Things We Need To Consider Before Relying On Alternative Energy Sources

The Detroit News ran an article today about a $900,000 ‘green’ house owned by the City of Troy which was built to be used as an educational tool and meeting spot.  The house was built with no electrical or gas hookups to prove that it is possible to build an entirely ‘green’ house.  What happened next shows what happens when people use new technology without taking into consideration the need for backup systems.

The house has never opened to the public.  The pipes froze in the winter, causing  $16,000 in damage to floors.  According to the article:

“Jeff Biegler, superintendent of parks for the city, said the flooding occurred from a glitch in the heater.

“The system was designed to kick a heater on to keep water from freezing,” Biegler said. “The heater drew all reserve power out of the battery causing the system to back down and the pipes froze.””

There is an alternate explanation cited in the article:

Joe Veryser, an associate dean of architecture at the university, said he heard otherwise.

“What I heard repeatedly was that somebody turned off the breaker during the winter and forgot to turn it back on, which caused the pipes to freeze and then break.”

Either way, we have a way to go before we can build an affordable, practical, working ‘green’ house, and as we hear all the ruckus about using energy, we need to keep that fact in mind.  Most Americans cannot afford a $900,000 house, particularly one where the pipes freeze.