Dave Haaren

I live in southern Vermont in a home that gets heat from solar and wood and electricity from solar. I work part of the year at an organic farm that uses greenhouses to start plants. The heating load is met with LP gas and is quite expensive every spring. A bubble blanket is an exciting idea. This process of sharing and collaboration is exciting too. There is much to learn.

I am wondering if this open collaborative work on bubble blankets could be incorporated into open collaborative business plans that could be adopted and adapted by all interested parties. Specifically, for starters, I propose the solar /wood (or other back-up) powered laundromat.

The laundromat could utilize the exceptional heat collecting and storing qualities of the bubble roof concept year-round. (In our local agricultural applications the greenhouses are used for only a short period in the spring.) The technology to create a laundromat that is off-the-grid both electrically (or net metered) and for water and waste-water could be developed "on paper". John Todd's work with wastewater processing ponds could be applied to generate clean water for washing from the wastewater. The large capital expense for these bubble roofed buildings, ponds, and state-of-the-art equipment would be off-set by NO UTILITY BILLS!