Clear Creek Fire Authority Station #7
At 10,000 feet in elevation next to the Continental Divide, the Alice Fire Station lives in a harsh environment.
We were charged with building a 4300 square foot firehouse that would have a zero maintenance exterior, and be as close to net zero as possible.
Metal fascia and metal siding along with a lifetime shingle and fiberglass Serious Windows create the zero maintenance exterior.
We used a 4-3-5 insulated concrete sandwich wall for the exterior walls. That is 4" of outside colored concrete, 3" of Dow XPS insulation, and 5" of interior colored concrete. The 5" concrete layer and the concrete floors are heated by the 10 solar hot water panels when the sun is out, which is often in Colorado. When need arises, a high efficiency gas boiler takes over.
The structure was completed in June of 2010.
THIS STRUCTURE, AT 10,000 FEET IN ELEVATION WITH HARSH WINTER WEATHER FOR 7 MONTHS PER YEAR, ONLY USED 350 GALLONS OF PROPANE IN ALL OF 2011!!! THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF $30 PER MONTH!! THE INTERIOR TEMPERATURE WAS A CONSTANT 68 DEGREES. THE 2000 SQUARE FOOT GARAGE WAS HEATED AS WELL.
The photovoltaic panels covered all of the electrical usage for 2011. The utility company charges $6.57 per month as a base fee. The bills all year were $6.57 with a rebate of $22.00 at the end of 2011.
Station #7 was completed $20,000 under budget.
We were charged with building a 4300 square foot firehouse that would have a zero maintenance exterior, and be as close to net zero as possible.
Metal fascia and metal siding along with a lifetime shingle and fiberglass Serious Windows create the zero maintenance exterior.
We used a 4-3-5 insulated concrete sandwich wall for the exterior walls. That is 4" of outside colored concrete, 3" of Dow XPS insulation, and 5" of interior colored concrete. The 5" concrete layer and the concrete floors are heated by the 10 solar hot water panels when the sun is out, which is often in Colorado. When need arises, a high efficiency gas boiler takes over.
The structure was completed in June of 2010.
THIS STRUCTURE, AT 10,000 FEET IN ELEVATION WITH HARSH WINTER WEATHER FOR 7 MONTHS PER YEAR, ONLY USED 350 GALLONS OF PROPANE IN ALL OF 2011!!! THAT IS AN AVERAGE OF $30 PER MONTH!! THE INTERIOR TEMPERATURE WAS A CONSTANT 68 DEGREES. THE 2000 SQUARE FOOT GARAGE WAS HEATED AS WELL.
The photovoltaic panels covered all of the electrical usage for 2011. The utility company charges $6.57 per month as a base fee. The bills all year were $6.57 with a rebate of $22.00 at the end of 2011.
Station #7 was completed $20,000 under budget.
