Green Update EcoStructures

We took a break from working on the Water Missions compound to check on a school orphanage where they have a water system. The school had very little under roof, just some walls and tarps. They had water and the beginning of a septic system. The kids and people were beautiful. Lots of big smiles. Their system can filter and chlorinate 2000 gallons per day. They work them for a year, train and educate, and then it is self sustaining. So far WMI has installed 250 all over Haiti. The trip there showed how widespread the devastation. It will take generations to recover. We have lots of pics to post when we get back. Peace, John

We arrived in Haiti without problems although the layovers at the airports made the trip 20 hours long. It is 94 during the heat of the day and 75 at night. Water Missions International sent Phillip to meet us at the airport and it went well except one of the tools that I brought was stolen out of my suitcase. No problems at customs. They have a very nice walled-in and guarded compound here. Their water is very safe since they treat it. Julio and Elsa Paulo run the place and have about 10 full-time employees. They have devotions every morning before going to work with bible readings, discussion, songs and prayer in both English and Creole. Everyone is super nice. They are moving their compound to save rent money and that is a lot of work that we are helping with. They have space for guests that is very nice, but their main mission is installing water treatment systems. They already have put out 250 here in Haiti all over the place. It takes a week or two to install and they can make as much as 2000 gallons per day, but usually only 500. They train the locals to service and run them, and they tell them to charge about 10 cents a gallon to pay for the chlorine and someone to run the machine. It therefore becomes community run and sustainable. The training and help from WMI lasts about a year. They feel that this is the best way to share Christ’s love. They all work really hard. Julio and Elsa have worked all over the globe from Sri Lanka to Azer Baijan to Indonesia, and are very good at keeping it all running. There has been a lot of help from donors, as you can imagine, but the city of Port au Prince is still in shambles. But yet, we don’t feel that it is totally lawless. People, at least during the day, are friendly and peaceful. There was just an election and a young guy (late 40′s), who is a rock star, won the presidency. Hopefully his charisma will help, but these guys think he is not serious enough…like electing Jim Morrison. One can only hope and pray because the little work that we do seems like a drop in the ocean of need. Tent cities are everywhere, and garbage and sewage also. They need huge reconstruction projects. But still, clean water is essential and a good thing, the need is just so overwhelming it is heart breaking. The internet is so bad here I won’t even try to post pictures. Later, love to all, John

I am leaving for Haiti on March 18 and will be there through the 27th. The Solar Habitat has arrived at the Water Missions International facility in Port-au-Prince. I will write about our progress and will post pictures. In the meantime, I am posting a picture of the container and WMI’s personnel and volunteers who received the unit in Charleston, SC last June. Thanks to all who helped with the creation and shipment of the Solar Habitat.

WMI's personnel and volunteers, Charleston, SC

I’m still waiting for the thumbs up to go down to PAP with Watermissions. I may have to call and bug them, but in the meantime two shop built green homes are getting started. One right here in Morgantown and the other in Rehobeth Beach, DE. So maybe the economy is starting to pick up, at least for me. Hard to expand or hire anyone until you know that you can promise them some stability. I’m looking forward to the trip and will try to keep current while there. John G

There will be an open house at the old Restore store, beside the skate park in Marilla Park, Morgantown, WV, Sat. May 15 noon til 4, and Sun. May 16, 2-5pm. We will be demonstrating the solar and water filtration parts of this unit. Thanks to donations of time and money by many groups–OKC Solar, PIMBY (Power in my backyard) and Matt Sherrald are putting the solar parts together, Ultra Seal for spray foaming the ceiling, Sherwin Williams donated the paint, Eve Faulkes’ WVU graphic design students contributed design and painting, and many others. Several new green technologies will be included in this package. Thin film solar that is hurricane proof, therma-cel insulating paint additive, a sand filter for the rainwater designed by WVU engineers without borders and more. We will be sending this container later in May. We hope to raise consciousness and also more things to include such as building materials, tools, more solar panels, etc. Call John Garlow at 304-276-3655 or john@eco-mod-structure.com for more info.

We are back on track with the solar, rainwater harvesting container for Haiti. It seemed like the politics might make it too hard but Representative Alan Mollohan’s staff has been helpful, and I listed the unit on Aidmatrix and was contacted by watermissions.org, a NGO that has been there for a while and is now trying to rebuild. We have been helped by a lot of locals and started with the solar roof today. Matt from Pimby (Power in my backyard) is coming up next week to help me with the solar power. Hopefully we will have it about ready for prime time in about 4 weeks. Spring brings renewed optimism. Illigitimum non carborundum (don’t let the illigitimates grind you) Any helpful input would be appreciated.

In order to contribute to the needs of relief and rebuilding of Haiti, Habitat proposes to transform a used shipping container into a center for power supply, good water on tap, waste water control and security from natural disasters, ship it, work with a local group to make sure it is set up right, and to see what other types of assistance is needed.

The first container will have a kitchen, bathroom, and bunk beds or desks, all movable. It will have a metal roof that will be installed on site, with solar and rainwater collection built in. There will be wiring and charging stations for cordless appliances and some lighting. There will be a super efficient refrigerator and kitchen sink with metal countertops. There will be many screened windows with metal awnings that swing shut for security. Some of the doors will have small porches outside. We will build 12 approximately 24″ x 96″ platforms that can hook to the walls and be used either as bunks for desks. There will be a gutter and 12 fifty gallon plastic drums with a filtration system and small solar circulating pumps. There will be a compost toilet, a composting drum, and a gray water system, if the site allows.

More of these could be built here, but basic materials could be sent and more labor performed on site once conditions allow. It will be painted with a reflective color paint containing HyTech insulative additive and have a well insulated roof. The graphic design shows a wave with the names of all the volunteers and collaborators on this community project.

We will have to buy or get contributions for:

- $5200 for the once-used shipping container, certified and ready to ship
- $5000, approximately, to transport to the port and ship to Haiti or Dominican
- (?) Cost to transport from port to site in Haiti
- 10 cordless tool sets including circular saw, recipro saw, and drill;
hopefully, all from the same company–either Sears or DeWalt.
- 10 3′-4′ X 27″ wide foam pads–from Fabric and Foam in Fairmont, WV
- (?) 15 gallons of white exterior paint containing HyTech insulating additive
- $300 to spray foam the ceiling/roof–labor donated by Ultra Seal
- $1400 for the two composting units
- $1000 for mosquito netting and miscellaneous hardware
- $800 refrigerator
- LED lights and cable–donated by The Sign Factory
- $7200–standing seam metal roof with solar thin film–2KW per hour
- 12 plastic 50 gallon drums donated by Mylan Pharmaceuticals
- Lots of labor and love
- The local Haiti group will give us a wish list of most needed items with
which we will try to fill any empty space in the container

one interesting consideration–when building your own cistern with a liner–epdm or hdpe–rubber or plastic? I think fiberglass would be the best, but we are site building with foam block and a liner, so fiberglass is out. If you had a big enough access you could bring in some fiberglass tanks, but that was not an option either. It seems like even water bottles are suspect these days. There is a company called geocheminc that says hdpe is good. I actually used epdm for my hot water and have had no problems. The warranty is better (20 yrs) on the rubber. Water quality of rain water is initially good and then gets exposed to air pollution, bird and insect waste, and usually metal roofing, aluminum downspout, pvc piping then the plastic liner. We are filtering each downspout with a sloped screen, panty hose, and then a first flush diverter that we made ourselves. I will try to post photos, but this went a lot farther than any system of rainwater harvesting at the decathlon. All these decisions…

The solar decathlon this year decided to keep the modules grid-tied, but they had to produce surplus electricity beyond the needs of the homes—enough to charge an electric car. Most incorporated lots of natural light, using solar panels for shades or raising them to allow skylights with indirect lighting. Rain skins came in all sorts on most houses, helping them breath and dry out. It seemed that it might provide good places for insects to nest as a down side. Many employed ponds for the gray water which looked great for the moment, but standing water could breed mosquitos.

750 solar panels were built into the glass shingles of the German house

Cement board rain skin on the University of Kentucky house had holes drilled in a pattern that would light up as a landscape of Kentucky at night