the last five years but has had a very positive effect on how our division performs its daily work assignments.
It is not an easy comparison to gauge what the overall savings
of a building with green components compared to traditional construction as the facility we came from was considerably smaller, although the utilities are significantly less for a facility of this size.
The buildings are a demonstration project, and we give tours to
any interested party. One of the questions that is usually asked is,
"What green practices work the best?" We have found that the
ground source heating system, the photovoltaic panels, sun tunnels and the rainwater reuse system work the best.
In the past 5 years, this facility has experienced two blizzards, a
hurricane, two tropical storms, a derecho (a widespread, longlived, straight-line windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving
band of severe thunderstorms), an earthquake, and a direct lightning strike to the building. The Parks and Grounds Maintenance
Facility provides our division with a first-rate platform to work
from under normal conditions and in times of emergencies that
should last many years to come. n
Ed Hall is parks supervisor for the City of Bowie, MD Parks and
Recreation Department.
A bio-retention pond is constructed on site
to capture water runoff and naturally filter it
before it is released into the ground.
Solar heated hot water panels on the
roof of the vehicle storage building use the
energy of the sun to heat water used for
washing vehicles and equipment. Water
comes from rainwater collected on site.
Photovoltaic (PV) panels produce
electricity and constantly pump it
back into the grid, reducing the
amount of power that must be
purchased.
Two of the walls here (one on
the side and one on the back of
the structure)are constructed
out of bales of straw, covered in
plaster. The highly compressed
straw is fireproof and provides
an outstanding level of insulation, using a renewable material.
www.stma.org
