Strategic use of sunlight and fresh air can be great for shelter cats and great for the environment, but one of the best sources of renewable warmth for your facility may just be the ground beneath your feet.

Since many shelters are complex and significantly larger than the average home, the cost of a geothermal system will be costly.  Fortunately, EPA has determined that geothermal saves a facility a minimum of 30 percent on utility costs each year, and can pay for itself in as little as three to five years.  The EPA also recognizes it as one of the most comfortable, clean, and efficient heating and cooling systems on the market; for many products, geothermal companies boast 50-year warrantees and expected life spans of up to 200 years.

Solar Power to the People

Just as geothermal systems make use of the Earth's natural thermostat, photovoltaic cells harness the sun's relentless energy.  But just because the sun shines on all buildings doesn't mean solar panels are the best energy choice for yours.  

Hayward facilities manager Vic Avila says it took 40 months before the solar project was complete.  Most of that time was spent testing viability, and then finding the location that would maximize its energy collection.

Photovoltaic cells don't necessarily need to be on a building's roof; they can be "ground mounted" at a location down the street and wired back to the building, and some can even move with the sun over the course of a day, catching more rays than stationary models.

The 75,000-square-foot Hayward building holds the animal shelter and three other city operations, Avila explains.  The energy for such a facility would typically cost a bundle-but it doesn't, because the energy converted by the roof's 60,000 square feet of solar panelling is fed back into the local utility grid.

If analysis indicates that your shelter's location isn't ideal for solar power, or the cost is just too great, the sun doesn't have to set on your green dreams.  Daylighting and light sensors are less expensive, yet very efficient.  The Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Centre's facility in Texas, for instance, has every room programmed with sensors to adjust artificial light as natural light comes and goes.  Operations manager Paul Curington explains that the sensors reduce the need for artificial light on sunny days, and automatically shut off lights when a room is vacant.

Even without sensors, strategic use of natural light can help a shelter cut back on electric bills and increase the well-being of both animals and staff.  At the Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) in Washington, D.C., daylighting has played a major role in the new facility. "The traditional shelter works against the mission of the organization by housing animals in an environment that is traumatic and stressful, where they decline physically, emotionally, and socially," says Scotlund Haisley, designer of WARL and former executive director. Convinced that the frustration created by cage bars is behind many an animal behaviour problem, Haisley began brainstorming how to reinvent the facility, and commissioned Stoiber and Associates to make his dream a reality.

Now the director of Emergency Services at The Humane Society of the United States, he maintains that cages not only stress out animals, but can make the most docile dog seem aggressive or anxious, repelling potential adopters.  He decided to build a shelter that "met the basic needs of animals" through a "holistic approach"-one that combines green elements with sheltering sense.  Numerous other WARL innovations, including skylights and waterfalls, make the shelter feel more like a rejuvenating spa for homeless animals.

Dogs at WARL are housed in pairs and trios, inside dens of tempered glass block that let in light for a calming effect.  The glass is clouded, which prevents the dogs from seeing and reacting to negative stimulation.  Dutch doors allow visitors to interact with the dogs over the opened upper half. Above the animals' heads is a pitched glass ceiling where recycled water cascades down.  Its soothing sound, paired with natural light, keeps the dogs quieter than one would imagine shelter dogs could be.

Cats are housed in glass as well, with a separate room for their litter pans.  They also have limited access to free-roaming play space with toys, cat trees, and a wall of running water for mesmerizing and swatting purposes.  All the glass not only calms the animals, but helps reduce WARL's electric bill by using daylight to replace electricity.

Source: By Alexandra KleinkopfAnimalsheltering.org