On April 23rd the National Geographic Channel re-ran an episode of "Man-Made" featuring the construction of the South Pole Science Station - see teaser here: Man-Made The South Pole Project. The program gives you a look at the challenges faced when doing construction at -20 degrees. Equipment that won't work and the limitation of humans working in those conditions. All in all an extremely interesting program.
The National Science Foundation dedicated the new South Pole Station in January of 2008, but Enercept has been a part of the project since the late 1990's.
Enercept provided over 1,200 SIP panels for the construction of this mamouth (60,000 sq. ft.) facility. The 1' thick walls provide an R-Value of 50 giving ultimate protection to the people who live there. Raytheon Polar Services contracted with the National Science Foundation during the construction of the Station.
While Enercept's panels are known for their ability to stand up against extreme temperatures, the project porvided a unique challenge for all involved because "extreme" conditions at the South Pole take on an entirely different meaning than anywhere else on earth, with winter temperatures consistently reaching negative 100 F and below. SIP panels had not been tested at that temperature before, there was never a reason too. Laminates had to be tested along with screws and sealants.
The 10" walls and 14" roofs and floors are thicker than those used to build homes and offices around here; they are also made with a higher density foam- but then, they needed to be twice as energy efficient for this project.
What an honor for Enercept to be selected as the manufacturer for this job and what a testament of faith in Enercept panels by Raytheon. If Enercept can keep the "polies" comfortable and warm all year long, they can certainly keep us comfortable and warm here.
For more information atou the South Pole Station you can also check out the story in the September 2005 issue of Popular Mechanics, "The Coolest Building On Earth".
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