On May 18, 11:27 am, "ozonb" wrote:
May 18 2009

A shrine to global warming is closed and cold:

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.

But why?

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.

http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/


|||
So what caused the flood?

The city says it was a mechanical problem. University officials heard
it differently.

Jeff Biegler, superintendent of parks for the city, said the flooding
occurred from a glitch in the heater.

"The system was designed to kick a heater on to keep water from
freezing," Biegler said. "The heater drew all reserve power out of the
battery causing the system to back down and the pipes froze."

Joe Veryser, an associate dean of architecture at the university, said
he heard otherwise.

"What I heard repeatedly was that somebody turned off the breaker
during the winter and forgot to turn it back on, which caused the
pipes to freeze and then break."

|||

Fran