Solar Power Provides Off-Grid Energy for Geodome
Interview provided by Unity Gardens staff gives insight to how solar power and the South Bend EASSI program has changed their space
In an interview I conducted with Danny Davis, Mitch Yaciw, Will Russell, and Sara Stewart, I found that off-grid solar is an integral part of their mission and plays a role in their educational goals as well as energy efficiency.
They secured funding for this project through a grant from the South Bend Office of Sustainability’s EASSI program (Energy Assistance and Solar Savings Initiative).
How did EASSI help you to accomplish this project? Why did you choose EASSI?
Sara: EASSI in some ways chose us, we already have solar here and a great relationship with the City so when the City asked to do the press release here [in February 2022], we were more than happy to accommodate. Then learning more about the program, it seemed like a natural opportunity to grow in even more environmental wellness with Unity Gardens.
Mitch: EASSI made this project a lot easier to do. The actual idea for the shed came from Wellspring. We had a different plan and then Wellspring came in and we changed our plans. EASSI jumpstarted us into the project, we always had plans to add solar for the geodome but cost was an issue. Without EASSI, we probably would have waited a few years to get more settled into the building before adding solar.
How has solar made the geodome more impactful?
Mitch: It’s given us the ability to have power out here, it’s really about trying to get this thing off-grid. It gives us the ability to power the fans [which maintain temperature within the dome and contribute to airflow] and have outlets out here without cords running from the building [outlets provide direct electric within the dome which solar allows to happen].
Will: It utilizes the natural aspects of the Earth to create energy efficient energy.
Danny: We’re not taking any energy or spending any money to grow the vegetables that are coming out of here; it’s all completely powered by sun.
Mitch: One of the biggest things for me is that this is a learning tool for us to become completely off-grid. We also are able to educate others; what I like about the solar panel is that it’s not on the roof, it’s not hidden, it’s exposed so people can see exactly how it works.
Danny: There’s been at least 20 people since we’ve gotten the solar operating that have come in - they look at it and we explain how easy it is to hook everything up and have it up and running. They’re like ‘I wanna look into solar for things I have going on’. It gets people inspired to do things like this on their own.
How has solar impacted the financial side of operating the geodome?
Mitch: As a non-profit, for our donors, they want to see that we’re not wasting their money. With the solar powering the geodome [funded by donors], we’re actually saving our donors money. We’ve saved so much by having two sets of solar, one on the building and one for the geodome, and it has made a drastic difference in how we utilize our funds. It’s really been a learning curve on where we can save money, what we can and cannot do with solar and how this can help us in the future.
What steps were taken to make this project as efficient and beneficial as possible?
Building a geothermal shed to house the solar panel’s batteries and inverters was a key aspect in making this project efficient and durable.
Will: We needed to build a box that could contain as much heat inside as possible for the batteries and inverters [they’re not efficient in cold weather]. We built the solar shed almost completely from recycled materials. We used the crates that the geodome parts came in and reused all the materials we could.
Danny: When it came to building shed, there are certain things to it, like it needed to be big enough to go inside, work on the equipment, and set equipment up. It has a geothermal tube that goes six feet into the ground to keep a steady 50°F temperature within the shed. It’s using the Earth’s temperature to warm the space.
Mitch: When we first started this project, we knew that lithium batteries don’t like moisture so we couldn't put them in the dome. They also don’t like to be below 32°F, they won’t work. Wellspring came up with the idea to put the geothermal tube in the ground, they had never done it and wanted to see if it works. They came back to check on it when it was in the negatives and the geothermal tube was producing heat at about 50°F.
Danny: We never have to introduce heat into the shed because we have 50°F temperatures coming from the ground. Also, the batteries produce heat, the inverters produce heat, so it’s essentially creating heat for itself. In the summer, the geothermal tube will have cool air coming up and we can add fans to the shed.
Learn more how EASSI has helped other community organizations to meet their energy efficiency goals!
