Dear Friends of Makvärket
It is with great excitement that we can reveal this summer’s main construction project.
As many of you who have been staying at the factory over the years will know, the internal climate of the sprawling buildings can leave something to be desired, feeling cold and damp even on a hot summer’s day. Many of you have also asked about the potential for generating our own electricity.
Sadly, the roughly north-south orientation of the factory buildings has worked against us on both these counts, limiting the potential for passive solar heating and daylighting, as well as the amount of roof space available for solar water heating and photovoltaic systems. Just think: the sun’s rays travel some 150 million km through space, only to fall uselessly on the soil at the very last minute.
No longer!
Over this summer, we will work to realise the full solar potential of the factory in the most efficient and practical way we know how: rotating the factory 90°!
An east-west orientation – that is, one presenting the broad side of the factory to the south – will maximize sun exposure and penetration, particularly in the winter. This should be particularly beneficial in reducing the heating requirements of the seminar house, increasing comfort and lowering both energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
The construction of an active solar heating system on the now south-facing roof will provide the greatest solar yield, meaning extra hot water for direct use in bathrooms and kitchens, and a surplus that can be fed back into room heating, supplementing the passive solar effects and reducing energy costs still further.
Practical and legal considerations regarding access roads, electrical supply lines, the partial demolition and/or restructuring of neighbouring buildings etc. will be negotiated with the relevant parties in due course, though no major obstacles are expected.
For more information, write to us at mak-rotate@gmail.com, or come along for a 3-hour interactive presentation during the folk kitchen on Friday the 5th of May. To be a part of this and other projects over the summer, you can also join us for the Activist Introduction Seminar weekend from the 5th-7th of May.
Best regards,
Makvärket
Sent from my iPhone