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Posted on 01/03/2008 6:28:59 AM PST by Uncledave
Homeless Organization Goes Green Project Place Says It Can Spent More On Clients, Not Energy
NewsCenter 5's David Brown reported that a new, green $2.5 million building houses Project Place in Boston's South End. The 40-year-old not-for-profit organization helps some of Boston's homeless through job creation and training.
The agency aims to help sustain the lives of the nearly 1,000 clients while doing so in a sustainable building.
"The more money we could save in not using energy, using it efficiently, was the more money we could put towards programs. To me, that was a no brainer," said Suzanne Kenney, the executive director of Project Place.
The building contractors developed the sustainable initiatives, including a geothermal heating system. Two 1,500-foot wells tap into the constant temperature of the ground water, which is about 55 degrees, and uses it to heat the building in the winter and cools it in the summer.
"There are no emissions from a geothermal system. They're saving money on gas and electric. Those are the biggest savings," said Trane Heating manager Greg Anderson.
The building also saves energy by using a lot of natural light. Each room has a sensor that monitors the compact fluorescent bulbs. The carpets are made of recycled materials.
"We are in a position to create awareness that being green is a good thing. So when the floors squeak and people say, 'why do the floors squeak?' we tell them its rubber and this is a green building. We are able to raise people's consciousness about being green and being kinder to the environment," Kenney said.
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"We are in a position to create awareness that being green is a good thing. So when the floors squeak and people say, 'why do the floors squeak?' we tell them its rubber and this is a green building. We are able to raise people's consciousness about being green and being kinder to the environment," Kenney said."
So now we're paying people to educate the homeless about "environmental consciousness"? I'm fairly certain the "carbon footprint" of an average bum is a lot less than Kenney. (Not to mention the typical homeless person in my area is a Master Recycler: makeshift housing out of construction debris, collects cans for deposits, collects (or steals) scrap metal & copper.
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And we do it a smug way, too. A way that lets them know how ignorant and wasteful they are, and how superior we are because we Care. A Lot. Unlike them.
Well, OK, if you discount the pumps and fans.
How about saying "Shut the f*ck up - you are living free in government housing and you are complaining about the squeaky floors? Go get a job and buy you own place."
How long before the bums use the geothermal wells as toilets?
I would think designing floors that are most easily washable would have been a priority design consideration for a homeless shelter.
I have a geothermal system in my home here in High Point, NC. It is indeed very efficient when working properly. But these systems are so complicated that there is a high failure rate of many of the components. And these are expensive to repair. The parts are not mass produced and often need to special ordered. I have learned to stock spare parts myself so I can get a quick repair when the inevitable breakdown occurs.
Yes, my utility bills are lower than if I had gas or oil heat, but the maintenance costs are so high that I end up paying more overall for heating/cooling.
If I were homeless and dwelling in Boston, I think it would be wise to go to Florida(except for temps there today); it beats the dickens out of freezing your butt off in some trumped up greeny building put together by a bunch of moon worshipers.
But then, that’s just my opinion.
$2.5 million?
One can only guess there is good money to be made in housing the homeless! The real story here....
- John
Geothermal in Boston?
The building isn’t housing the homeless.
It is a 6-story office building for an organization that provides job training to the homeless. It is a private charity, not a government-funded organization.
When it works, geothermal provides cheap heating and cooling. The “green” factor may have influenced their decision, but many businesses are choosing the new generation of geothermal systems for cost reasons alone.
“A liberal four-bagger: 1) Bilking taxpayers for 2) an overpriced building for 3) housing homeless using 4) renewable energy.”
It’s a private charity, not government funded. $2.5M for a 6-story office building in Boston doesn’t sound overpriced. It is an office building where they provide job training for the homeless, not primarily a housing complex. The ‘green’ factor may have gotten them more donations, but a well-designed geothermal system can pay for itself fairly quickly in lower heating and cooling bills.
Must be "California Dreaming" in Beantown.
Ha! You are way too entrepreneurial to be homeless...which is why you’re not.
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