Spaces

SA Master Plan pages 4-5 smaller

Solaqua consists of 19 structures covering 120,000 square feet on 180 acres of property in Chatham, NY.

During it’s first phase of development, major renewable energy improvements were made on Building 14 by SunDogSolar through an Energy Smart Loan from NYSERDA.  These improvements have enabled that 20,000 square foot manufacturing building to sustain itself without using resources from the grid:

  • 40KW solar PV and several rooftop solar thermal arrays that provide hot water and supplemental office heat
  • 500K BTU waste vegetable oil boiler that heats the building all year.  Oil is picked up from local restaurants in Chatham, Hudson and Albany.
  • exterior closed-cell spray foam insulation with double storm windows
  • T5 fluorescent lighting with motion switches
  • An Existing Conditions Report for the entire complex by Troy Architectural Program (TAP) that was used to come with the Phase 2 plan.

Building 14 is currently occupied by a number of local business oriented towards sustainability and has helped make Solaqua a showcase for sustainable innovations in energy, arts and product development.

The Next Phase: Restoration of the Mill Buildings

The goal for phase two is to transform 70,000 unconditioned square feed of warehouse space into an energy positive, insulated and heated spaces with water and septic.  40,000 watts of solar arrays have already been installed.

Next steps include adding:

  • a 12,000 gallon per day sand filter sewage system approved by DEC in October of 2012 that will service the entire 100,000 square foot complex (designed by Pat Prendergast, PE.)
  • a shared community heating plant consisting of solar concentrators and wood gasification boilers that will allow us to turn the veggie oil boilers off in the summer.
  • demolition and cleanup with the help of CT Male to do environmental and materials inventory survey.
  • continual insulation of the buildings with closed cell spray foam
  • additional solar thermal systems for more hot water.
  • another 50-kilowatt system is approved by NYSERDA for the south end of the mill.
  • as more people get involved in Solaqua we will continue to put up additional PV arrays and hydroelectric turbines to catch water power.

Check out a map,  photos, and learn more about our “Space Grant’ program.