INVESTIGATION OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES AND 
CREATING AN ENERGY PLAN FOR AN ARTS STUDIO

Introduction
This webpage summarizes a final design project in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University performed in Fall 2005. Our team, the Royal Energy Consultants, teamed up with the Appalachian Arts Studio to investigate alternate energy solutions for their facility.

Our sponsors, Rick and Liz Boni, purchased a 7100 square foot, 3-building, former powder
metal factory in Ridgway Pennsylvania, which they will be converting into a hands-on art
studio. The Appalachian Arts Studio will serve as a place where tourists and the
community can come to learn about, create, and even purchase high-fired pottery and
chainsaw artwork.

The sponsor would like their new art facility to be as energy and cost efficient as possible. However, due to the condition of the facility, the heating needs of the facility due to the
extreme weather conditions during winter, and the power required to operate the kilns
that will be used to prepare the clay pottery, makes maintaining energy efficiency a
challenge.

The project begins here by attempting to increase the energy efficiency of abandoned
factory buildings in poor condition and investigating the value of adding an alternative
energy source, namely a wind turbine, to assist in reducing energy costs.

The desire for finding alternative energy sources at a lower cost than mass produced fossil
fuel electricity has been around for several years. As seen in Westmoreland County, PA, alternative energy sources are being implemented with the help of the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
In the past, larger wind turbines were only a realistic option for corporations with a large financial foundation. Recently, technological advancements have made smaller
residential type wind turbines more economically feasible. Although prices have dropped
for wind turbines, generally speaking mass generated electricity is more economical and
can be considered the standard method of supply.

Improving building energy efficiency helps to reduce the overall cost of providing
electricity by decreasing the amount of electricity needed for operation. There are several methods to increase building efficiency. The first is to insulate effectively. Improving the building's insulation is the most effective way to improve energy efficiency especially in a climate with harsh winters. A good insulation system will decrease heat loss from the
inside of the building, requiring less energy to maintain a constant temperature. Another method to maintain energy efficiency is to be conservative with electrical usage. This can
be accomplished by turning off lights and other power drains when they are not being
used. The US Department of Energy has played a leading role in energy efficiency
research. ENERGY STAR is a government-developed program to help businesses and
individuals improve energy efficiency.

Project Objectives
1) Research and suggest alternative energy sources that will supplement the power needs of
    the Appalachian Arts Studio
       -Identify and explore alternate options for sources of energy
       -Perform a feasibility study in order to determine the possibility of implementing 
        alternative energy sources at the facility. The feasibility study will take into account 
        the economics and public appeal of the options.
       -Incorporate results of feasibility study into a design that can be further completed by 
        the client
2) Optimize facility to minimize energy usage
       -Research and suggest insulation options 
             +Model current facility insulation
             +Model alternative insulation setup
             +Perform an economic evaluation between insulation types and before and after 
               affects of installation
             +Implement selected insulation
       -Research energy efficient lighting options