From the Detroit News:
It was supposed to be a shining example of the green movement — a completely independent solar-powered house with no gas or electrical hookups.
Seven months ago, officials gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the $900,000 house owned by the city of Troy that was to be used as an educational tool and meeting spot.
But it never opened to the public. And it remains closed.
Frozen pipes during the winter caused $16,000 in damage to floors, and city officials aren’t sure when the house at the Troy Community Center will open…
“The system was designed to kick a heater on to keep water from freezing,” [the superintendent of parks for the city] said. “The heater drew all reserve power out of the battery causing the system to back down and the pipes froze.”
Yeah, but shouldn’t the first clue of failure have been the very idea of building an 800 square-foot house in Troy, MI that cost $900,000 — that is, $1,125 per square foot? The median price of homes in Troy is about $159,000 and that’s for an 1,800 sq. ft home — about $88 per square foot.
Even if the solar system hadn’t malfunctioned, who in their right mind would consider the house a success?
I suppose it’s fitting that this tragi-comedy occurred in a place called Troy — the greens are trying to deceive us in adopting their nutty policies and goofy technologies with a Trojan House.
Beware of greens bearing grifts.
As a resident of Michigan I can tell you that a sunny day in the winter is a great rarity. All the more disapointing because Lawrence Tech has a great reputation.
Even if these crap houses worked, the cost is way beyond the means of the average buyer. I read in the summary of the bills about to be passed that they want to provide federal rebates of up to $7,500 toward purchases of new Energy Star-rated manufactured homes for low-income families residing in pre-1976 manufactured homes. Gee, only another $892,500 to scrape out of the couch cushions to get this beauty. That’s a lot of welfare checks, since it only applies to the poor.
Liberals are stupid…very, very, stupid.
Pure genius explanation. Great job!
Hmmm… You have an “eternal student” type who couldn’t change a tire on his car or replace a deadbolt lock on his front door running the automobile industry and the home building industry. Wasdaproblum??? As his spokesman said “He has no interest in running the car companies” He has given that industry to the UAW. Housing will be given to whatever mob boss runs construction in Chicago. Yeah, stuff might be a little pricey, but don’t worry. I had a good buddy who, when he wasn’t up on all those pesky murder one charges, was a good solid working type. He liked to ask people “How many T*******s does it take to change a light bulb? Six. You got a problem with that?
What genius puts a all-solar house in Michigan, anyway? Solar works just great far from power lines for things like radio repeaters or weather stations. But – Hells bells -it won’t get you through a Northern winter. Short days and long cold nights do not a solar paradise make.
Thank the God of your choice that nobody was living in this greenie wonder or they’d be frozen to death.
P. S. Do the hardwood floors count as carbon sequestration?
Oh, the irony!
I tried to be fair and thought, the handicap access ramp detracts from the look, but it is necessary because it’s a public building; the landscaping isn’t completed yet, and those odd projections are part of a high tech summer shading system which is not yet obvious in the photo. Even allowing for such faint possiblities it still looks like a public restroom building! For $1125/sq foot, they could have at least made it *look* cozy.
Anyone remeber the FAILED MISERABLY ‘bioshere experiment’ ??? Would be CRIMINAL to send people to moon and mars colonies with these ideas in mind ; murder . These commmie/libs lose ALL COMPOSURE over a televangelist preaching “name it / claim it” and here we are with commie/lib WACKOs doing the same thing and to SAME FAILURE , duh .
What
A
Dump.
This debacle is proof that enviromoonbats have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how to cost out a construction project. I’ll bet the contractors rubbed their hands together when they saw this hunk of chocolate icebox pie coming their way. Then I’ll bet they threw in every finish-out junk accessory that no one in their right mind would buy – you know, the stuff that would otherwise have been in the landfill after being in the way for 6 months.
And dublds is 100% correct: YOU won’t be controlling the thermostat in this glorified trailerhouse, that task will be performed by a $9/hour high-school dropout at the Commissariat Of Energy downtown.
And look at the grounds. Plain DIRT!?!? Guess $900K doesn’t even cover a few pallets of grass (okay, okay, okay, xeriscape.)
who would want to live there 800 sq foot wow and only a million bucks what idiot did that could it have been Al Gore Mr. knowitall . I have a picture of gore sporting antlers and wished I could post it here.
OMG…WHO would LIVE in such a monstrosity, even if all the stuff worked as intended…!! This would all be funny if it weren’t so sad…considering that the nutballs are spending tax money taken from hardworking, honest folk.
The cost of solar is outrageous. I check into installing a photoelectric system on my house hoping to be able to save some money on electricity among other things. The company I talked told me that a system would cost me about $8,500 dollars and would only save me about $8.00 a month. That works out to a 1063 months ROI or 88 1/2 years. I will not even be alive when the system would of been paid off and there is a good chance the house would not still be standing.
Hilarious.
Since you provided a picture let me point out another relevant and noteworthy characteristic.
A recap of the charter set out by the US Communist Party in 1963 includes the following point:
“22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. Eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”
Judging by the hideous grey/brown (Grewn?) color, flat roof, inexplicible metal spires, “wheelchair ramp” porch and the unlandscaped landscape, I’d say this house wears it’s true colors boldly. No doubt the Obama-ment would love to collect the tax money it would take to build these babies at $1200+ per s/f, pack us all in there, monitor them with surveillance cameras, remote controlled thermostats and door locks, and feed us daily broadcasts to keep us updated on news from Central Planning and the new definition of words like “bear arms”, “civil rights” and “Marriage”. And on those cold nights when the pipes start to freeze, he’ll be happy send over some science textbooks for you to burn to keep warm.
Take a good look at the green future, then “just say NO”…