HomeAbout Us KARE 11 TV , Eco House features the world of "green" - KARE
KARE 11 TV , Eco House features the world of "green" - KARE
Eco House features the world of "green"
They're calling it the cutting edge at the Pollution Control Agency's Eco Experience building.
Eco
Experience is "an indoor green space with lush rain gardens, an eco
home... cutting edge displays on renewable energy, fuels, and
vehicles," among other things.
The centerpiece is the Eco House,
a demonstration of technologies which make a home energy efficient,
attractive, and healthy, with minimal impact on the environment.
Walls are made of solid panels of Styrofoam sandwiched on both sides with oriented strand board.
"You can pound on those with a hammer," said Contractor Pete Keiner.
"They're solid as a rock."
Countertops
are made of recycled paper bonded with cashew oil resin. The kitchen
sink is recycled aluminum. Siding and roofs are made of steel, 70
percent of which is recycled. Appliances are energy star certified.
"A similar house constructed in Bloomington, operates on $300, heating and cooling, for the entire year," Keiner said.
Keiner is partner in Northwood Homes, which built a similar "green" home in Elk River last year.
"It, too, was a demonstration project," said Contractor Greg Holst, "for the Elk River home builders."
Both
Northwood Homes partners said when they had open houses at the Elk
River demonstration home, three or four couples might show up.
At the fair, the home was drawing 300 or 400 visitors... per hour.
Energy
conserving homes have been demonstrated before. Folks at the fair think
this is the first time so many different energy conserving and
environmentally green ideas have been shown in the same project. They
call it "cutting edge," but it's not all new technology.
"Parts of this kind of construction have been around for many years," said contractor Keiner.
"The sitz panels... they used to use them in hog barns and things like that."
Hog
barns... somehow it seems fitting that technology pioneered for housing
hogs would be demonstrated at the Minnesota State Fair... for people.
By
, KARE 11 News
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