Page 20 RAIN October 1979 East Access cont. Center for Ecological Technology Alan Silverstein P.O. Box 427 Pittsfield, MA 01201 413/445-4556 The Center for Ecological Technology is a non-profit organization whose purpqse is to research, develop and demonstrate those technologies which have the least disruptive impact on our environment. They have held. numerous workshops on home weatherization and renewable sources of energy, have trained people to do home energy audits and how to install solar energy systems, constructed passive solar greenhouses, and maintain an energy hotline to answer questions on renewable energy and weatherization. They also publish a bimonthly newsletter- The C.E.T. Report. North Carolina Coalition for Renewable Energy Resources P.O. Box 10564 Raleigh, NC 27605 Coleman Smith 919/755-0243 . This emerging coalition grew out of a concern of many individuals, groups and organizations- • as to the impact that some of our present energy systems have on our environment, health and economy. Their purpose is to unify and coordinate individual and group efforts in order to assist in the transition to an economy and a society based on health·y, egalitarian, decentralized, and community controlled renewable energy resources. NCCRER is currently conducting a Model Solar Program inventory for the state of North Carolina under a grant from the Center for Renewable Energy Resources. On October 13 and 14 NCCRER will sponsor a statewide conference on "Renewable Energy on the Rise." The conference will focus on renewable energy resources and information exchange networking. -Craig Johndohl Boston Area Bicycle Coalition Anita Brewer 3 Joy Street Boston, MA 02108 617/491-RIDE "The Boston Area Bicycle Coalition is a nonprofit, membership based advocacy group which formed in early 1977 to encourage the use of bicycles for transportation and to a lesser extent for recreation." They have held commuter workshops on bike repair and sa.fe riding techniques, prepared a bike map for Boston, maintain a telephone hot line for useful information and riding companions, and other projects which make cycling in Boston easier and safer. They also publish a free newspaper three times ayear. Tao Center of Self-Reliance, Inc. Stewart A. Chipka 27 Center St. Rutland, VT 05701 802/773-2042 The Tao Center is primarily a solar building school which provides a small group of people with all the necessary skills to construct their own passive solar home. Classes run for a month at a time, and one month the class is limited to women only so that the environment is both supportive and instructive for women who wish to acquire these skills. The center is also in the process of opening a manufacturing facility which will produce air collector type solar heaters, kit solar greenhouses, windowbox greenhouses, solar food dryers, and solar pool heaters. This will be a training center as well as a manufacturing operation. . . '" i.J.~ ... - . _f4_ -· ~A--.:.!· Tom Bender What Makes Ekose'a Run? A number of people have asked us about the Ekose'a Homes designed by Lee Porter Butler and friends, a~d wonder why we haven't reviewed them. There was no conspiracy-only our ignorance of details. We were waiting and waiting to receive information on them, and had received so many conflicting reports from people that we wanted to know as much as possible before passing on our feelings. The design pattF.:rn that Butler.and friends have put together does seem excellent, and, i.n.terestingly, has the best retrofit potential yet for the typical Ame_rican suburban hous~ with crawl space. Their placing of the solar water heater inside the solarium si'gnificantly simplifies its design and improves its operatism. The gravity-powered convection loop of tempered air around much of the house is a particularly elegant pattern. Summer cooling appears to be well considered. Best of all, the houses seem to work! On the negative side, no one is quite certain why the designs work so well. Information materials available from Ekose'a are outrageously expensive and contain a fair amount of misinformation ('distorted comparisons with conventional and other solar designs, claims_that no extra insulation is used, etc.). And Ekose'a at least now admits that their $24. 95 Ekose'a Homes booklet is a sales brochure and not a detailed explanation of how the houses work. As I interpret the houses, they combine two main features: superinsulation and a double-wall system where air between the walls is usually solar heated on the south side and circulates over, behind, and below the house. The value of superin~ulation (sec L.O.F.'s "The Arkansas Story," RAIN, Vol. II, No. 10) is well proven-60 percent or more reduction in heating need in most climates.' In many areas that alone permits heat from appliances and people to provide all need~d additional heat. Eko~e'a claims only standard.amounts of insulation is used, but with twa "standard insulated" walls and roofs between you and the outside, superinsulated is a more honest term. • Butler's methodology does appear to make careful consideration of humidity, radiant temper,ature of su,rfaces, and other design conditions that are frequently ignored, and his attempt to work out standard plans for different climate conditions is commendable. People familiar with convective air flow do question the conventional explanations of heat storage and transfer supposedly occurring in the crawl space, and hint that the double-wall design (which only tempers 2 of 4 walls anyhow) may be unnecessary. All that has to do with where to go from here, however, but it seems for sure that 100 percent naturally climate-controll~d housing is no longer a distant dream.
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