NYC Alternative Energy Study Group Meeting

9:48 AM EST on January 23, 2007

The NYC Alternative Energy Study Group will have two presentations on important subjects this evening:

(1) Geothermal Energy

The presentation will describe how geothermal energy is harvested and used to heat and cool homes and businesses. There will be information on state and federal incentives for this type of energy. Finally, there will be a discussion on the type of training and certifications necessary to install approved systems.

Presenter: Jonathan Flynn trained as a Marine Biologist specializing in algae and is now working in NYC as a finish carpenter. Jonathan is a regular member of the NYC Alternative Energy Study Group.

(2) Structural Insulated Panels

SIPs are more energy efficient than traditional insulation used in buildings. They are earthquake and hurricane-proof, and wind, snow-load and fire resistant. They do not mold or rot and are unattractive to termites and rodents. Strong and light, SIPs can be used to build a house much faster than by the usual stick building construction, saving labor costs. The American Federation of Scientists, MIT, and the UN are sponsoring the use of SIPs in developing countries. SIPs made by several companies will be described. Samples will be shown.

Presenter: Shannon Rothenberger is a writer, artist, teacher, and editor, mostly of Native American history. She is interested in low-cost safe energy efficient buildings. Two weeks ago she attended a geothermal workshop in Tennessee and took a side trip to a SIP factory in Florence, Alabama. Shannon is a regular member of the NYC Alternative Energy Study Group.

Aaron Donovan

Before he began blogging about land use and transportation, Aaron Donovan wrote The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund's annual fundraising appeal for three years and earned a master's degree in urban planning from Columbia. Since then, he has worked for nonprofit organizations devoted to New York City economic development. He lives and works in the Financial District, and sees New York's pre-automobile built form as an asset that makes New York unique in the United States, and as a strategic advantage that should be capitalized upon.

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