By Nicole CaldwellStuyvesant Cove Park is a green space resting atop 1.9 acres of Manhattan waterfront that once held a concrete factory. The native plants and grasses stretching lazily along the East River at 23rd Street attract and sustain native bird species and butterflies; and offering a fitting backdrop to New York City’s most cutting-edge green space: Solar One.
The building and park are maintained by a nonprofit of the same name striving simply to “empower people of all ages with the vision, knowledge, and resources to attain a more environmentally sound and sustainable future.” It’s a microcosm for what Solar One’s next big project, Solar Two, could be for all of New York City when it’s constructed on the same space and becomes the first self-standing, carbon-neutral, net-zero energy structure in the five boroughs.
Easier Than You Think“Working here has made me realize how easy green building is in some ways,” says Jamie Paquette, Solar One’s operations manager. “So many people get caught up in the thinking that it’s this whole big transformation; but a green building isn’t really that different from any other building.” Paquette became involved with Solar One’s parent company, the Community Environmental Center, in 2001.
Solar One’s headquarters—built in 2003 as a temporary space—is used for everything from educational workshops to events, like the July 10 “In the Air and Now” improvisational dance performance that will utilize a solar-powered sound system and lighting. Solar One has also developed The Green Innovator, curriculum for high schoolers that can be purchased by school boards and teachers interested in providing green education to their students.
Solar Two, due to open in mid-2011, will be 10 times larger than Solar One. The building’s green roof, glare-reduction windows, wind-powered energy recovery ventilation, rainwater collection, low-flush toilets, and (of course!) solar panels will make the space a standard in green building the world over.
Education is Key
“We hope this project will show that carbon-neutral is possible,” says Clare Miflin of Kiss + Cathcart Architects, the firm responsible for building Solar Two. “While we don’t expect many carbon-neutral buildings to result from it, we do hope that thousands of buildings will reduce their energy requirements substantially because of Solar Two and the education programs run from it.”
Popular belief says building green comes at a significant cost. However, according to Miflin, green construction “can cost the same or even less.” To get net zero, she adds, you may have to pay up to 15 percent above normal costs—but all that money would be offset by the drop in energy costs over several years.
Paquette suggests making the green transition by starting small and keeping it fun. “Turn it into a game,” he says. “Look at your electric bills and then see if you can knock 10 or 20 percent off your bill next month. Try everything. Run your air conditioning less or put it on a timer, change out your light bulbs, and keep things unplugged like your DVD player and stereo.”
Get What's Coming to You!
If your bills are already as low as they can go and you’re looking to bring in some big, green components, Paquette suggests making your first stop (after Solar One, of course!) at Power Naturally, a site set up by New York State and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. “They’ve got a lot of good resources on there,” Paquette says, “including a list of eligible [solar panels] installers.”
There are also a ton of incentives—at the federal, state, and local level. Reimbursements for almost everything—even down to installation costs—mean you can be installing solar panels for a fraction of the cost with 100 percent of the return. “Between all that stuff,” Paquette says, “there’s never been a better time to go solar.”
About the Author
Nicole is an independent freelance writer and editor in Brooklyn who owns and operates an educational center, artists’ retreat, and budding green space upstate called Better Farm.
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