Author Topic: Progress Report..  (Read 1797 times)

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Offline Weisshaupt

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Progress Report..
« on: July 19, 2011, 08:57:07 PM »
The Summer of Prep continues..

This last weekend we finally finished  painting the new Barn/Garage our builder completed in December.  ( my buddy has a airless paint sprayer - I WILL NEVER paint without one again)  and  the Structural Insulated Panels for the Solar Inverter/Battery shed  finally arrived and we put those up on the concrete pad.. everything worked as advertised. Total cost with shipping was $3600  for a 10' x6.5' structure with R42 Roof and Walls.  The concrete pad was poured over 2 inches of Blueboard and should have an R value of 8-10. The panels just slipped right over the 2x6 Sills connected to J-bolts on the pad. You put a bead of expanding foam on the joints to ensure a good air gap, lift the panel up and cam lock it into place.  If you are considering any type of construction, take a look at these - they are a bit more on the upfront costs,  but the Higher R-Value and the ease with which they are erected saves time (and lots of money if you hire a construction crew)

You still need to buy some additional lumber to fill the "void" spaces in the panels - You attach the wood into the voids using Liquid Nails and screws ( the screw holes were even pre-drilled in the OSB) - of course, I didn't have enough liquid Nails last weekend to fill the top voids, so the Roof will get thrown on this weekend.  I still need to buy a good insulated door, clad it in T111 siding, and put the shingles on. I estimate the total cost of the project ( concrete, rebar, forms, siding, doors, roof etc)  will end up about $5k, which seems like a lot until you think about how much money I am throwing  down on the gear going inside that needs to be a nice 60-70 Degrees.  I did raise the door opening (precut into the panels)  so I can pour a second insulated/ solar water heat radiative  pad on the inside if I find additional heating/floor insulation  is required. I am kinda hoping that the inverters will provide enough heat for the shed. The roof is set at such a high angle to allow me to mount a water panel directly on it if required.  The Solar array will be ground mounted  in-line with the shed running off to the right in the picture.


I ordered some spiffy batten boards for laying out the piers for the solar array.. but they have been back ordered for over a month. I may have to do it the hard way and make some by hand.. ( the array area isn't flat and I need to be close to level and this makes that sort of adjustment pretty easy)

The dome in the Picture is the greenhouse from Growing Spaces. Still so much to do.. We are trying to build a "climate battery" within the dome by burying lots and lots of vented tubing in the ground, so I need to ditch witch the entire inside of the dome when I am ditching for the electrical for the Solar. ( Still working on the permitting for the solar... so I need that done before I dig stuff )

The Greenhouse obviously needs to be sheeted, vents installed,  raised beds built, a large water tank fabricated from sheet metal, a separate tank for Fish excavated and insulated in the center of the dome, aquaponics bins fabricated,  and electrical run and automation added for watering and monitoring. Then of course there are the Outdoor garden swails to be constructed ( with all of that top soil sitting above the dome) and a pretty retaining wall built with those piles of rocks (its need really needed by she who must be obeyed wants it to be pretty as well as functional) Its a lot, but I still hope to be done by the time those Aspens turn gold..

Then we can begin the experimentation phase and see just how much of our own food and power we can actually  provide





Offline John Florida

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Re: Progress Report..
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2011, 10:53:08 PM »
Nice!!!!! No live stock in the dome?
All men are created equal"
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Progress Report..
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2011, 06:53:07 AM »
Impressive.   ::bows::

I think I understood most of that.  But what kind of fish are you talking about?  And what exactly is a "climate battery"?  Is that just a term, not an actual "battery"?
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Offline Weisshaupt

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Re: Progress Report..
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2011, 09:03:11 AM »
Nice!!!!! No live stock in the dome?

Do Fish count as live stock?  The property is really to small for livestock. IF we go that route we will probably start by leasing a larger parcel nearby.

Offline John Florida

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Re: Progress Report..
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2011, 09:17:33 AM »
Nice!!!!! No live stock in the dome?

Do Fish count as live stock?  The property is really to small for livestock. IF we go that route we will probably start by leasing a larger parcel nearby.

 No I was talking about small animals like chickens or rabbits.Fish are a plus but I'm a meat eater.
All men are created equal"
 Filippo Mazzie

Offline Weisshaupt

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Re: Progress Report..
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2011, 09:28:50 AM »
But what kind of fish are you talking about?  And what exactly is a "climate battery"?  Is that just a term, not an actual "battery"?

MichelleO is the resident expert on the Fish. My understanding is that will be Tilapia in the Summer, and Trout in the winter. Neither species is easy to breed, so its likely that we will be buying Fry and raising those. Its a closed system where  the fish water is used to water and fertilize plants in a growing medium. The Water then drains back into the tank- providing filtering for the Fish.  The Yields are supposed to be quite high if you get the system balanced right. However, you are limited in the types of plants (no root veggies)  so we will also have raised beds in the dome to grow other stuff.  The claim is that dome will provide year round growing (cold hardy plants like Kale in the winter)  and should produce enought veggies for 5-6 people using normal growing practices (no Aquaponics)  - I am sure mileage will vary :>)

The "Climate Battery" is a Liberal-Hippie term ( I hate that I have to buy this stuff from them) for forcing hot air under the ground and using the earth to cool it during the day, and then pulling that heat back out at night ( either under force, or through noraml convection)  Its a large part of why this will work at 9500 feet with 2 feet of snow around it - again, in theory, this will keep the dome at near or above freezing even during those -10F temperature dips at night.  I will use a small propane heater (oh, no? I am not "Green"? The horror!)  to augment for the week or so that happens if needed.

We are going to try something simiilar  with the outside beds-- Solar heat  air and force it under the outdoor  bed area - the growing season is short - only 90 days or so, but if we can "preheat" the earth at the beginning of the season, and towards the end, we may be able to expand our season - but then we also have to deal with critters outside ( The dome will have hardware cloth on the floor to prevent the burrowers from gaining access inside - and we may have to do that with the outdoor beds as well. )

Offline Libertas

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Re: Progress Report..
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2011, 11:22:56 AM »
Ahhh, thanks for the clarifications!

Sounds like quite the operation!

Hopefully we have time to hear of its success!
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.