air quality

ENP Summer Update 2023

Posted on by Stevo

The 2023 outreach programming season is in full swing! Since the beginning of the year, we have presented several wildlife, nature, energy, and EV programs all over WNC and worked on improving our classroom. Below are some highlights:

Tips: Increase magnification to 125- 150 for the best experience and click photos to expand.

Classroom Update

Jim built new shelves for the classroom’s storage room and we teamed up to install them with some help from Momentum staff.

We used Jim’s Tesla Model Y as a “truck” to tote the shelving components to the classroom.

Tesla cars are awesome – but ENP really needs a dedicated work truck/community outreach and service vehicle – more on this later in this update.

These new super strong shelves make our storage room far more organized and much safer for our students.

THANK YOU JIM HARDY for your expert assistance, ability, and guidance with this and all our projects – without you, we could not have made any of this happen.

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Classroom Solar Project Update

This spring we received a fantastic donation from Mike Dietham of SolFarm Solar Co in Asheville, NC

– a new home energy storage battery!!-

This valuable battery – when coupled with two more just like it – will allow us to capture much of the excess solar-generated electricity we produce from our classroom array, and store it for use at night, and during the frequent grid power outages we experience in our remote location.

THANK YOU MIKE

and

SOLFARM SOLAR

for this most generous donation!!

That’s Mike Dietham of SolFarm using his 100% electric forklift to load the battery module onto a trailer.

The trailer was attached to the “Mighty” Bolt – ENP’s outreach EV.

We feel it is so very appropriate that a home storage battery, donated by a locally-owned and operated solar installation company, is destined to be used to store excess solar-produced clean energy for an environmental education center powered by solar energy produced by the center’s own solar modules, and that strives to teach ways we can make better energy choices by using locally-produced and renewably-harvested, energy sources – such as the solar panels that power our classroom. Along with all that awesome, the Mighty Bolt outreach EV is charged (fueled) by some of that excess solar-produced electricity produced by the very same classroom solar array that this big battery will be coupled with. This will make our classroom 100% net zero, energy secure, and able to withstand any grid outages – and it may even allow us to go completely off-grid!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention – the trailer is locally produced by Sylvan Sport – so cool!

Think globally, act locally.

Several students visiting our classroom on a field trip from Dr. Cabin’s class at Brevard College assisted me with the installation of this battery into its final location in our classroom/lab –

THANK YOU ALL!

However, this big storage battery system is not yet online and functioning. To make this system fully operational we need to secure the donation of two more LG RESU 16 Prime battery units and/or raise the funds needed to acquire them. If you are interested in assisting us in completing this third and final phase of this project, which my students, volunteers, and community supporters started over 6 years ago, please do contact us or visit our donation page.

All donations to our 501c3 are tax deductible.

–UPDATE–

We recently received an amazing grant that will allow us to purchase another LG RESU Prime 16 battery unit – we are now 2/3 of the way to our goal!! Thank you Lake Toxaway Charities for this wonderful and most generous support!!

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Outreach Programming Update

We have participated in several local renewable energy and Electric Vehicle (EV) community education programs and renewable energy education/demonstration events in our county of residence and in neighboring Henderson and Buncombe Counties with the Blue Ridge EV Club, Conserving Carolina, and the Transylvania Creation Care Fellowship. What follow are a few photos from the first half of the 2023 outreach programming season.

We started off the year in February with an EV program for Conserving Carolina.

All the participants were very interested and engaged in learning all about the joys and adaptations of driving electric.

The next photo is from a Solar Energy Fair organized by the Transylvania Creation Care Fellowship. In attendance were three local solar installation companies, several EV drivers, and Steve and the SS NaSA PoD from ENP. Our goal was to spread the word about solar and EV technologies available to individuals and businesses as a way to help everyone become better stewards of our shared environmental life support system – nature.

At the Drive Electric Earth Day event, over 70 EVs of various makes and models were in attendance. We had a steady flow of people interested in learning about driving electric and it was a grand success! Look in the center distance for The PoD – its micro-grid provided solar-sourced electricity to run the PA/sound system during the event and charge a participant’s EV – so cool!

At the Earth Day EV show in Hendersonville, NC, I watched as The Air Avenger and The Smog Queen “battled” for the health of our shared environment.

The Air Avenger won the duel – now the rest of us need to follow his lead and do what is right.

During normal working hours, you will find these two mild-mannered individuals working hard fighting for our shared environment at Land of the Sky Regional Council and the NC Department of Air Quality.

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We visited Oskar Blues Brewery which hosted our spring fundraiser for their “Making a Difference Monday” event series.

At our fundraiser, we joined forces with Adventure Grown Guides and several local EV drivers to share our knowledge and passion for our causes on this beautiful blustery 1st of May. The fundraiser was a success, getting us started on our way to raising the support needed to complete Phase Three of our ongoing classroom solar array project and our new outreach vehicle fundraiser project.

Wonderful long-time ENP volunteer extraordinaire Paulina sharing one of our friendly reptilian ambassadors – Elongated Muskadine – with a young friend.

The awesome crew from Adventure Grown Guides shared their guide service offerings with visitors.

Please contact them for all your adventuring needs when in WNC.

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In mid-May, we had a wonderful weekend outing sharing nature and science knowledge with hundreds of interested festival-goers at the wonderful

Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF)

High above our camp

We had a great location

So much fun!

Learning is fun!

Cade and Ashley

The PoD’s microscope station is a wonderful educational attraction!

Below are some beautiful diatoms some of our visitors found under our microscopes. They found them in lake water they collected from just 50 feet away in Lake Eden – so very cool!

The wonderful ENP volunteer crew and our LEAF camp.

We also presented an evening program for the wonderful folks of the Sherwood Forest Community in Cedar Mountain, NC at the Robin Hood Barn.

It was a wonderful event where Meredith, Jim, and I shared our passion for nature and wildlife conservation – especially for the more misunderstood creatures of the fields and forests such as snakes of all kinds and the ENP mascot – the Eastern box turtle.

Many heaps of gratitude to Billy and Gail, Meredith and Mary Beth, and all the wonderful residents of the Cedar Mountain and the Sherwood Forest communities who have been some of ENP’s most loyal project supporters since our inception over 15 years ago – you are all heroes!

PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM ROBISON

Learn more about the Eastern box turtle in this amazing article featuring ENP in a recent publication of

Our State magazine

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A new ambassador for his species

In early July we received a new juvenile Opossum joey. This young marsupial had been found by a friend in a forest after a stormy night. It was small, weak, and clearly needed some assistance if it was going to survive. My friend is also an animal advocate so he and his family took the little orphan into their home and took great care of him until he was ready to be released. His time with the family and their pets imprinted the little Opossum on the human way of life so he could no longer be released into “the wild.” This is why he is now living under our care at the ENP/Trails Science nature center. His name is Taylor Slow and he is so incredibly friendly and everyone who has met him loves him so much and gains a new appreciation and understanding of the most important role the Opossum plays in a healthy ecosystem.

Photo by Steve Atkins of Fox Cove Photography

Taylor now lives in the Possum Palace at our classroom teaching everyone he meets about the awesome ‘possum so please let us know if you would like to visit and we will be sure to arrange it 🙂

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SS NaSA PoD Update

This spring we installed a few new ENP-appropriate decals on the SS NaSA PoD – THANK YOU to our friends at Peppermint Narwhal for donating the wonderful artwork for The PoD’s decals allowing us to make all this awesome happen! Please visit Peppermint Narwhal and check out all the amazing things they have to offer!

We also met up with Asher and family, who are some of the SS NaSA PoD’s biggest supporters. During our time together Asher took the opportunity to sign The PoD’s hull.

It was so wonderful to see Asher and family again after all this time. We are so grateful for their contribution to this magical mobile classroom project – without them, none of this would have ever been possible! THANK YOU AGAIN, Asher and family – we at ENP are eternally grateful for your generous and most wonderful support!!!

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Speaking of The SS NaSA PoD, ENP also received a most generous donation of a special electronic component called an Autotransformer from Bob Harris of Black Bear Solar Institute.

I have installed this fascinating device which now allows the PoD’s storage batteries to be charged via “shore power” using almost any electric vehicle charger of the J-1772 variety. These charging units (AKA EVSE) are common in many parts of our service area, therefore, if the sun is not out and/or our battery bank is low we can simply pull into an EV charger, plug in, and fill up the PoD’s batteries on locally-sourced electrons – isn’t science, technology, and engineering amazing! (The PoD is also able to charge via the standard 30 and 50-amp campground connectors and 120VAC.)

Below is a photo of The PoD charging up via a J1772 EV connector.

The PoD is now functionally complete and fully operational. THANK YOU to everyone who made this amazing mobile environmental outreach classroom possible – you are all heroes of the highest order!

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We are now working very hard to raise the funds needed to acquire an all-electric pickup to act as a tow vehicle for the PoD, and serve as a service vehicle for our future ENP community assistance program. Below are a few renderings of what this could look like once we raise the support needed to make it happen.

(not to scale)

The PoD and a Tesla Cybertruck (Steve’s favorite)

The PoD and a Rivian R1T EV pickup

The PoD and a Ford F-150 Lightning EV pickup

As of 8/2/23, we have raised close to $4000, but we still have a VERY long way to go. If you are interested in supporting our wonderful volunteer-operated 501c3 organization with this, or any of our other projects, please consider helping us reach our goals with a donation of any size, form, or function. Read all the details of this campaign on the New Outreach Vehicle Fundraiser page on our website, visit our GoFundMe campaign, or the donate page on our website. Or if you prefer to send a check via “snail” mail, just contact us and we will be glad to give you our mailing address.

Please consider sharing this information with others – THANK YOU.

______________________

We are now well into our very busy summer camp programming season of presentations at camps, events, Trails, and private homes all over the WNC area.

Below is a slideshow following the first half of 2023.

  • Asher investigates some pond water under the microscope
  • We love The PoD!
  • Microscope fun at UFBRF!
  • Paulina sharing Slip the Rat snake with visitors at the Upper French Broad River Festival (UFBRF)
  • Rudy sharing solar and EV knowledge and personal experience with a visitor at the UFBRF
  • At the UFBRF
  • The bio-artifact table
  • More artifacts and a live Copperhead – the snake was released into the wild later in the day
  • At the UFBRF – we shared nature knowledge and teamed up with the Blue Ridge EV Club to share renewable energy and EV knowledge with festival attendees. NOTE: The Tesla is charging via The PoD’s solar array and, like The PoD, the golf cart is a solar powered mobile microgrid!
  • Afternoon program at Camp Merrie Woode – can you find The PoD?
  • At Merrie Woode
  • Meeting Charlie at Merrie Woode
  • Paulina sharing nature knowledge at Bound for Glory Camp
  • Steve and Slip, Rylee and Paisley at Camp Illahee
  • Nature class @ Camp Illahee
  • Rex the Redfoot tortoise sporting his new Tile tracker at Camp Illahee
  • Steve and Taylor
  • High over the forest – can you find The PoD and our classroom*? *Look for the corner of the solar array.
  • At the Lake Toxaway Nature Park in July
    At the Lake Toxaway Nature Park in July
  • Our display at the Lake Toxaway Nature Park
  • High above the The PoD at the Lake Toxaway Nature Park
  • Looking over Lake Toxaway
  • Rylee and Taylor Slow the Opossum at Camp Carolina
  • Opening day program at Camp Carolina
  • High over Camp Merri Woode
  • Steve and Taylor

That is all for now, look for our end-of-year report in December.

If you are interested in having us visit your camp, school, home, office, or event in the WNC, Upstate SC, or East Tennessee areas – please contact us and we will work to make it happen.

THANK YOU ALL for working with us to make Earthshine Nature Programs possible!

Note: Any/all advertisements found within this post are not endorsed by ENP.

SS NaSA PoD Update #11

Posted on by Stevo

Since our last update, we have completed a few more key aspects of the project.

We installed the presentation monitor and its support arm. Below is a photo of the finished product.

Below and to the right of the monitor is the PA system which we also installed.

The monitor is attached by a quick disconnect to a retractable support arm as seen in the next photo.

The black and silver box on the back of the monitor mounting arm is a NUC computer that runs the monitor.

The monitor support arm folds securely against the vehicle during travel.

We also installed water tank level sending units (the silver device with the black wire) on both water tanks to allow us to know at a glance how much water is in our tanks.

This is needed for the obvious reason that water is life for our animals and for us on multi-day excursions – and also because we use water as a ballast to balance out our load while the vehicle is underway.

The water level sending units send their signal to the same panel that reports the status of our solar power system – that fact made installation and use very easy.

On June 5th, 2022 the SS NaSA PoD mobile outreach classroom rolled out for its first official outreach program at a local girl’s camp! It was a wonderful success!

Watch the video below to see the PoD in action!

Since our first official outreach program, we have presented two more programs – one at a local boy’s camp, and another at a river festival – what follows are some photos from those wonderful events.

THANK YOU to everyone who has supported and is continuing to support this most unique environmental outreach education project – we are eternally grateful for your most generous support. You are all the greatest of heroes!!!

This amazing outreach education project will serve to inspire and educate all the curiosity seekers who discover it. But to do this right – we do still need your support. The next steps in working toward the completion of the PoD are outlined below and will most likely occur in the following order:

Installing the microscope* station.

Stocking the field guide library.

Updating the curtains and cushions with an appropriate theme.

Installing the 120/240 Volt “shore power” service.

Painting the PoD and installing appropriate decals/insignia.*

Installing the composting toilet.*

*These are our remaining needs. If you are interested in assisting us with a donation of these final items and/or the support needed for us to be able to complete this project – please do contact us directly or feel free to donate via the links below.  

Please consider supporting this project via the donate link on our website or our GoFundMe page:  www.gofundme.com/lets-build-a-mobile-outreach-classroom

If you do choose to assist us in making this project a reality, this unique mobile classroom will greatly benefit the nature, environment, and wildlife conservation education, evidence-supported science, reality, common sense, and renewable energy awareness education for all our outreach program participants in the WNC region as well as our wonderful students at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum who will benefit from the unique wonders it will contain while they are in class and in the field on expedition. 

We will be sure to share any and all updates in posts on this blog, in our end-of-year newsletter, and on our YouTube channel so please consider subscribing to stay up to date on this wonderful project.

The SS NaSA PoD and the Mighty Bolt EV (our primary outreach vehicle) are owned by ENP (501c3) and used primarily as the ENP company outreach vehicle and mobile outreach classroom for ENP and our education partners Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum.  They will be powered and fueled primarily with cleanly-generated electricity provided by the ENP/Trails student-built classroom solar array and the SS NaSA PoD’s rooftop solar array. They will both serve as outstanding teaching tools for our Trails students and ENP outreach program participants.

Please note: any/all ads that appear within or below this post are not provided, supported, or endorsed by ENP nor are we supported in any way by these ads – they are an automated feature of WordPress.com.

NaSA PoD Project Update #9

Posted on by Stevo

Over the last month, we have worked very hard on the PoD and we are happy to report that it is mostly complete! Recently we took it on its shakedown cruise – but before I tell you how that went I would like to give you a breakdown of the progress we have made since our last update. I could show several static photographs but instead, I have decided to share with you video update #2 that goes over all of the changes to the interior since the last update as well as a unique time-lapse of much of the work we have completed over the last 5 weeks or so. I hope you enjoy watching this update in video format but please note – it covers a lot of ground so it is a bit long at just over 1/2 an hour.

In our next update and video, we will cover the latest modifications to the exterior of the PoD as well as how it performed on its “shakedown cruise.”

This amazing education project will serve to inspire and educate all the curiosity seekers who discover it. But to do this right – we still need your support. If you choose to assist us in making this project a reality, this unique mobile classroom will greatly benefit the nature and wildlife conservation education, evidence-supported science, reality, common sense, and renewable energy awareness education for all our outreach program participants in the WNC region as well as our wonderful students at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum who will benefit from the unique wonders it will contain while they are in class and in the field on expedition. 

 Please consider supporting this project via the donate link on our website or our GoFundMe page:   www.gofundme.com/lets-build-a-mobile-outreach-classroom

The construction and use of this unique mobile classroom will be documented on this blog, in our end-of-year newsletter, and on our YouTube channel.  

The ENP NaSA PoD and the Mighty Bolt EV (our primary outreach vehicle) are owned by ENP and used primarily as the ENP company outreach vehicle and mobile outreach classroom for ENP and our education partners Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum.  They will be powered and fueled primarily with cleanly-generated electricity provided by the ENP/Trails student-built classroom solar array and the NaSA PoD’s rooftop solar array. They will both serve as outstanding teaching tools for our Trails students, ENP outreach program participants, and everyone we meet via our outreach programs.

THANK YOU to everyone who has supported and is continuing to support this most unique project – you are all the greatest of heroes!!!

Please note: any/all ads that appear within or below this post are not provided, supported, or endorsed by ENP nor are we supported in any way by these ads – they are an automated feature of WordPress.com.

NaSA PoD Update #8

Posted on by Stevo

Since our last update, we worked very hard to have the PoD ready for our Earth Day reveal – but unfortunately, that did not happen. The conversion time is taking longer than we anticipated so we are now simply working to complete the PoD – with no set due date. This removed the notion of a deadline from the project and at the same time relieved some of the stress I felt because of that deadline. Now, with the anxiety of the deadline removed I feel far more at ease with things and much progress is happening at the pace at which it needs to happen.

That all being said – we are getting very close to completion.

We have completed over 90% of the PoD’s new educational/electrical/plumbing systems and all that remains includes the following:

Solar-electrical – over 95% complete: Most of the solar electronic components are now installed and all that remains is configuring the inverter, and some wire management issues.

Plumbing: 95% complete and working! All that remains is the installation of the composting toilet – this item is not time-sensitive and/or imperative to the initial operation of the PoD and will happen at some point over the next few months.

Exterior: 80% complete. All that remains is the installation of the microscope table*, flatscreen monitor mounting structure*, and painting of the PoD – these items are not imperative to the initial operation of the PoD and will happen over the next few weeks.

Interior: 99% complete! All that remains is the re-installation of the removed “furniture” from the interior of the RV as well as some finishing touches Marian will be making such as appropriately themed curtains.

Below is some of the work we have completed over the last few weeks.

We installed the Solar Inverter Battery Support Structure (SIBaSS – pronounced “Sea Bass”) into its final location in the solar-electronics gear cabinet.

We then installed the inverter, Battery Management System (BMS)/Lynx Distributor assembly, Charge controllers, and the two lower batteries.

We installed most of the heavy gauge wiring between the charge controllers and inverter to the distributor as well as the massive cables from the distributor to the batteries.

Wire management is most important. The next photo shows wires that are not yet managed.

We had to “MacGyver” a way to insulate the huge battery cables where they pass over and through the support structure. The black insulator is made from a thick, rubber, radiator hose from a large truck.

The “brains” of the system. This Cerbo GX device will allow me to monitor the real-time data from the solar-electronics system such as DC solar input, battery SOC, charging status, inverter status, AC/DC input, and output, as well as control the individual components of the system and share all of that information with my students and program participants via a Bluetooth connection to the presentation monitor on the outside of the PoD.

The AC/DC fuse/load panels are in place.

We moved the spare wheel and tire assembly from the back of the PoD to the tongue. Since we have done away with the gas bottles taking up space on the tongue, we have ample space to mount the spare. We also used the original clamp from the gas bottles as a hold-down for the wheel and tire assembly.

Moving the wheel/tire assembly freed up the space on the back of the PoD where we have installed a new access hatch that allows external access to the storage space under the bed. This will allow easy access to programming materials during classes 🙂

Lastly, we topped off the state of charge (SOC) in all four of the batteries in preparation for connecting them to the system this week!! We are about to bring the PoD to life!

In other news – Lucky the Eastern box turtle came out of hibernation this past week 🙂

If you live in an area with box turtles please keep watch for them crossing roads – especially during and after warm weather rain showers when they are most active. When you see them crossing the road please help them across to the side they are heading toward because they are on “important turtle business” and need our help crossing roads.

However, please do not take them home as “pets” or release them in areas that you believe are somehow better for them – they are protected by law in most places, and moving them far from their home range is stressful and detrimental to their health and the health of wildlife due to the potential vectoring of novel diseases and parasites and wildlife populations.

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Stay tuned for all the awesome that is on the way – and a new video will be ready soon!

This amazing project will serve to inspire and educate all the curiosity seekers who encounter it. But to do this right – we need your support. If you choose to assist us in making this project a reality, this unique mobile classroom will greatly benefit the nature and wildlife conservation, science, reality, common sense, and renewable energy awareness education for all our outreach program participants in the WNC region as well as our wonderful students at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum who will all greatly benefit from the wonders it will contain while they are in class and in the field on expedition. 

 Please consider supporting this project via the donate link on our website or our GoFundMe page:   www.gofundme.com/lets-build-a-mobile-outreach-classroom

The construction and use of this unique mobile classroom will be documented on this blog, in our end-of-year newsletter, and on our YouTube channel.  

The ENP NaSA PoD and the Mighty Bolt EV (our primary outreach vehicle) are owned by ENP and used primarily as the ENP company outreach vehicle and mobile outreach classroom.  They will be powered and fueled primarily with cleanly-generated electricity provided by the ENP/Trails student-built classroom solar array and NaSA PoD’s rooftop solar array. They will both serve as outstanding teaching tools for our Trails students, ENP outreach program participants, and everyone we meet via our outreach programs.

THANK YOU to everyone who has supported and is continuing to support this most unique project – you are all the greatest of heroes!!!

Please note: any/all ads that appear within or below this post are not provided or endorsed by ENP nor are we supported in any way by these ads – they are an automated feature of WordPress.com.

NaSA PoD Update #6

Posted on by Stevo

Over the last two weeks, we have continued making steady progress on the transformation of the PoD.

The welder finished his work and we retrieved the PoD from his shop. The new Bifacial Solar Array Support Structure (BiSASS) is now complete and it seems to be a very solid structure for supporting the PoD’s bifacial solar modules (panels). Take a look at these photos of the BiSASS from the welding shop.

The awning is in the black bag hanging on the right side of the rack – I will try to find a day soon when I will deploy it and get some photos to share with you.

Thank you Red Dog Welding for doing such a great job on this rack.

A word about our choice in solar modules. We are using Canadian Solar BiHiKu Bifacial solar modules. Unlike traditional solar modules which collect solar energy from only one side of their structure, bifacial solar modules have solar energy collecting ability from both sides of the module. This works well in applications where the modules are able to collect reflected light from any light-colored/reflective surface below them – such as the white rooftop of the PoD. This increased light collecting ability will allow these unique solar modules to harvest upwards of 30% more energy than a similarly-sized traditional solar module will harvest – without needing to be 30% larger – and with a vehicle as small as the ENP NaSA PoD – every little bit will help.

Before the modules could be installed we needed to prep the PoD’s roof to receive the solar array so we could install the pass-thru for the solar wiring. This is a photo of the huge hole we had to cut in the PoD’s perfectly good fiberglass roof…

We then installed the 3D printed entry gland over the hole – this device will allow the solar wiring to pass through from the roof to the solar-electronics cabinet directly below.

We also took some time to reseal all the existing rivets/bolts on the roof of the RV. As all these points will soon be under the solar array, we decided to seal everything up very well so we will not need to remove modules to seal up a roof leak. You can see two of these sealed rivet points in the above photo – they are curing under the paper/painter’s tape.

The next step was to cut several small holes that will allow the wiring from the security cameras to pass thru the shell and into the PoD. Since the PoD’s fiberglass body is basically a boat on wheels – we used cable entry ports often used in the boating industry.

For the forward-facing camera, we made use of the existing gray water tank vent pipe as the pathway to run the LAN cable for the camera as shown in this photo.

Why a security system you may be asking? There are several reasons.

1. This mobile classroom will often have several of our animal ambassadors living inside for several hours or even days at a time at multi-day festivals/events.

2. This mobile classroom will often have many unique and valuable teaching tools residing inside.

3. This mobile classroom will always contain many high technology electronics also hidden away inside.

All these unique creatures, tools, and components will need to be protected and safe. Therefore, we have created the the ENP NaSA PoD’s:

Security, Investigating, Environment, and Nature, Watching, Interpreting, Sensing, Evaluating and Recording Network (ScIENce WISERNet)

This system will allow safe and secure monitoring of the immediate area around the PoD. The obvious presence of the cameras will serve to keep would-be thieves and prowlers away from the PoD and its contents and it will allow real-time environmental, video, and audio monitoring and DVR/cloud-based recording via wireless internet connection. This connected network will allow those with administrator access* to see what the PoD’s cameras and environmental sensors are sensing at any given time and/or have recently seen via cloud storage – from any location on planet Earth that has WIFI or a cellular connection. *The only persons able to view the live feed from the PoD’s ScIENce WISERNet system will be the ENP Executive Director Steve aka “Science Steve” and his students when in class.

We have now completed the installation of the ScIENce WISERNet system – below are a few more photos of the placement of the cameras. This is another view of the forward-mounted camera.

This is the port-mounted camera. Behind it note the LAN cable leading back to the marine-grade cable entry port (out of view). Currently, this outdoor-rated cable is affixed to the surface of the PoD with adhesive cable organizers but soon, this exposed wire will be up out of the way and in a more secure location following the solar array frame rail.

This is the starboard-mounted camera. The black wire in front of the camera is one of the solar array power leads. It will soon be connected to the solar entry gland located to the right of the camera.

This is the aft-mounted camera. It is mounted on the aft structural support for the awning system.

After all the prep work was done it was time to install the 1740 watt Bifacial Photovoltaic Solar Array (BiPSA). Jim and I and two friends from work – Hunter, and Kevin* – worked for many hours to install the BiPSA onto the PoD’s BiSASS. *THANK YOU, Hunter and Kevin, for assisting us on such short notice!!!

We first pulled the solar modules out of storage and attached the mounting brackets.

Then we all worked together to carefully install the four giant solar modules onto the BiSASS. That is Jim and Kevin in the next photo – Hunter is not pictured as she had made a run to the hardware store for more stainless steel bolts and associated hardware. NOTE: The car on the right is Jim’s Nissan LEAF EV – yep, no gas needed. In fact, once the PoD is complete it will be able to charge the battery of Jim’s LEAF or any other electric vehicle using freely collected clean energy from our nearest fusion reactor – the sun!

The completed array – it is a thing of beauty.

The view looking up through the skylight – it will improve once I install the trim around the edges.

We also finished the installation of the PoD’s updated water system…

…but we will be unable to test it for a few days while we wait for the sealant to dry.

Jim and I sanded and painted the solar-electronics cabinet and will begin installing the components soon.

We also installed new LED taillight bars on the rear vertical supports (that now block the PoD’s original lights) as well as a new license plate bracket/light (the old one – that was originally located below the left rear taillight in this photo – snapped off when I was removing the plate from the previous owners).

We also installed a J-1772 inlet charge port – it is the black device to the right of the outdoor power outlet in the next set of photos. This device will allow us to charge the PoD’s lithium-ion batteries via any Level 2 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) aka charger such as the one at my home, the one at the ENP/Trails classroom, or anywhere on the road using other J-1772 units and even Tesla Destination EVSE units (by using an adapter). This will be very useful when we are on the road and/or during long periods of rain when our solar modules are unable to keep our batteries full. The 120-volt power outlet will be used to power the monitor, microscope station, and any electric vehicle that possesses a J-1772 charge port (most of them) and/or that has the correct adapter.

Last, but definitely not least I then took the PoD for new a set of heavy-duty tires.

That is all for this ENP NaSA PoD update.

Stay tuned – there is much more to come.

In closing, here are some close family friends at my dad’s place in the country.

Please subscribe and follow this blog for more updates.

We hope to have the ENP NaSA PoD in service on or before Earth Day 2022!

This amazing project will serve to inspire and educate all the curiosity seekers who encounter it. But to do this right – we do still need your support. If you choose to assist us in making this project a reality, this unique mobile classroom will greatly benefit the nature and wildlife conservation, science, reality, common sense, and renewable energy awareness education for all our outreach program participants in the WNC region as well as our wonderful students at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum who will all greatly benefit from the wonders it will contain while they are in class and in the field on expedition. 

 Please consider supporting this project via the donate link on our website or our GoFundMe page:   www.gofundme.com/lets-build-a-mobile-outreach-classroom

The construction and use of this unique mobile classroom will be documented on this blog, our end-of-year newsletter, and soon on our YouTube channel.  

The ENP NaSA PoD and the Mighty Bolt EV (our primary outreach vehicle) are owned by ENP and used primarily as the ENP company outreach vehicle and mobile outreach classroom.  They will be charged and fueled primarily with cleanly generated electricity provided by the ENP/Trails student-built classroom solar array and NaSA PoD’s rooftop solar array. They will both serve as outstanding teaching tools for our Trails students, ENP outreach program participants, and everyone we meet via our outreach programs.

THANK YOU to everyone who has supported and is continuing to support this most unique project – you are all the greatest of heroes!!!

Please note: any/all ads that appear below this post are not provided or endorsed by ENP nor are we supported in any way by these ads – they are an automated feature of WordPress.com.

NaSA PoD Update #5

Posted on by Stevo

Recently, Jim and I worked together to carefully machine some specialized support pieces for the Solar Inverter Battery Support Structure (SIBaSS – pronounced “Sea Bass” – LOL).

Take a look at some of the photos from that adventure below.

Drilling precision holes in a block of aluminum is fun!

Drilling a hole in a piece of T-Slot aluminum.

Aluminum blocks, strap cleats, and T-Slots in the process of being assembled.

Precision work.

All these parts were then applied to the SIBaSS and, with the webbing straps I will add soon, will all work together to hold the batteries and inverter securely in place.

At this point in the build, this is what the SIBaSS looks like. The solar inverter is on the top of the structure and the four batteries are below.

The aluminum blocks and yellow T-slot battery spacers are now in their final positions.

The back of the assembly. The large triangular gussets in the corners will serve to further strengthen the structure keeping it rigid and secure when the PoD is rolling down the road. A few small parts are still needed before the SiBaSS is complete and can finally be installed in the PoD.

In other news, we have transported the PoD to the Red Dog the welder who is working his magic and, as I write this, installing the solar array support structure onto the PoD. Here are a few photos of this major step in the process. Below, Red is toting the PoD into the shop with his forklift.

The PoD in the shop. Note the plastic shields I installed over the future window holes and air conditioner service port in the side – it was raining. Of note – the skylight Jim and I fabricated and installed a few days ago had a very good test today and I am happy to report that it passed with zero leaks.

Day One: Getting ready to begin the welding job.

Hmmm, I might need to re-locate the brake lights to the other side of the steel support beams.

Getting things perfectly aligned before the welding begins.

Array support structure taking shape.

Precision cuts require precision tools.

The solar array support rack being aligned. The solar modules (panels) will bolt directly to the shiny pieces of aluminum in the below photo.

This rack system is a special challenge since the roof of the PoD is made of fiberglass. The next photo shows one of the long “foot-like” structures Red is fabricating that will help to distribute the weight of the solar array and the awning over the entire rooftop.

Day Two of the construction: the rack is starting to come together.

One of the three brackets where the awning will attach.

Stay tuned – there is much more to come.

In closing, this is Tripod the Eastern box turtle – the ENP mascot. It will not be long before the warm sun of springtime awakens her from her long winter’s nap 🙂

Please subscribe and follow this blog for more updates.

We hope to have the ENP NaSA PoD in service on or before Earth Day 2022!

This amazing project will serve to inspire and educate all the curiosity seekers it will meet. But to do this right – we do still need your support. If you choose to assist us in making this project a reality, this unique mobile classroom will greatly benefit the nature and wildlife conservation, science, reality, common sense, and renewable energy awareness education for all our outreach program participants in the WNC region as well as our wonderful students at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum who will all greatly benefit from the wonders it will contain while they are in class and in the field on expedition. 

 Please consider supporting this project via the donate link on our website or our GoFundMe page:   www.gofundme.com/lets-build-a-mobile-outreach-classroom

The construction and use of this unique mobile classroom will be documented on this blog, our end-of-year newsletter, and soon on our YouTube channel.  

 The ENP NaSA PoD and the Mighty Bolt EV (our primary outreach vehicle) are owned by ENP and used primarily as the ENP company outreach vehicle and mobile outreach classroom.  They will be charged and fueled primarily with cleanly generated electricity provided by the ENP/Trails student-built classroom solar array and NaSA PoD’s rooftop solar array. They will both serve as outstanding teaching tools for our Trails students, ENP outreach program participants, and everyone we meet via our outreach programs.

Please note: any/all ads that appear below this post are not provided or endorsed by ENP nor are we supported in any way by these ads – they are an automated feature of WordPress.com.

NaSA PoD Project Update #4

Posted on by Stevo

Yesterday I took the PoD to meet metal fabricator Tim from Appalachian Sheet Metal and Fabrication in Weaverville, NC. Tim made some detailed measurements of the side of the Casita where the custom windows will be installed. Below is a photo of Tim making his measurements in preparation for the fabrication of the window frames.

It will take a few weeks for Tim to work his magic but hopefully, by early April I will be able to share the details of what Tim has created for us.

Also today Jim and I installed the PoD’s new skylight in the hole left by the removal of the old roof vent fan. In the next sequence of photos, you will see the process from start to finish. The first photo is taken from the roof of the Casita before I prepped the area around the hole in the roof. You can see the remnants of the old sealant as well as several broken screws sticking through the roof.

The old sealant came off easily with a razor blade but the old screw shafts had to be filed down to the roof-line with a metal file – that took a while. In the next photo, the surface has been prepped and cleaned and all screw shafts have been filed down.

Next Jim and I constructed the aluminum frames to hold the Lexan skylight. This was not as easy as it sounds and I could never have done it alone – Jim’s knowledge, expertise, and very nice tools allowed us to miter the corners of the frames and get everything lined up in preparation for installation

THANK YOU JIM!!

This is a photo of the skylight in its frame (with protective blue plastic coverings) just before I installed it on the roof.

In this next photo, we see the skylight installed in its final location on the rooftop with plenty of sealant under and around the skylight.

We needed to create a custom ultra-low-profile skylight since the solar array and its frame will need to be placed as close to the roofline as possible. An interesting point of note is that soon, with the placement of the solar array above the roof – the sky will not be very visible through this skylight. Maybe when that happens we will need to call it a solar array viewing port.

Soon, when the weather returns to something like spring (it is now 20F and windy with a dusting of snow on the ground!) I will work to install a trim piece around the interior of the skylight port…which at the moment appears as in the next photo (taken before I installed the skylight). The top layer is the fiberglass shell of the RV. Below that is a gap of about 1/2 inch, then the foam backing of the carpet, and finally the carpet itself. I plan to install an edge-hiding trim piece around the carpet and then glue the carpet up to the ceiling with construction glue…but to do that we will need warmer weather.

That is where we are in the build at the moment and we hope to have much warmer weather soon – so hopefully, more modifications will happen much faster.

I leave you with two of my furry family members who were enjoying the sunshine while Jim and I worked on the PoD. That is Cosmo the cat in the foreground rolling in the warm moss, and Tangie the “Carolina Mountain Red Dog” (rescued mixed-breed terrier thing) in the background. They both love the warmth of the early spring sunshine 🙂

We hope to have the ENP NaSA PoD in service on or before Earth Day 2022!

Stay tuned – there is much more to come.

Please subscribe and follow this blog for more updates.

This is an amazing project that will serve to educate and inspire all the curiosity seekers it meets. But to do this thing right – we do still need your support. If you choose to assist us in making this project a reality, this unique mobile classroom will greatly benefit the nature and wildlife conservation, science, and renewable energy awareness education of all of our outreach program participants in the WNC region as well as our wonderful students at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum who will all greatly benefit from the wonders it will contain while they are in the field on expedition. 

 Please consider supporting this project via the donate link on our website or our GoFundMe page:   www.gofundme.com/lets-build-a-mobile-outreach-classroom

The construction and use of this unique mobile classroom will be documented on this blog, our end-of-year newsletter, and soon on our YouTube channel.  

 The ENP NaSA PoD and the Mighty Bolt EV (our primary outreach vehicle) are owned by ENP and used primarily as the ENP company outreach vehicle and mobile outreach classroom.  They will be charged and fueled primarily with cleanly generated electricity provided by the ENP/Trails student-built classroom solar array and NaSA PoD’s rooftop solar array. They will serve as outstanding teaching tools for our Trails students, ENP outreach program participants, and everyone we meet via our outreach programs.

Please note: any/all ads that appear below this post are not provided or endorsed by ENP nor are we supported in any way by these ads – they are an automated feature of WordPress.com.

NaSA PoD Project Update #3

Posted on by Stevo

Over the past few days, much progress has been made.

The new door latch has been installed and works fabulously!

Over the last week or so I have also been working to get the PoD’s water system installed. This will be needed to supply the PoD’s human and animal inhabitants with life-giving water during outreach events -especially multi-day events – and allow the humans to grab a shower after the end of a long day of bringing nature and science knowledge to the masses 🙂 The mass of the 25 gallons (200 lbs) of water in the two tanks (the 3rd is the water heater) will also serve as a ballast system to help counter-balance the added mass in the solar-electronics cabinet.

Step one: Find a place to install the new water tank – this looks like a good location.

Step two: move the water pump to a new location.

Step Three: replace old water pipes with new PEX water pipes.

…and even more new pipes. In the next photo, you can see how all the various water pipes connect the two tanks allowing them to balance the water supply between the two tanks. The off-white upper tank pictured in this image is also where the water filler is located – its fill hatch is on the outside of the vehicle at the end of the white PVC tube on top of the tank. Also in this photo, you can see the new 50 Amp shore power connection cable coiled on the bottom right of the image.

We also installed the new water filler hatch – but we first had to make a larger hole. We made the new hatch hole using an existing hole – the old 12-volt battery off-gassing hole – a bit larger to accommodate the new fill point.

This is what the old battery vent port looked like before we modified it.

Marking the new hole…

Cutting the new hole…

The new water filler port installed.

We also installed a new shore power cord port after the original unit suffered a RUD (Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly) while I was attempting to open it one cold day in February – the plastic was old and brittle and just fell apart in my hands. Hopefully, this new one will serve us for many years.

Back to the water system.

After the pump and all the pipes were in place, we then installed the new 9-gallon water tank.

The system is not yet connected and tested since we are missing a few small water line adapters that we could not source locally. They should arrive later this week and will complete the final connections that will make the new water system complete. If you look closely in this image and to the left of the center you will see where the adapters are needed – where the blue water line ends in a brass 90-degree elbow fitting – it is at this location where we need to have a unique small adapter to connect the water line to the tank. We also need to install a system drain valve – it will go in the space above the brass elbow I just mentioned and will have an outlet tube that passes through the RV’s floor allowing the system to be fully drained in the event of cold weather.

We also installed a clean-out port (the circular white port in the top of the original water tank in the below photo) as well as the new filler line between the tank and the externally mounted gravity fill port we mentioned earlier. The clear hose on the right is part of the water system’s air venting system.

We filled some old gas line and drain holes with body putty then drilled some huge holes through the floor of the RV and into the frame and then preliminarily installed the raised and strengthened sub-floor in the soon-to-be solar-electronics cabinet. It is not bolted in place just yet – we still need to sand and paint the fiberglass walls, let them dry, then we will be able to bolt it all together – but to do that, we need warmer weather…

We installed an external weather-proof heavy-duty outlet. This will be used to power the presentation monitor as well as the microscope station and Level 1 EVSE (electric car charger).

Lastly, we preliminarily mounted the final two Victron solar storage batteries on their support structure and then compared them to the cardboard analogue we constructed several weeks ago. The cardboard unit is smaller because it was constructed without a frame – but not to worry – the support frame’s measurements were accounted for so all should fit nicely in the new solar-electronics cabinet.

The carport staging area is looking crowded. Hopefully, we will soon be able to start putting all these parts back into the PoD.

A great photo from many years ago. During this week in 2017, I took this photo of the first toad of spring. Note: the First Phase of our classroom solar array is in the process of being constructed in the background 🙂

That is where we are in the build at the moment and we hope to have much warmer weather soon – so hopefully, more modifications will happen much faster.

Currently, we are still waiting for word from the welder and trying to find a sheet metal fabricator. Once they work their magic we will be able to install the solar modules and continue with the installation of further components. Warmer weather in the early spring will be most helpful and much will happen fast so please subscribe and follow this blog for more updates on this unique project!

We hope to have the ENP NaSA PoD in service on or before Earth Day 2022!

Stay tuned – there is much more to come.

Please subscribe and follow this blog for more updates.

This is an amazing project that will serve to educate and inspire all the curiosity seekers it meets. But to do this thing right – we do still need your support. If you choose to assist us in making this project a reality, this unique mobile classroom will greatly benefit the nature and wildlife conservation, science, and renewable energy awareness education of all of our outreach program participants in the WNC region as well as our wonderful students at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum who will all greatly benefit from the wonders it will contain while they are in the field on expedition. 

 Please consider supporting this project via the donate link on our website or our GoFundMe page:   www.gofundme.com/lets-build-a-mobile-outreach-classroom

The construction and use of this unique mobile classroom will be documented on this blog, our end-of-year newsletter, and soon on our YouTube channel.  

 The ENP NaSA PoD and the Mighty Bolt EV (our primary outreach vehicle) are owned by ENP and used primarily as the ENP company outreach vehicle and mobile outreach classroom.  They will be charged and fueled primarily with cleanly generated electricity provided by the ENP/Trails student-built classroom solar array and NaSA PoD’s rooftop solar array. They will serve as outstanding teaching tools for our Trails students, ENP outreach program participants, and everyone we meet via our outreach programs.

Please note: any/all ads that appear below this post are not provided or endorsed by ENP nor are we supported in any way by these ads – they are an automated feature of WordPress.com.

NaSA PoD Project Update #2

Posted on by Stevo

Since our last update we have made some good progress on the conversion from camper to mobile outreach classroom.

We installed some custom cut and painted paneling – THANK YOU JIM! – inside the future solar-electronics cabinet (the old refrigerator space) and then cut two holes for the ventilation fans that will serve to keep everything cool. Note: all is unfinished so everything will look rough around the edges.

The first cooling fan in place – a perfect fit!

Looking at the exhaust side of the fan from the kitchenette side of the solar-electronics cabinet.

Looking at the inside of the lower fan from inside the SE cabinet.

The next photo is the intake side of the lower cooling fan. It is in the NaSA PoD’s entry way directly across from the air conditioner so on very hot, sunny, days when the A/C is running – this fan will serve to pull cool air in from the A/C unit only 2 feet away, thereby keeping the electronics cool and efficient which will in turn keep all of the PoD’s occupants – animal and human – comfortable and safe.

After getting the paneling and fans in place Jim and I temporarily mounted some of the solar-electronic gear. Below are the two Victron solar charge controllers in their future locations below the upper cooling fan. The cardboard structure to their right is the carboard crafted inverter/charger analogue…

…which will soon be replaced with the recently arrived Victron Inverter/Charger unit such as the one pictured below.

We then temporarily installed the Victron Battery Management System (BMS) and Lynx Distributors as in the photo below. Note: It looks crooked but that is an optical illusion created by the curvature of the RV’s shell. Second Note: this device is “naked” in that its pretty blue coverings have been removed. When complete it will have all its coverings in place.

After drilling all the holes to facilitate the future mounting of the electronics we removed the old, soggy, flooring of the soon to be an electronics cabinet revealing perfectly intact marine-grade fiberglass underneath…well, except for two holes which we will patch with marine-grade sealant.

We then fabricated a new floor covered by a nice piece of aluminum diamond plate. None of this is bolted in place just yet but will be very soon. The ugly yellow-brown fiberglass parts of the walls will also be sanded and painted to make the space far more presentable when we are teaching programs on renewable energy and/or attending festivals and events.

I then removed the fiberglass structures that support the sleeping area…

…exposing the hot water heater (the white device on the right) and the fresh water tank on the left. The stack of red tool boxes will become habitat pods that will house our reptilian education animals while presenting outreach programs. Each habitat pod will provide security and climate control for their sensitive scaly occupants.

This is the fresh water tank in its original location. I opted to move it to a new location to shift some of the weight from the “passenger side” to the “drivers” side of the RV to offset some of the weight from all the new solar-electronics gear going in place soon. The new location is directly across the room in the spot where the old 12volt battery once resided beside the hot water heater (the white thing under the old 12 volt battery. The water tank is not bolted in place just yet…

…in fact, it has yet again been removed and is just taking up space with all manner of other tools and parts as I work to modify the RV to begin service as an outreach education classroom.

I have also decided to remove all the Casita’s power management systems since they will no longer be needed – the Victron components will do all they could do – but far better and safer. The old electronics were originally located just to the right of center where the spaghetti-like pile of wires are now. Don’t worry, I know where all of them go 🙂

While waiting for some parts to come in the mail I removed the door latch and discovered it was really rusty and had an eroded area on its mechanism – this was why the door could not be locked.

I received the new unit – the one on the right below – and will be installing it very soon.

We also installed the new countertop and induction cooktop – THANK YOU JIM for your expertise and creativity in making this nice new countertop and THANK YOU BOB for the suggestion on the cooktop – we have tried it and it works perfectly!

That is where we are in the build at the moment and we hope to have much warmer weather soon – so hopefully, many more modifications will happen much faster.

Currently, we are still waiting for word from the welder and sheet metal fabricator. Once they work their magic we will be able to install the solar modules and continue with the installation of further components. Warmer weather in the early spring will be most helpful and much will happen fast so please subscribe and follow this blog for more updates on this unique project!

We hope to have the ENP NaSA PoD in service on or before Earth Day 2022!

Stay tuned – there is much more to come.

Please subscribe and follow this blog for more updates.

This is an amazing project that will serve to educate and inspire all the curiosity seekers it meets. But to do this thing right – we do still need your support. If you choose to assist us in making this project a reality, this unique mobile classroom will greatly benefit the nature and wildlife conservation, science, and renewable energy awareness education of all of our outreach program participants in the WNC region as well as our wonderful students at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum who will all greatly benefit from the wonders it will contain while they are in the field on expedition. 

 Please consider supporting this project via the donate link on our website or our GoFundMe page:   www.gofundme.com/lets-build-a-mobile-outreach-classroom

The construction and use of this unique mobile classroom will be documented on this blog, our end-of-year newsletter, and soon on our YouTube channel.  

 The ENP NaSA PoD and the Mighty Bolt EV (our primary outreach vehicle) are owned by ENP and used primarily as the ENP company outreach vehicle and mobile outreach classroom.  They will be charged and fueled primarily with cleanly generated electricity provided by the ENP/Trails student-built classroom solar array and NaSA PoD’s rooftop solar array. They will serve as outstanding teaching tools for our Trails students, ENP outreach program participants, and everyone we meet via our outreach programs.

Please note: any/all ads that appear below this post are not provided or endorsed by ENP nor are we supported in any way by these ads – they are an automated feature of WordPress.com.

I leave you with a cute photo of Orville our education Opossum snoozing in his new plush bed – he sure does have it made!

Mobile Outreach Classroom Update #1

Posted on by Stevo

We have made some progress since our last post where we revealed our new Mobile Outreach Classroom Project that we have named the

ENP NaSA PoD

We had a nice spring-like day so we took the opportunity to install the air circulation/vent fan into the hole we cut into the side of the camper a few weeks ago.

It works very well.

We also installed a new LED light above the kitchenette area.

There is still a bit of trim work to be done around the fan/backsplash.

Cosmo watches through the old fan hole in the roof 🙂

We hope to have the ENP NaSA PoD in service on or before Earth Day 2022!

Stay tuned – there is much more to come.

Please subscribe and follow this blog for more updates.

This is an amazing project that will serve to educate and inspire all the curiosity seekers it meets. But to do this thing right – we do still need your support. If you choose to assist us in making this project a reality, this unique mobile classroom will greatly benefit the nature and wildlife conservation, science, and renewable energy awareness education of all of our outreach program participants in the WNC region as well as our wonderful students at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum who will all greatly benefit from the wonders it will contain while they are in the field on expedition. 

 Please consider supporting this project via the donate link on our website or our GoFundMe page:   www.gofundme.com/lets-build-a-mobile-outreach-classroom

The construction and use of this unique mobile classroom will be documented on this blog, our end-of-year newsletter, and soon on our YouTube channel.  

 The ENP NaSA PoD and the Mighty Bolt EV (our primary outreach vehicle) are owned by ENP and used primarily as the ENP company outreach vehicle and mobile outreach classroom.  They will be charged and fueled primarily with cleanly generated electricity provided by the ENP/Trails student-built classroom solar array and NaSA PoD’s rooftop solar array. They will serve as outstanding teaching tools for our Trails students, ENP outreach program participants, and everyone we meet via our outreach programs.

Please note: any/all ads that appear below this post are not provided or endorsed by ENP nor are we supported in any way by these ads – they are an automated feature of WordPress.com.