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Cody Enterprise • Thursday, May 14, 2015
Harnessing power of sun Stone Soup Studios uses solar energy to provide heat By BUZZY HASSRICK Special to the Enterprise In its 12 years of operation, the solar arrangement that provides heat and electricity at Stone Soup Studios has encountered few problems. “This system has been almost flawless,” co-owner Elijah Cobb said. The active and passive elements include – from roof to basement – solar panels, insulated walls, double-pane windows, heat-absorbing front hallway and a stainless steel, 750-gallon water tank. The tank is the core of the heating operation, served by thermostats and yards of copper pipe. Even in mid-winter, with temperatures hovering at minus-20 degrees, the system will warm the building if the sky is clear, Cobb said. If the water isn’t hot enough, co-owner Linda Raynolds said, there is a backup electric system. She added that the setup capitalizes on a state resource. “We live in Wyoming, and we have sun,” Raynolds said. “Most days we have sun.”
A joint venture
When the sculptor and photographer lived in a remote, rustic cabin about 20 years ago, Raynolds said Cobb harnessed the sun’s energy to provide light for his dark room. “When the sun was out, all he needed was a light bulb and a solar panel,” she recalled. “One of the beauties of the thing is … it works.” In time, the remote location proved problematic for their careers, so they decided to relocate and chose Cody as an appropriate fit. “This is an artistic community,” Raynolds said. “As artists, we felt this was a good place to live.” After establishing their creative spaces off East Sheridan, they found nearby property where they could fulfill their vision, a studio complex that capitalized on sun power. She worked on the design with her brother-in-law, architect Alex Blackmer of Fort Collins, Colo., who builds off-grid and tie-in homes. “He and I sat down with a beer and a paper napkin,” Raynolds said. Later she fashioned a little mockup to express her ideas. “I made a small clay model for Alex,” she said. “I’m a sculptor – that’s how I communicate.”
photo by RAYMOND HILLEGAS
Artist Linda Raynolds of Stone Soup Studios helped design the energy efficient building along with Elijah Cobb.
The building was designed to be energy-efficient. Elijah Cobb, Stone Soup Studios In the past she’d participated in group studios and appreciated the synergy of working with other artists, “but they were horrible spaces” such as basements, garrets and abandoned warehouses. “They’re not inspiring spaces unless you’re into urban grunge,” she said. “Architecture affects the human spirit.” Fundamental to group studios, in her words, are beautiful and inspiring spaces for artists, “instead of laboring in a dungeon.” The setting
is equally important, so Raynolds and Cobb selected a site with trees, deer, birds, canals and sometimes horses. “It’s such a beautiful piece of property for artistic inspiration. It’s such a nice place to work,” Raynolds said. When the lot became available, she determined, “We could do this cool thing,” which Cobb describes as an “art-business incubator.”
The solar system
“The building was designed to be energy-efficient,” Cobb said. The exterior structure comprises concrete poured between two layers of foam-insulation interspersed with rebar, which not only provides weather protection, but also serves as a sound barrier, he explained. “This is really quiet,” Cobb said of the interior. The building is oriented eastwest to create a southern exposure and capture solar power through tall windows. The sun’s rays strike and heat the dark, cement floor of the long, front hallway and also the dark, back, masonry wall. The roof overhang was precisely designed to let the winter sun into the building and block the summer sun, Cobb said. Alternating windows along the front and also in the five studios can be opened for crossventilation. On the roof is an array of 12
solar panels to warm the water for the heating system. Copper pipes run between the water tank in the basement and the panels. Two thermostats or “smart boxes,” as Cobb called them, regulate the flow. If the panels are 20 degrees or warmer than the tank’s water, the boxes activate pumps that send the water onto the roof to be heated. “The water only goes up if it’s hotter up there,” Cobb said. When the pumps stop, the water flows into the tank, in a so-called “drain-back system,” Cobb said. That means, if there’s a problem, “we don’t have anything to freeze up there.” He noted that the water is pure. Each room contains a thermostat and radiator, which contains a copper coil and fan. Included with the radiator is an electric heat system for backup.
Please see SOLAR, page C-2
Youth garden taking shape on Mountain View
photo by JEANETTE JOHNSON
The keyhole garden begins to take shape with the help of (from left) Nikki Andrews, Donna Blaylock, Hudson Oelschlager, Luca Swindler, Samuel Dallas and Cathy Dallas.
By JEANETTE JOHNSON Staff writer Chips were flying, dirt was on the move, goats basked in the sun and youth learned life lessons. Hugelkulturs were under construction – a typical Saturday for youth garden enthusiasts, emphasis on youth. Hugelkulturs – gardening without irrigation or fertilization, is good for anyplace from backyards to deserts. It’s turning rotted wood into buried treasure to grow vegetables. What once looked overrun became organized, ready to turn the large plot into an area for home-grown food. Like the plants and seeds, Young Hugelers Earthworks Growing Initiative is growing by heaps and mounds. J.R. Megee and Nikki Andrews are heading up the non-profit community youth garden. The idea germinated as the duo talked about starting a hugelkultur. Goats are happy to clean the irrigation ditch, accepting petting as payment. “We’re going to be as organic as we can possibly be,” Andrews said. Materials began to appear in February. Megee’s property at 2619 Mountain View Avenue began to take on a new life as logs and limbs became fodder for compost. When wood breaks down, it aerates and fertilizes plants. As decomposition continues, it releases
nutrients and stays warm, Andrews explained. It’s also a way to heat greenhouses and extend the growing season. They want to make it available to all schools. “We’re teaching kids how to feed themselves,” she said. Participants in the venture could be standing in a lunch line, see items and tell their peers they helped grow the food, she said. “As kids get better growing habits, they can educate their parents,” she said. It’s learning a habit that will last a lifetime. The goals are simple: •Create a safe, positive environment for youth of Park County and outlying areas. •Create a space for teachers and parents to educate youth. •Grow produce to sell to the school and farmers’ markets or donate it to charitable organizations. It goes beyond making seeds grow. The green thumbs will learn about charitable donations such as providing food for Meals on Wheels, Andrews said. The young farmers also will take items to the farmers’ market. The keyhole gardens – think of a pie with a slice removed – are filled with compost from leaves, trees and manure to aid in the process. “Growing stuff should be fun and extremely rewarding,” she said. “There’s a lot of pride involved.” Please see GARDEN, page C-4