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In The News


February 21, 2008
Climate and Energy Star: Michelle Chappell, DVM
Who are Climate and Energy Stars? They are everyday Kansans working to address climate change in small but important ways. Climate and Energy Star Dr. Michelle Chappell DVM is a veterinarian and small business owner in Lenexa, KS. Dr. Chappell took CEP’s Eileen Horn on a tour of her new clinic, Mariposa Veterinary Center, and shared many of the energy efficiency features of the building- all part of Chappell’s vision to “care for pets, people, and the planet.” My conversation with Dr. Chappell began with an invitation to peek into the “truth window.” This wooden door measures about one square foot, and is built at eye level into the building’s Spanish-style stucco wall. As I opened the “truth window,” I was immediately greeted by an earthy smell emanating from a bale of straw wrapped in metal mesh. Hmmm. With a name like “truth window,” I must admit I had higher hopes than a wooden door that opened into a pile of dried grass. However, this is truly how straw bale construction works. In this green construction technique, the bales (in this case local ones from Belton, MO) are sandwiched between thick stucco walls. The straw bales serve to insulate the building, and do so more effectively than conventional insulation materials often made of foam or fiberglass. An insulating material’s “R” value is a measure of resistance to heat flow. The higher the “R” value is, the lower are your heating and cooling costs. The 21” thick straw-bale and stucco walls of Mariposa Veterinary Center provide an “R” value of 50. By comparison, conventional high density fiberglass insulation “R” values range from 15-38. In addition to the straw-bale construction, architects and builders from Rothers Design-Build and HarenLaughlin Construction integrated multiple energy-saving features in the 4,000 square foot clinic space. For example, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), made of compressed wood and styrofoam, were used to construct the roof. SIPs provide superior and uniform insulation compared to traditional stud or “stick frame” construction. They also offer energy savings of 12%-14%. Other energy efficient features include double-paned windows which minimize air leaks. Full spectrum compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use 75% less electricity than traditional bulbs. The building itself was also carefully oriented on the site to take advantage of passive solar heating in the winter and natural day-lighting throughout the year. In the future, Chappell hopes to place solar panels on the roof to generate their own electricity for the clinic, but that is a retrofit that will happen later. For Chappell, it was important to “do the structural elements like the walls first- the stuff we couldn’t go back and change later.” These energy efficiency measures and other “green” features of the clinic (including non-toxic paints, stormwater control using native plants, and chemical-free digital X-ray technologies) were inspired by Dr. Chappell’s desire to care for her staff and animal patients. According to Chappell, “I didn’t want to create an environment that would be unhealthy for people or animals, especially since this is supposed to be a healing environment. “ As a savvy small business owner, Chappell also realized that healthy people are more productive, and a non-toxic work environment would create a happier and more productive staff. Energy savings were another powerful motivator. For a typical 4,000 sq. foot office space with traditional lighting and HVAC systems, a monthly energy bill would be approximately $550/mo. Last month, Mariposa Veterinary Clinic’s energy bill was $300, for an annual savings of $3,000. “The way energy costs are going, I really suspect that this building will be even more valuable as time goes by,” Chappell said. “To some people, it may look kinda silly not to have gas, to be fully electric, but I think in the future we’ll be sitting in a better situation than most folks.” Chappell had predicted the energy savings, the productivity, and the happier staff, but she also discovered an added bonus: the marketing potential of the green building. “Everyone on our staff came on as a result of reading about the building construction. Several clients have come in out of curiosity. It’s been an amazing marketing tool - lots of people just wanting to see what a straw bale building looks like.” Often, these curious visitors become clients, as they learn about the integrated services this veterinary clinic offers pets: acupuncture, allergy treatments, surgery, dentistry, and chiropractic care. Yes, it’s just one building. But it’s one building that saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, realizes multiple economic savings and benefits for a small business owner, and contributes to the healing of pets and the humans that work there. On second thought, maybe “truth window” was the right term after all. (Text by Eileen Horn. Photos by Monica Terry.) For more information about energy efficiency in your home, business, or office space, visit: Department of Energy Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/ KSU Engineering Extension, http://www.engext.ksu.edu/home.asp CEP's Take Steps section - http://www.climateandenergy.org/TakeStep/EnergyTips/Index.htm For more information on straw bale construction, see Mother Earth News: Expert Advice on Straw Bale Building. Also, both KCP&L and Westar offer home energy analyzers at: KCPL, http://www.kcpl.com/residential/analyzerfr.html Westar, http://westarenergy.apogee.net/homesuite/calcs/homecalc/
Author Name:	Eileen Horn
Author Email:	horn@climateandenergy.org

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