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The MEGGA-Watt Project Moves Forward

by Rene Michalak

The "MEGGA-watt" Project (Micro-Energy Generating Garage Assembly) is a demonstration / prototype to turn everyday detached garages from simple storage units (aka ‘car-holes’) into food-growing and energy-generating systems using permaculture design.

The basic concept is to partner a garage with an attached greenhouse and renewable energy to create sustainable 4-season growing systems with minimal fossil fuel input that serves both practical and recreational purposes.

Owners of a MEGGA can then customize how they want the system to function — what they want to grow and how they want to grow it.

This project prototype takes a 24’x26′ two-car garage and couples it with a 23ft off-grid 4-season geodesic dome greenhouse. The greenhouse will be accessed through the heated garage which will host a 6000L vermiponic (aquaponic) system to raise tilapia and red claw crayfish, a rainwater catchment system to fill the fish tanks and water the greenhouse, a 7’x9′-32-tray aeroponic system for growing microgreens and wheat grass, a solar PV and solar thermal array on the roof, and in the greenhouse a climate battery and rocket mass heater (wood pellet-fired) hot tub!

There will even be enough room in the garage for a small workshop and/or one parking space! Hosted by ReThink Red Deer (The Sustainable Red Deer Society) at a 1/5-acre urban homestead, this project will demonstrate sustainable urban living to the community and the rest of the world as it leverages the practice of urban homesteading and the success of the existing edible forest and SPIN-gardens on site. The fundraising goal is $30,000 to purchase the building materials for the greenhouse, the solar PV and solar thermal technology, the rainwater catchment system and to pay for the installation labour for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) of the garage and greenhouse.

One Comment

  1. I would be concerned what kind of affect will be had on the micro greens to be grown in air which is circulating residue from fossil fuel petrol/diesel?

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