MOUNTAINSIDE EDUCATIONAL CENTER: THE RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCE CENTER
FREDERICK, MARYLAND

Mountainside Center for Environmental Education is designed to be a distinctive educational facility and a teaching tool to teach kids about nature and the environment. The design considered everything from electricity generation and efficient design to dealing with waste. It is constructed with highly efficient structural insulated panels. Passive solar provides winter heating with high SHGC windows on the south that are shaded by a natural trellis in the summer. Day lighting is provided by suntubes in the bathrooms and a ridge skylight in the main room. The building has an energy recovery ventilation system to provide good indoor air quality without sacrificing efficiency. Composting toilets limit water usage and turn waste into fertilizer for the farm.  A geothermal HVAC system provides radiant heat and forced air heating and cooling. The building is powered by 27 kW of solar with lithium ion batteries for backup power. The larger campus has wind power and 82 kW of solar power.