From my friend Gaelan Brown:

The basic proposition is this:

1. take a waste-stream (chips from clearing power
lines/landscaping/tree-svc), even if we have to pay $50 per dumptruck
load (need 5 loads per mound)

2. partner with landscaping, treesvc, and plumbing companies to create a
franchise model

3. sell these mound-systems to homeowners for $2000 which will offset
$3000 in energy costs.

4. our costs: $250 for chips, $800 for labor (40 hours at $20/hr) =
$1050 cost.

Plus one-time setup/plumbing costs: $500

BTW the water is up to 110 degrees already and doesn’t drop unless I
flow it more than 1 gal per minute. Hoping to get the plumbing to the
house done in the next week or two. This is going to provide all our hot
water and I think about 20% of our winter-heating needs through a
radiant-floor loop.

Tags: brown mound, gaelan brown, innovation, Social Capital