide from entering our atmosphere every year. These environmental benefits are equivalent to planting three acres of trees.

SOUTH DENNIS —The town of Dennis’s first venture into using green energy to power a town building has gotten the go-ahead.

On a 3-2 vote Wednesday night, Aug. 12, the Dennis Old Kings Highway Historic District Committee approved the installation of 84 photovoltaic panels on the south-facing roof of Dennis Police Headquarters on Bob Crowell Road in South Dennis.

Committee chairman Peter Lomenzo and member Frank Ciambriello opposed the project.

The alternative energy committee filed the request on behalf of the town of Dennis in an effort to reduce both cost and carbon monoxide emissions. Installation of the panels is expected to reduce the building’s electrical expenses by 4 percent annually. The building is presently consuming an average $8,398 in electricity per month. After 25 years, the system is projected to save the town about $187,00 in electric bills, with return on investment coming in the eighth or ninth year.

Police headquarters was selected to be the first town building to go green because it is the greatest consumer of energy, its new, south-facing roof is a suitable location for capturing solar power and the existing 17-kilowatt electrical system can accommodate the 84-panel solar array. The non-reflective, blue-tinted panels were determined to have minimal visual impact during a July 30 site visit, at which time OKH members gathered to view one of the panels placed on the roof.

The alternative energy committee presented the additional information OKH requested at the July 22 hearing on the project including a complete front-elevation drawing to scale of the solar panels in place.

“You guys did a great job,” Lomenzo said. “We asked for a lot of information, and you gave us a complete, thorough application so we can made an informed decision tonight.”

Committee responses

Committee member Joshua Crowell said he was satisfied that the panels would not create a visual problem in the historic district. Alternate Bob Waldo agreed. “Obviously they are going to be visible, but I don’t see any historical value in that isolated area of town,” he said. “There are no historic buildings around it.”

Member Bill Bohlin said he’s spoken to many people about this application, “and not one objects.”

But Ciambriello disagreed, voicing a “deep, deep concern” about what will happen if the project goes amiss. “My concern is not to save money for the town, but to preserve the historical value of the town,” he said. “No one can convince me that that’s not going to be a blue panel. And I have never seen a solar panel do what it’s supposed to do.”

Ciambriello also questioned the panels’ 25-year warranty. “I’ve been in the construction business for many years, and warranties don’t mean beans,” he said. “The company can be in business today and gone tomorrow. Do you have backup to maintain these warranties?”

Liz Argo of Alteris, a solar-panel installation company donating assistance to the town, said the manufacturer has heavy government support and that other manufacturers can produce the same panel. Alteris installed solar panels on Yarmouth Town Hall.

Selectman Wayne Bergeron said the town enters into many contracts, bonds the work to protect its financial interests and this project would not be an exception.

Lomenzo asked if a panel can “go bad” and if it does, whether it can be fixed or replaced. Alternative energy committee Chairwoman Denise Atwood said in rare cases a panel fails. If that happens before the warranty expires, the panel is replaced free of charge. “If it’s longer, replacement is very inexpensive,” she said.

Concerned about the panels’ visual impact, Lomenzo asked if trees could be planted to obscure the roof. Atwood said that’s a question for Chief of Police Mike Whalen who is on vacation. Lomenzo said he would approve the project with “stringent requirements,” including warranties firmly in place, proof of the panel’s non-reflective nature and screening trees planted on the police property’s front lawn.

But Peter Nyberg of Dennis, who served as vice chairman of the police station building committee, objected to the trees. “If you put trees there, you will detract from what the chief, the architect and the committee worked to achieve,” he said. “That is a public safety building. It’s well lit and unobstructed so people can find it easily.”

Bohlin agreed. “Planting trees there is exactly what you don’t want to do,” he said.

The vote to approve the project did not include planting trees.

What’s next

Tuesday, Aug. 18, Dennis selectmen will vote to ask the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to release $20,376 in Clean Energy Choice funds available to assist Dennis with the $136,000 project. Other funding sources include an estimated $73,100 Commonwealth Solar rebate, a $20,376 Clean Energy Choice rebate and a town contribution of $42,523. If required, the town has available $55,777 for contingencies or additional projects.

The project will then go out to bid. Atwood said the bid will stipulate that the installation company does not get paid until the grant money is received. The installer is responsible for acquiring the panels.