our partners

Without all the community support we’ve received, the PowerHouse would be just a drawing on a piece of paper. Actually, we wouldn’t even have a drawing! The PowerHouse has counted on the support of scores of people, virtually all volunteering their time, to help translate the idea into a design, and a design into an attractive, mobile hands-on educational Tiny Home!

Our Builders! Mark Pierce and Ernie Bayles led the build with grace, humor, and an eye for excellence! They were joined by the valued help of Tommie Blecher, Jon Jensen, Mike Leach, and David McCobb (lighting exhibit), as well as other Energy Navigator volunteers and others who pitched in. John Mead from Journeyman Services made the simple and beautiful cabinetry and stairs, and helped build the sleek slate table with reused slate and donated legs.

Our Funders!

• NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, provided significant funding for the PowerHouse design and construction.

• NYSEG, our local utility, provided design funding. Charleen Heidt, a former NYSEG consultant, has been a consistent champion and volunteered her time to help get additional support and donations for the project.

• Park Foundation has provided vital funding for Get Your GreenBack Tompkins, especially for staff time, which has enabled us to develop the idea over the period of several years.

• Engaged Cornell for funding student work on the design of exhibits and the tiny home structure.

Donors of Materials & Labor

• Thanks to Debby and Avi of Brookton Hollow Farm, for lending us a few barns to build the PowerHouse in, with a beautiful view of fields, mules and horses! We’re also grateful to the many others who offered their barns…

• ETM Solar for their generous donation of a solar array, as well as labor for both the solar & battery install.

• Snug Planet for their also generous donation of labor for the insulation of walls and ceiling, and for the heat pump installation.

• John Mead from Journeyman Services (also mentioned above) for the generous donation of his time.

• Baker-Miller Lumber for donation of lumber, as well as the personal support of Dannon Hayes who went above and beyond his duties to help us get quality materials on time.

• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County for donation of foam board insulation for trailer floor, as well as support with legal and administrative work (including being our stellar fiscal sponsor!)

• Significant Elements for donation of the slate tabletop as well as two folding chairs and a coat rack.

• Finger Lakes Wrecker Service for donating towing services to local events as we searched for an affordable truck of our own.

Designers, Advisers & Consultants!

• Stream Collaborative designed the Tiny Home, inspired by a design by Miwa Robbins, and some preliminary work of the CUSD team (see below). Stream also provided advising on green building techniques and materials, our logo and other design work.

• Cornell University Sustainable Design (CUSD) - A group of over 20 students, supported by professor Jonathan Ochshorn, helped draft the initial design for the tiny home structure, exhibits, marketing elements, and website. One student, Kaustav Das, in addition, helped research the impact of other mobile exhibits.

• More Students! - A team of students in a computer science class - Ashneel, Evan, Henry, Imani, Jin, and Sarrah - designed a fantastic PowerHouse quiz and Thermal Camera Photobooth - be sure to check these out!

• Get Your GreenBack interns Joseph, Laura, Sarah and others helped solicit community donations for materials, refined the website content, helped source components for the exhibits and helped with early logo drafts.

• Hammerstone School of Carpentry for Women: a special thanks to director, Maria Klemperer-Johnson, perhaps the area’s foremost expert on tiny home construction, for her advice on the design and build.

• Cornell University Sustainability Office and support from Sarah B. and Kim A. to secure funding and support from Cornell and elsewhere.

• Sciencenter for consultation on and support with exhibit design.

• blink digital and Megan Pugh for graphic design and site implementation.

• Eva Luna for advising on colors, and interior design elements.

• CCE Energy Team for advising support on exhibit and website design.

• Smart Energy Choices staff - advising support on exhibit and website design.

• Other Advisers - Ian Shapiro and Briana Amoroso at Taitem Engineering, Art Weaver, Tom Ruscitti, and Rob Morris, for advice on batteries, donations, and other technical advising.

• Physics Bus for inspiration and advising from Erik Herman on setting up a mobile education experience.

• Get Your GreenBack Staff & Steering Committee for general support and advice on the overall direction.

• Community Partners - Katie Borgella, Tompkins County Planning; Jonathan Comstock, Heatsmart; Diane Cohen, Finger Lakes Reuse Center; Cindy Kramer, ICSD teacher and leader of their Green Team, for their support and advising with the proposal. We also want to thank everyone who participated in the plans for a community Energy Expo. While the Expo didn’t take root; the seed for the PowerHouse was planted in those meetings.

And We Wouldn’t Forget

• Our Muralist! Tommy Beers (see his work at Painter on a Bicycle), with the help of his granddaughter Kalle, and the support of Caleb Thomas and Ithaca Murals.

• Locke Enterprises for a custom-built trailer.

• Jon Jensen, Mark Pierce, and Mike Ludgate provided additional photos to document the progress of the project.
  

  We hope we haven’t forgotten anyone. If so, Please drop us a Line and accept our apologies!

The PowerHouse is managed by Jack Wright and staffed by members from Smart Energy Choices, with the support of volunteer Energy Navigators.