Renewable Energy with a Lot of Heart and a SmartFlower

When people think of Doctors Mark and Barbara Galantowicz, they think of well-respected medical professionals who are passionate about children’s healthcare, who have saved countless lives, and who continue to inspire many more. What people may not know, though, is that Mark and Barbara are also strong advocates for sustainable living. They installed a SmartFlower in early 2019 for their sustainable home in Wilmington, Vermont.

Mark and Barbara first fell in love with Vermont in college and ended up returning to Wilmington, Vermont many years later to build their new home. It was important to them that their new home be sustainable, low maintenance, and speak to the land. That is why they ended up working with Blue Sky Architecture, a Canadian architecture firm that specialized in designing modern residential projects with an organic and environmental twist.

Of course, no sustainable house is complete without renewable energy. Mark and Barbara originally considered traditional flat solar arrays for the roof, but the curved shape of the roof meant that rooftop solar was not the right design fit. They started researching ground-mounted solar arrays instead but were concerned about the aesthetics and large required footprint. Through their internet research, they discovered the SmartFlower, whose dual-axis tracking, self-cleaning capabilities, and aesthetics was the perfect performance and design solution for their needs.

The SmartFlower was first revealed to family members during a Labor Day celebration and was met with great excitement from everyone. “They were struck by the functional art that the SmartFlower really is, and how it all ties to the setting. It speaks to the land, speaks to renewable energy, and speaks to the concept of the house,” said Dr. Mark Galantowicz.

SmartFlower aside, the house has other sustainable features that keep the Galantowicz family’s carbon footprint low. The house has a living roof, environmentally friendly insulation, and the house itself is even angled to optimize the path of the sun! Mark and Barbara’s penchant for innovative renewable energy does not stop at the SmartFlower— they are currently searching for an innovative residential wind turbine to install on the opposite end of their SmartFlower, creating a renewable energy garden for their home.

When asked about what message he wanted to convey to his community with the SmartFlower, Dr. Mark Galantowicz had this to say: “The SmartFlower is a unique and easily adoptable solar option for residential houses. The footprint it requires is small, it is truly functional art, it is easy to install and very efficient. If more people use it, it will have an even stronger impact on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.”

Interested in learning more about other SmartFlower installations? Click here.