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- š£ Groundbreaking green tech out of Troy + Top 5 Weekend Picks
š£ Groundbreaking green tech out of Troy + Top 5 Weekend Picks
Plus, music listings all week šø & News of the Weird š
Phat Chiem
July 17, 2024
In partnership with
Happy Wednesday, Capital District! Today, weāre taking a look at a homegrown company in Troy bringing groundbreaking green technology to upstate homeowners. Plus, your Top 5 Weekend Picks and a monster snake in the grass š±
Letās slither š into it!
āPhat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan
Today in The 518
People & Places: Troy firm brings green tech to Capital District
Albany puts the brakes on lowering speed limit
A monster python found at Tivoli Lake Preserve
Your Top 5 Weekend Picks & music listings!
š£ TALK OF THE TOWN
Founder Matthew Desmarais shows off the equipment at Troy-based Energy Catalyst Tech š·ļø Karley Sullivan
Editorās Note: Today weāre introducing a new feature weāre calling People & Placesāoccasional profiles of local personalities, small businesses and cool spots we think youāll love. Hereās our first!
Troy firm brings groundbreaking geothermal tech to the Capital District
Imagine being able to cool your home in New York State for just $10 a month in the summer and heating it for $70 a month in the winter.
Thatās the experience of one couple in Ontario, NY, who switched to a novel technology called geothermal. The EPA says geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for heating and cooling. Going geothermal can cut your energy costs by 65-70%.
No wonder business is booming at Energy Catalyst Tech, a maker of geothermal heat pumps based in Troy and founded by Matthew Desmarais, a graduate of Clarkson University.
According Desmarais, his company is the only geothermal heat pump manufacturer in New York State, and almost all of its components are made in America. Despite its energy efficiency, ground source heat pumps are used by just 1% of homes in the U.S. Itās much more popular in Europe (20% of homes), which is where Desmarais worked for a time to learn about this technology.
āOur ideal customers are homeowners who have existing hot water heating systemsāmeaning they have baseboards, radiators or radiant floors, which is about 50% of homes in upstate New York,ā Desmarais says during a recent tour of the companyās Troy warehouse. āThese are the people who will see the most in energy savings.ā
Hereās how geothermal works: Flexible hoses are run deep underground where the temperature hovers around 55 degrees. When the house needs coolingālike this week when temps are nearing 90āa refrigerant absorbs heat inside the house and circulates it underground to be cooled. Heating in the winter basically works in reverse, bringing the heat underground into the cold house.
As you might have guessed, installing geothermal requires some digging, so it may not work for all homeowners. Then thereās the cost: Desmarais says the average residential installation will run about $60,000. But you can get a 30% federal tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act. Additionally, NYS will give you a 25% tax credit to a max of $5,000, and a Clean Heat rebate of $7-9K. Together, these tax credits could cut the cost by half.
From a revenue perspective, Desmarais says the real potential is going commercialāheating an entire college campus, for example, or a housing development with hundreds of homes. Right now, āour sweet spot is a commercial building thatās between 5,000 to 20,000 square feet,ā he says.
The company is doubling sales every six months, and bringing on new employees to meet the demandāāweāre growing really fast.ā
Hereās the best part: For readers of The 518, Energy Catalyst is offering a $500 discount on your project. Go green and never see another shockingly high utility bill again. (Btw, this is not a sponsored post. We just think itās cool what theyāre doing!)
A 518 reader responds to Saratoga Race Courseās kiddie classes:
āI've really been enjoying The 518 Newsletter and am so glad it's a new joint on the scene. I've been thinking about the āGet your kids on course for horse racingāblurb from last week and felt moved to write to you. I was kind of surprised to see a plug for horse racing, particularly a kids program, given how cruel and inhumane racing is known to be (and considering how many horses are euthanized each day during the season). I don't want to tell you what to publish in any way, but it's something my family thinks about a lot, given how omnipresent it is this time of year.ā āAnonymous
Our response: Thank you for your thoughtful message. We featured this course because we know families are always looking for summer programs for kids at this time of the yearāespecially if they are free, like this one. We also understand that there are genuine ethical concerns when it comes to horse racing.
Love us or hate us, we love hearing from our readers! You can reach us anytime at: [email protected].
š WEATHER WATCH
āSummer bachelors, like summer breezes, are never as cool as they pretend to be.ā āNora Ephron
Looks like a bright, warm weekend; perfect for a free summer concert!
š©ļø Wednesday 85Ā°/66Ā° š§ 96% š¤ļø Thursday 84Ā°/60Ā° š§ 8% š¤ļø Friday 86Ā°/59Ā° š§ 8% | š¤ļø Saturday 88Ā°/62Ā° š§ 10% š¤ļø Sunday 88Ā°/60Ā° š§ 14% |
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šļø CAPITAL DISTRICT DIGEST
Capital Region recovering from wicked storms
More than 80,000 residents lost power when severe thunderstorms and even suspected tornadoes barreled through upstate New York on Tuesday, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency. National Grid says it has 2,800 crew members out in the field, but doesnāt expect to restore power to all homes until 6-7 pm this evening. You can check out their power outage map here.
You canāt park there! Mass towing continues in Troy
A large vacant lot on Fourth Street in downtown Troy is a tempting place to park, especially during the popular Troy Waterfront Farmerās Market on Saturdays. But beware, this lot went permit-only in 2021 and folks are getting towed en masse. More at the Times Union.
Itās National Hot Dog Day!
Letās be frank, the hot dog might as well be Americaās national dish. Check out Dog Haus in Clifton Park for its Naughty Dog in honor of this day. Or try the all-vegan Nightmare Dog (vegan meat sauce, cheese, pickled jalapenos, and chipotle mayo) at Unbeetable in Schenectady. Loyal fans of Hot Dog Charlieās are sure to stop in for a mini dog or three. The Times Union rounds up the best spots for delicious dogs (see if you agree).
Albany puts the brakes on lower speed limit
The Albany Common Council is taking a more measured approach to its decision to lower the city speed limit from 30 to 25 mph. The city is giving itself until Jan. 1, 2025, to change out all of those street signs. More at WAMC.
The School by Jack Shainman Gallery š·ļø Jack Shainman Gallery
šļø TOP FIVE WEEKEND PICKS
āļø Upstate Art Weekend
Upstate Art Weekend is a big dealāand definitely worth the drive down to the Hudson Valley. More than 145 venues open their doors for exhibitions, open studios, free programs, and more. Thereās even a mermaid parade and a hot dog garden party. All weekend, mostly free. Read more in Hyperallergic, and find the map here.
While youāre there, donāt miss The School in Kinderhook. Or Stable Gate Farm and Winery. Closer to home, see the incredible art collection under the Empire State Plaza, called "the greatest collection of modern American art in any single public site that is not a museum.ā Contact the Plaza Visitor Center for a guided tour (518-474-2418).
āļø Summer Market at Stuyvesant Plaza
Formerly known as the Sidewalk Sale, this annual shopping extravaganza features live music, balloon twisting, face painting and giveaways. New this year is the Stuyvesant Plazaās greenspace, The Lawn, with ample seating for guests who want to sit, sip & savor. 10a-4p, Sat, free. 1475 Western Ave, Albany. Details here.
āļø Harbor Jam Concert Weekend
Harbor Jam returns to the Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady with two evenings of performances, featuring Night Fever (a tribute to the Bee Gees) on Saturday and Hotel California (a tribute to the Eagles) on Sunday night. 6p, Sat-Sun, free. Mohawk Harbor Amphitheater, 200 Harborside Dr, Schenectady. Details here.
āļø Capital Region Mario Kart Experience
When do you ever get a chance to play Mario Kart set to live jazz?! You can this Saturday at the beautiful new Van Dyck Jazz Club in Schenectady. Bonus points if you come in full costume. Cosplayers will be competing for a cute crochet Yoshi. 8-10p, Sat, $21.51. Details and tix here.
āļø She Rises Up: Albany Premiere
"She Rises Up" chronicles the remarkable journeys of three women in Senegal, Sri Lanka and Peru who are working to lift their communities out of poverty through local businesses. The filmās director and executive producer will host a Q&A after these special screenings at Albanyās Spectrum Theatre, 290 Delaware Ave. 7:20-9:15p, Fri-Sat, $10-$13. Details here.
š§š»āāļø MORE SUMMER FUN
Sheila E. and Reggae Night in Albany
Sheila E., the renowned percussionist who collaborated with (and dated) Prince, headlines this free show. 5:30-8:30p, Wednesday. Thatās tonight! Details here. Also, Alive at Five returns on Thursday with Reggae Night featuring Third World. 4:30-8p, free. Jennings Landing, Albany. Details here.
Historic Cherry Hill Going Dutch! Passport
Explore four centuries of Capital District history as Historic Cherry Hill partners with local heritage organizations and businesses to celebrate our cityās Dutch roots. Pick up your Going Dutch! passport at any participating site. Get your passport stamped at each experience and redeem your stamps for prizes, like a buy-one-get-one flight at Fort Orange Brewing and more.
Participating sites include: āDutchness on Displayā Tours of Cherry Hill, Find the Giant āKlompā!, Crailo State Historic Site, Albany Institute of History & Art, Tour of Quackenbush Square. Times and ticket prices vary. Available through Aug. 2. More details here.
š WEIRD NEWS WEDNESDAY
Pythons are non-venomousābut they do constrict their prey to death (including the very occasional human š²)
12-foot python found at Tivoli Lake Preserve
In case you missed it, a monster snake āscared the hell out ofā several contractors sent by the water department to fix a leaky pipe at Tivoli Lake Preserve. The Times Union has the photo.
Itās not the first suspected pet snake to go viral. Last year, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) was called in to wrangle a 14-ft python on the side of the highway.
Donāt dump your pets, folks. Weāve got enough invasive animals and plants to deal with here in New York State. Take a gander at this ginormous feral goldfish.
šø LIVE MUSIC ROUNDUP
Wednesday 7/17 | Sheila E. | Capital Concert Series, Empire State Plaza |
Thursday 7/18 | Reggae Night with Third World | Alive at Five, Jennings Landing The Eleven at Lark Hall: Warren Sieme | Lark Hall Dierks Bentley | SPAC Meridian Brothers | Glens Falls House Nathan Bryce & Loaded Dice | Empire Live Bach Live: Sling Shot | Albany Public Library |
Friday 7/19 | Nas | Palace Theatre David Bennett Cohen | WAMC The Linda Stay & Play | Colonie Library It Was Nice While it Lasted | The Hollow Bar + Kitchen |
Saturday 7/20 | Cognitive | Empire Underground The Erotics | September Too Albany Cameron Marlowe | Pinehaven Country Club Tom Chapin | Caffe Lena |
Sunday 7/21 | Brit Floyd | SPAC Mario Cart Experience | New Van Dyke Jazz Club The Motown and More Experience | Proctorās Theatre John Pizzarelli | Caffe Lena |
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