What is it?
The Green Garage is a co-operating community and enterprise incubator placed in Midtown Detroit. It is devoted to supplying a home for a diverse institution of corporations and nonprofits. They make decisions that are good for the environment, good for the community and economically healthy.
Heating and Cooling
During the winter months, the Green Garage is heated using a solar-thermal radiant heat system. This system heats 10,000 gallons of water via solar energy. The water is then pumped through the building’s floor. As necessary, it is supplemented by an electric heat pump. During the warmer months, the building is cooled using windows and a two-step dehumidification process by which the air is cooled by moisture removal.
Water Reduction and Harvesting
The Green Garage has made several sustainable plumbing decisions. Its kitchen and bathroom are low-flow and water-less. The Green Garage also practices water harvesting. They do this by having a rooftop catchment system, backyard rain barrel, and a 1,500-gallon cistern located underneath their parking lot. The water harvested is used to water the gardens at the Green Garage. The Garage rarely must use city water for their garden maintenance because of their great amount of harvested water.
Green Alley
In addition to practicing sustainability inside the Green Garage, they have also built an alley right outside it with a sustainable design. The alley was built using reclaimed bricks. The alley has a convex surface and permeable pavement to help direct rainwater away from the overburdened sewer system. The lighting used to light the alley at night uses considerably less energy than traditional or LED street lighting. The success of this alley has sparked the development of at least 4 other green alleys in the area.
