GreenSpark Sustainability Park

09/13/2018

Some good news: despite the tariffs, utility companies in the US are adopting solar at the record rate!

Procurement of solar energy by U.S. utilities "exploded" in the first ...

09/05/2018

Visiting Vermont? Make sure to visit our state’s newest tourist attraction - a museum of Green Living, called GreenSpark Sustainability Park.

A family-friendly tour of GreenSpark is rated five stars on Trip Advisor. During your inspiration-packed 60 minute visit you will explore a variety of sustainable vehicles and energy sources for a green commute, discover how to power your life with renewable energy, and learn about green building methods to keep homes warm and save money. And it’s free for the kids!

Open 12 noon - 6 pm Tue-Sat and most holidays. Tours start at 12pm, 2pm, and 4 pm. (Closed for rain)

08/31/2018

GreenSpark's sailing tricycle - called Whike - is now on display, visible from VT rt100. Come see the rest of our inspiring exhibits!

08/30/2018

Toothpaste tubes are wasteful, you can never get all the paste out of them. And this results in dirty plastic which you can't recycle.
This is a great solution. I'll try it next time i'll go buying a toothpaste.

https://www.facebook.com/InTheKnowConservationByAOL/videos/288865628378594/

08/28/2018

Hi friends! Today I am starting a series of posts, featuring few of our GreensSpark exhibits.

Disclaimer: I'm not selling Evolve gadget, and I'm not getting anything from them to write about it. I just think it's very cool.

Unless you are using a water heater that's located 3 feet from your shower, you are familiar with a situation I'm about to describe. You turn your shower on, and walk away for a minute until water gets warm. Sometimes you get a notification on your phone and only remember 5 minutes later that your water has been running the whole time.

Welcome GreenSpark's smallest exhibit, a shower head adapter called "Evolve" - a super easy to install gadget which stops the flow of water as soon as hot water finally arrives. All you need to do once you're ready to shower -- is pull on a little chain to restore the flow.

This conserves both water and the energy to heat it. They claim $75 annual savings. I've been using it daily for 5+ years, and I feel it could save even more.

It is also useful for those who rent apartments where hot water is included. Not only will you lower your carbon footprint, but you will also ensure there is plenty of hot water for a pleasant shower.

Was it useful? Visit GreenSpark in Waterbury, Vermont to see more of our inspiring exhibits!

08/25/2018

A visitor to GreenSpark asked me several days ago to tell her about recent developments in the energy storage research. Here is one of the projects i told her about:

To deal with variable solar and wind power, the startup Energy Vault is coming out of stealth mode to offer alternatives to lithium-ion batteries.

08/23/2018

Hey friends, would anyone book a treehouse at GreenSpark for your next vacation if we built one? How much would you pay for a night high up in a trees?

https://www.facebook.com/1686470807/posts/10210394619376929/

08/10/2018

Hi friends! We have noticed that there are lots of cyclists passing by GreenSpark on both rt 100 and on Gregg Hill road - so we decided to set up a free cycling rest stop!
We are now offering free use of tools & bike stand, air pump, water re-supply, and a place to relax in the shade. Our rest stop will be open during our regular hours (Tue-Sat 12:00pm - 6:00pm)
If you know someone planning a ride around central Vermont - let them know about this!

05/28/2018

Working on yet another exhibit - restoring a solar panel which was dropped in transit. Its outer glass shuttered into a spider web of little cracks. However the underlying solar cells are intact. I am using a special clear silicon to create a new outer weathering. In this exhibit we'll compare the power output of the restored panel to the one of an identical intact one.

Come to our upcoming Grand Opening to see this and other fun exhibits

05/23/2018

Vermont's SevenDays newspaper just published a two-page article about GreenSpark and our upcoming June 2nd Grand Opening.

Enjoy the read, and come see our exhibits for yourself!

In a grassy field in Waterbury Center, Alex Chernomazov is transforming a retrofitted shipping container into, of all things, a welcome center. And he's in...