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As the historic rebuilding of Greensburg, Kansas progresses, residents and business owners are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, with that light being solar powered of course.
Greensburg's public buildings and schools are beginning to reopen complete with a green makeover. And many of the business members are looking forward to the prospect of saving 'green' by going green.
All the public buildings in Greensburg are now LEED-certified at the platinum level, including the true pillar of the town's future: the school. The citizens of Greensburg are elated at the groundbreaking of their sustainable school. Completely reworked from its former structure, the building is designed around daylight and natural ventilation. With an on-site wind generator, 25% of the school's power will come from a sustainable source.
"Most of the year, you'll never have to turn a light on in the school," said Casey Cassias, of BNIM Architects, "The school is going to be part of your educational process on a daily basis."
Along with the school, churches and day care centers are finally reopening as well, bringing back the support systems that the town relies on. With these facilities re-opening, the residents are finally getting the sense that the pieces are coming back together and the town will soon be whole once more.
Many of the business owners hope they will be able to move in to the Sun Chips Incubator. Funded by Sun Chips to help revitalize business in Greensburg, the Incubator will house 10 local businesses and provide the economic infrastructure to support the return of Greensburg residents.
Of course, the Incubator is being built with green in mind. Its sustainable design includes:
- Hotovoltaic solar panels
- Natural daylighting
- Gray water system
- Rainwater collection system
- Geothermal HVAC system
- Natural storm water management
- High performance building materials
"I think the Business Incubator is a great economic-development tool," explains city administrator Steve Hewitt. "We stepped and we found a way to build this facility to get our local businesses and new businesses back into Greensburg, get them started, get them back on their feet."
Other business owners in town look forward to their buildings reopening with their own green flair. The John Deere dealership, which was completely destroyed during the tornado, anticipates about a 38 percent energy savings by pulling their energy from the nearby wind turbines. Meanwhile, at its grand opening, the Chevy dealership features the first-ever reveal of the Chevy Volt. The Volt boasts a 40-mile range, meaning that it can go at least 40 miles gas-free.
"To be the first public showing of the Chevrolet Volt is just beyond my wildest expectations," says Chevy dealership owner Ron Shank.
The redesign of the town's buildings supports the town's sustainable future. Reopening schools and churches, and its businesses, is a must for bringing the community back together again. And having those buildings be platinum LEED-certified is a real plus.
As their support structures and businesses resurface, the town members can really start looking forward to their brighter, more sustainable, days ahead.
Find out what the future holds on The Future is Now episode of Greensburg.
Don't miss this episode of Greensburg or any of your favorite Planet Green shows. Check the TV Schedule for times.
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