Corvid, Inc., a green construction firm based in Bergen Park, has teamed with Architect Tom J. Peterson and Clear Creek Technical Services to construct a zero-energy fire station for Clear Creek Fire Authority (CCFA).
The new Station 7, which primarily serves the Alice/St. Mary's neighborhood in the northern part of the CCFA's district, sits on Beaver Road a stone's throw northwest of the existing station, which consists of two bays in the St. Mary's Metropolitan District's facility.
"Heat leaks out and water leaks into our current station," said CCFA Lt. Einar Jensen. "Our new station will integrate cutting edge technology and proven green principles to conserve energy, protect our equipment and provide space for training."
Energy efficiency is a challenge for most rural fire stations. The risk of pumps and tanks freezing requires agencies to heat those buildings, which are most often unstaffed but spacious enough to provide ample room for training.
The unique environment in Alice posed several challenges to John Andrews and Steve Kroll, Corvid's co-owners, as well as to Architect Tom Peterson. Its cold temperatures and strong winds rob heat from most structures in the neighborhood. Yet, the site also is drenched in sunshine during the countless cloudless days up there.
"This building is a comprehensive solution to a comprehensive problem that buildings face today all over the country," said John Andrews, one of Corvid's co-owners. "We're showing how a municipal building of any kind can reach net zero energy affordably and have a durability that can withstand any element, unlike any other structure."
Andrews and Kroll, both of whom call unincorporated neighborhoods of Clear Creek County their home, utilized their own Radiant Wall System - a concrete sandwich wall technology and radiant tubing - to design that solution. Solar panels on the south-facing roof will generate electricity and heat water that will circulate through the walls.
The radiant heat will maintain temperatures in the three-bay two-story building well above freezing throughout the year.
"We insulate the interior layer of concrete to the inside of the building to utilize the thermal mass properties of the material as well as its structural integrity," Andrews explained. "We also heat and cool that mass with low energy systems and radiant tubing to add to the already high efficiency of this building envelope. The mass of this building will carry a comfortable, constant temperature longer than any other building system out there."
"This use of concrete is doing more with less," added Kroll.
Having another energy-efficient fire station - the other is Station 6 on Floyd Hill - will allow the CCFA to do more with less, too. A $200,000 grant from the state's Energy and Mineral Impact fund combined with revenue generated by the voters' decision to de-bruce the Clear Creek Emergency Services District and lease-purchase agreements are paying for the new station. Spending less of its money on utilities enables the CCFA to allocate those funds to other projects, including upgrading other facilities such as Station 4 (Georgetown) and Station 2 (Idaho Springs).
"It's obvious that Clear Creek County is committed to constructing energy efficient municipal and county structures," Andrews said. "The resolution passed by 3CS (Clear Creek Community Sustainability) indicates the county is dedicated to improving existing structures as well."
"We're already known for protecting our community," Jensen said. "By doing our part to reduce energy consumption - and at times generating electricity and feeding it back to the grid - we're contributing to the security of our nation as a whole."
The new station will be completed in March, according to CCFA Chief Kelly Babeon. It will house the 2,000-gallon tender and a small engine, as the current station does, and it will have space for meetings, training inside and space for the CCFA's expanding resident-firefighter program.
Einar Jensen is a Lieutenant with the Clear Creek Fire Authority.