Solar Hot Water Heater

We recently made the switch from our dinosaur electric hot water heater to our spiffy new modern solar hot water heater. Can I tell you how smart I felt by doing so?

It all started back in May when Leon and I discovered a leak coming through our fairly newly installed IKEA light fixture over the kitchen sink. As new home owners that don't know anything about home repairs, we went into a state of panic. Our one saving grace was that our "miracle leak" occurred right over the kitchen sink. You really can't ask for a better spot to have a leak. We felt blessed.

We consulted with a handful of contractors, roofers and handymen. The first thing we did was pull the entire seal off our roof to determine what kind of crack we were dealing with. Well....let me tell you, one doesn't realize one has a leak until it's rainy season in the tropics. One also doesn't realize how bad the leak is until one has no seal on the roof.

Once the seal was removed and we discovered enough cracks to break my mothers back. Our miracle leak turned into multiple miracle leaks. We got another one directly over the bathroom shower, and another one over our kitchen cabinet that just so happened to have a chip and dip platter resting directly beneath it. I was finally able to prove my point to Leon that the platter would someday be used. Chips it hasn't held, water is has.

We finally got a break in the weather and were able to seal the roof with Crossco 8500, a product that seems to be working ok and is available at Home Depot. The following day we had PR Solar Products come out to install the solar hot water heater. We purchased an 80 gallon tank with three panels. Basically we have enough hot water for our entire neighborhood to take showers, do laundry, wash dishes and do whatever else one does with hot water. It took less than 2 hours for the entire system to be installed and we had scalding hot water immediately.

The best part about it is that we get a 50% tax credit on the total amount paid ($2000). If we had installed it last year we would have received a 75% tax credit. Now our electric bill should be reduced significantly. I'm actually looking forward to receiving our next electric bill so I can see the reduction. Not only will we be saving money but other added values of the solar hot water heater are reduced CO2 emissions, added value to our home, free hot water and we can feel good about being environmentally friendly.

Rincon is the highlife

I am Henry Smith, the current intern at Big Prototype. Last week my internship (John Nafziger and Sarah Strauss) brought me to Rincon, in order to work onsite at the Little Malibu home and Dos Ceibas development. I embarked on this trip with little knowledge about puerto rico other than the Dos Ceibas development. Needless to say I was in for a splendid surprise. From the moment I landed, I was surrounded by warm weather and thick lush green tropical scenery. I believe it was at that moment that i said, this is going to be a great week..., and it only got better. Soon I was indulging in some of the most delicious cuisine. I met the locals who were all very friendly and hospitable. There was a just very relaxing laid back aura about this place. Every day, before and after work, I went swimming and snorkeling in the ocean. I experience the most awe inspiring spectacles of coral reef, who's dire fates were reversed and saved by the persistent work of Leon Richter and the Surfrider Foundation. The corals, being the keystone species of that ecosystem, rendered themselves as condominiums of refuge for the other beautiful living organisms that dwelled there. I couldn't get enough of it. 

Work was an amazing experience. I was working on the Little Malibu home. The house itself is a modern marvel. It is not your average home by any means. This house incorporates a beautiful modern aesthetic, prestigious amenities for tropical island functionality, breathtaking captivating views, and cutting edge technologies for environmental responsibility and self-sustainability. Not only is it a beautiful home conducive to never ending great experiences, but it also has a symbiotic harmonious relationship with the environment that it shares space with. It requires far less external resources. Many homes resist, over-consume, and detrimentally impact the land they sit on, but this house embraces the natural flow, in all facets, of the land that it rests upon. So the best part of this trip, for me, wasn't only to be working in perfect conditions with mesmerizing views and easy ocean/pool accessibility. But really it was the feeling of being a part of this new positive green revolution, that is the future, not only of architecture and design, but of every living aspect of society.

So now as I sit in my little space in New York surrounded by noise and concrete, and reflect on my relatively short time in Rincon, I reflect upon one of the greatest relaxing exhilarating experiences of my life. I hope to return very soon to the Highlife of Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Colors of Lil Bu

Coming Soon to Vieques

One of the most interesting and innovative building projects we've encountered in PR is El Blok, a 22 room boutique hotel in enchanting Esperanza, Vieques "that is part sculpture and part contemporary tropical oasis."

This hotel will be LEED certified, features a roof top pool and will include a bar and restaurant serving locally grown food. It will be a while before you can book a reservation (set to open in late 2010), but once you can, be sure you do. Beyond the green design and mission, El Blok will unquestionably feature some of PR's finest hospitality. We should know... The owners are our friends Simon and Marija and we have experienced their special breed of hospitality on many occasions.

Read more about the project as reported in Caribbean Business.

INTERN TACKLES TOPO!

Summer intern, Henry Smith, hard at work with BigPrototype. Using the new laser cutter technology, Henry is creating a comprehensive site model of the Dos Ceibas development in Rincon, PR with contours of 0.5 meters.

Henry is stoked to be in NYC for the summer and wants to send a shout out to Leon and his brother, Chewy, for hooking up the sweet gig!

International Surf Day Rincon, Puerto Rico

Yesterday was International Surfing Day and it was observed in surf communities around the world. Here in Rincon, Puerto Rico we celebrated it by starting with a beach clean up inside the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, followed by stand up paddle boarding by some, paddling on surfboards by others and a snorkel by the rest around the reserve, and we ended the day with a potluck lunch on Steps Beach. The sun was shining and the water was crystal clear....it was another gorgeous day in paradise!

International Surfing Day is held annually on the summer solstice. It was established by Surfing Magazine and Surfrider Foundation in 2004. It's not just for people that surf, it's for everyone that loves the beaches, oceans and waves. It's for people that are environmentally conscious and want to give back to the community. It's also a day for people to get outside and enjoy the water. It's an opportunity to invite people to come spend the day on the beach, together as a community, and that's what we did!

The good news is OUR BEACHES ARE PRETTY DARN CLEAN!!! We gathered about 10 bags of trash, some corrugated tin, two tires and broken flower pot. I have to say that the beaches here in Rincon seem remarkably cleaner than they were a few years ago. I think a lot of that has to do with the monthly beach clean ups we do with Surfrider Foundation. Also, due to the clean ups a lot more people are aware of the "keep our beaches clean" effort and whenever they go to the beach they pick up scraps of trash on their way out. Now, I'm not talking about masses of trash everywhere, but it's the cigarette butts or the plastic cup you see while lying on the beach that really bug me.

Anyhow...yesterday was a great success. Thanks to Joel Cordero for all the great photos. Thanks to Steve Tamar for tirelessly setting up the Surfrider tent. Thanks to Roger Wagner from 787 Surf School for carting all the tables and coolers back and forth. Thanks to everyone that made delicious food for lunch and helped clean our beach! Thanks to Surfrider Foundation, Kaenon and Monster Beverage for donating all the cool schwag that we gave away at the event. And thanks to David and Maureen Miller for donating about 30 lbs of delicious squash, free for the taking, from their farm.

Arte Acuatico Exhibit

The Aquatic Art Workshop is an after school art project spearheaded by Annette Blasini, Wess Merten and Leon Richter, all dedicated Surfrider activists.  The project involved 39 middle school students from the Jorge Seda Crespo middle school in Rincon.  The talented students were given various themes relating to the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve Tire Removal Project.  This project has been funded two years in a row by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and led by Wess Merten and Pauco, a local fisherman.  Over 475 tires have been removed from the reserve as well as clothing, plastics, fishing nets, abandoned boats and other debree that suffocate and threaten the coral reefs.  None of the clean ups could have been possible without the help of many volunteers week after week.

The students participated in two Saturday workshops led by Annette and Wess.  Their assignment was to paint a picture of what the marine reserve means to them, relating to certain topics such as marine life, coastal clean ups and pollution that affects the reef.  The paintings are being printed and bound into a book that will be available to the public as of June 25th, 2009 at the art exhibit on display at the Rincon of the Seas Hotel.  

Annette, Wess and Leon have been educating the students year after year about the importance of the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve.  Every student in the elementary, middle school and high school has been educated about the TPMR and taught  about the wonders of the natural beauty they have in their back yard.  I'm often reminded of that when our friends and family visit us from the states.  They're always in awe of the beauty and the marine life we have literally in our backyard.

I have to say I was incredibly impressed with the sophistication and talent of these students.  I had the opportunity to be a part of the first workshop when I volunteered to make lunch for the students.  Not only was I impressed with their talent but their focus to get the job done.  As soon as they finished eating they wanted to get back to their paintings.  

Many thanks to other volunteers.  Oliver Bencosme was ready and willing to document the project as the on site photographer.  Cuqui Gonzales graciously volunteered lunch for round two of the project.  Leon Richter, my husband and long time Surfrider Coordinator was there to oversee the project.  Wess, Annette and many teachers from the middle school offered their time on the weekends to help remind us  of the unique place that we are so lucky to live in.  I smile when I have those moments when I'm reminded of the fact that Rincon is a special place.  It's not something that can be created by hand, it's  natural wonder that we are lucky to be a part of.