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Tomorrow evening the Michigan Tech Sustainability Demonstration House (SDH) will host an open house. Those heading to the SDH, will learn about the different project students in the home have taken on, and about simple solutions to help make your house more energy efficient. The SDH started in 2016 as a project by the Alternative Energy Enterprise with the goal of retrofitting a 1950s house owned by the Michigan Tech into a net-zero energy, and zero-waste house. Since then, the house has been equipped with a 8.6 kilo-watt solar array, two composting systems, aqua-ponics, hydroponics, a rain barrel, energy-efficient appliances, low-flow faucets, and LED lights.
In the backyard there stands a bee hive where about 30,000 honey bees reside. During the warmer months their bees fly around and pollinate the local plants. The bees create honey for themselves to eat in the winter and any excess honey is collected by the students. Although some tenants may joke and say they have to take the bees for a walk every day, the upkeep for bees is actually fairly simple. Six residents live in the home at a time, and students, while they are conservation minded, may not go on to earn degrees in the environmental sciences. Throughout the year the Michigan Tech Sustainability Demonstration House hosts a variety of educational events for the community.
Stop by the Sustainability Demonstration House tomorrow evening from 6 to 8 pm to learn more about sustainable home practices, energy efficiency and their projects.
