Green Building Week: Habana Outpost

Why not start with something fun?

This bar is in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. To be honest, I’ve always kind of avoided it because I found the bright green fence disconcerting. But now, after learning about all of its greenery, I’m totally going back for some Cuban-style corn on the cob.

This establishment has gone to some pretty impressive eco-friendly lengths. For starters, it’s run on solar energy produced by this photovoltaic roof. The panels produce more than enough energy to provide electricity to the bar, and the owner sells the surplus to Con Edison (when was the last time you heard of anyone getting a check from ConEd?). The garden area also boasts two rain-water collection systems that route rainwater from the roof and solar panels and use it to flush the toilets and water the plants.

Pretty much all of the materials at Habana Outpost are recycled, reclaimed, sustainable, or otherwise Earth-friendly. The cutlery is made out of potato starch and the cups are composed of corn-- both fully compostable. The picnic tables are made out of a material called TREX, which is a mixture of recycled plastic bottles and sawdust. The outdoor kitchen is a reclaimed mail truck; the wooden doors were taken from an old monastery in South America.

The two least-significant measures at the Outpost also happen to be my favorites: a bike-powered blender and a sunlight chandelier. At the blender, you can make yourself a margarita by hopping on the bike and pedaling for a few minutes, shaving off a dollar off of your drink (as well as four or five calories).

Inside Habana Outpost, there's a chandelier that looks like something out of The Abyss. The chandelier works by using outdoor sensors to channel sunlight into fiber optic cables, which carry the light inside and through the chandelier. You have probably heard of fiber optic cables in association with transmitting information—they are well-known for being faster and more efficient than wire cables-- but did you know that they can carry solar energy for zero-use lighting? I didn't. These fiber optic cables have a wider diameter than the ones used in communications, but they work essentially the same way-- by internally-reflecting all of the light that passes through them. Apparently, this method is becoming increasingly popular in both commercial spaces and residences. Not only does it reduce energy costs; it also brings natural light into spaces that would otherwise be restricted to harsh artificial light.

While we are talking on a national scale about an "energy revolution," Habana Outpost is a great reminder that clean energy doesn't have to be such a big deal. After all, this place is just a bar with a green fence and delicious corn.