Redhook Becoming Center of NYC's Solar Awareness

It seems like great minds think alike when looking for places to drive change.  I am excited to see the work that the Beautiful Earth Group is doing to drive the awareness of a solar powered option as well as a electric vehicles.  I guess that Redhook will be the first stop on a NYC Eco-Tourist vacation. Hey that's an idea!  

Our building will include provisions for a solar powered charger for a car and motorcycle.  All we need is the electric car.  If any electric car manufactures (GM, Telsa, Fishker, Mini or Audi) are looking for great places to test new products keep me in mind.  I just love evaluating and writing about new technology, especially in cars!

New York Gets Its First Solar Electric Vehicle Charging Station

by Yuka Yoneda, 12/15/09

We have great news for green-eyed New Yorkers who have been coveting San Francisco’s sophisticatedelectric vehicle charging systems. Beautiful Earth Group, a New York-based sustainable energycompany, just unveiled its solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The new station is the first ever in our city and another momentous stepping stone of a greener future for NYC.

Located on an industrial lot near the Beautiful Earth’s headquarters overlooking downtown Manhattan, the off-grid, modular station is constructed of recycled steel shipping containers and powered solely by 235 wattphotovoltaic panels. The car that is currently being charged at the station is a 100% electric BMW MINI E, and is now one of the few cars in the world to run exclusively on solar power. The vehicle has a range of just over 100 miles and takes about 3 hours to charge.

With so many major car companies planning to launch electric or plug-in hybrid cars next year, it makes sense that one of the biggest cities in the world, NY, will need charging stations. And BE’s station isn’t just for charging automobiles. It can also produce enough energy to power a small home, and has a battery bank that can store electricity 24/7 for on-demand usage.

“It never ceases to amaze me, when I get behind the wheel of this 95 mph sports car, that it doesn’t use a single drop of gasoline, and that all of its power comes from the solar energy we collect right here on the Brooklyn waterfront,” said BE president and CEO Lex Heslin about the groundbreaking development.

+ Beautiful Earth

Ready, Set, Go!

So what do you think I woke up one morning and decided I want to buy a green-ish house?  Well, kind of, but it was slightly more deliberate than that. 

What exactly did I want? What did I hope to accomplish?  I thought about the various types of places I’ve lived and extracted what I loved, liked and hated about each of them. I reviewed past floor plans (yes, I have them all) and I then visualized the various attributes that would be important in making this new structure a long-term place to work and live.

• Energy/Water Efficient 
• Sustainable Materials
• High-Quality 
• Factory-Built Modern Structure 
• American Made Materials 
• Simple But Exciting Design 
• Design Augments Surrounding Neighborhood 
• Kid And Dog Friendly 
• Easy To Clean & Maintain 
• Open & Light Filled Spaces 
• Interesting 
• Fun & Comfortable 
• Private & Secure 

From that list I started to think about specific "must have" appointments were necessary to meet the above objectives.

• Flexible Commercial Space For Vehicle Storage, Restoration, Stone Carving, and Workshop 
• Open Office Space
• 3 Bedrooms, 2+ Baths
• Outdoor Green Space
• Leverage Water view to see Harbor and Statue of Liberty
• Connection for Electric Car (coming soon I hope)
• Flagpole and US Flag
• Leverage Government Energy Programs

As you will see, this list will change and as what was and was not possible, became more clearly delimited by land availability, design, time, and budget options.  I will cover most of them in detail in coming weeks.  Did I miss anything?  Any thoughts on my attributes and appointments?  Please jump in real-time as we work through the project by commenting below.