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In This Issue...
March 16th Member Meeting
NEW 2005 SBC Meeting Schedule
Solar Electric Design & Installation Workshop
Two National Sustainable Building Workshops
National News
SBC Calendar:
April 4-9th - Solar Electric Design & Installation Workshop
May 15th - The Cool House Tour
May 19-22th - Econest Workshop
June 13-20th - Build Here Now Workshop
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March 16th Member Meeting:
Rainwater Harvesting with Innovative Water Solutions and Rainfilters
of Texas
1500
gallon RWH system in urban environment |
WISY Filter |
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the March 16th meeting, we will be visited by our own Chris
Maxwell-Gaines (our newsletter editor) and Blake West of
Innovative Water Solutions, along with Joe Wheeler of Rainfilters
of Texas who will be discussing rainwater harvesting. Chris
and Blake will be specifically speaking about harvesting
rain in the urban environment while Joe will be discussing
water quality as it pertains to the line of rainwater filters
that he represents.
Even
though Chris and Blake have only been installing urban rainwater
systems for a year now, they bring a lot of innovation and
energy into the practice of rainwater harvesting (RWH).
They began their interest in rainwater collection during
their service in Peace Corps where they relied solely on
rainwater for two years for all of their potable water needs.
From this experience, they began to recognize the benefit
of RWH especially in the urban environment as a valuable
water conservation practice. RWH has often been dismissed
or never really attempted as a suitable practice in urban
environments.
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They will
discuss the many advantages of RWH in the urban environment. They
will also present the mechanics of RWH systems and how you can
integrate RWH into your urban home.
Joe has been
interested in rainwater collection for many years. Due to poor
ground water, lack of municipal supply, and environmental considerations,
he began to look into collection systems. His rainwater system
supplies all my indoor water needs. Leaves, seeds and sticks were
initially a huge problem for his system. He first tried flush
type filters, and other types of screen filter roof washers. Joe
found them to be ineffective at best and high maintenance at worst.
Then, he tried
WISY filters from Germany and hence has become the exclusive North
American distributor of WISY filters. WISY filters solved his
problems and need to be cleaned only once or twice per year. These
patented products benefit greatly from 15 years of experience
in the field and worldwide installations from rain barrels to
large factory complexes. Joe will be discussing and demonstrating
the line of WISY filters
Please
join Chris, Blake, and Joe to learn more about rainwater harvesting.
SBC meets every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7 pm at Casa
de Luz, 1701 Toomey Road in the Cielo Room. You are welcome
to join us before the meeting at 6 pm for a wonderful macrobiotic
meal at Casa de Luz.
New SBC Meeting Schedule for
2005
Just in case
someone missed the last couple of SBC meetings due to our new
meeting schedule, we would like to remind everyone again. In order
to provide more convenience to our members, we are changing the
SBC member meeting day to the 3rd Wednesday of the month. There
always seems like many activities are scheduled around the beginning
and end of the month, so we decided to change the SBC meeting
schedule. This schedule will started in January 2005 and will
continue throughout 2005. The meetings will still be held at Casa
de Luz.
Solar Electric Design &
Installation Workshop, April 4-9, 2005
Join
Solar Energy International (SEI) for an intensive hands-on Solar
Electric Design & Installation workshop at the Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas to make a positive change for
the future. Austin has some of the best renewable energy tax credits
in the nation for installing solar photovoltaic on homes and business
and the time is ripe to learn how to design and install these
systems.
This 5-day workshop is part of SEI’s Renewable Energy
Education Program. It will take place from April 4th through 9th
culminating with a hands-on photovoltaic installation. Austin-based
solar business Meridian Energy Systems and the Texas Solar Energy
Society are co-sponsors of the workshop. The tuition is $600.
Participants in the Photovoltaic Design & Installation workshop
will learn how to use PV technology to produce their own solar
electricity. The first portion of the workshop will be spent learning
in the classroom, and then participants can actually watch the
electrical meter spin backwards after taking part in the hands-on
installation.
Along with the hands-on installation, SEI’s PV Design and
Installation workshop covers system sizing, site analysis, hardware
specification and component selection with a strong emphasis on
NEC code compliant systems. This workshop is for the beginner
who wants to use PV on their home or business and for those seeking
employment in the solar industry.
SEI is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people
incorporate renewable energy into their lives. Based in Carbondale,
Colorado, and actively teaching around the world, SEI provides
information, education and hands-on training to people who want
to shape a sustainable future.
Please visit
the SEI
website for additional information and contact SEI at 970.963.8855
for workshop details or to register.
Two National Sustainable Building Workshops in May and June 2005
Build Here Now at the Lama Foundation in NW New Mexico June 13-20. For specific info and registration form, go to their website .
An Econest workshop employing strawclay or lightclay, with Robert Laporte will be held near Durango, Colorado, on May 19-22. Go to the website
for photos and workshop schedules. For a registration form, email margaret@bakerlaporte.com
If you want to know more, contact Yvonne Hansen, who has attended both events over the past 6 years, or Frieda Rinehart who attended an Econest workshop outside of Santa Fe about6 years ago.
Green Buildings Make WSJ's Top 10 Trends in 10 Industries
According to the Wall Street Journal, the most talked about topic
in the architecture universe is how to reduce the environmental
impact of everything from summer cottages to skyscrapers. Here
are five examples of how this trend is playing out:
- Easier to
be Green: Green building is proving itself a potent trend, and
high energy prices should continue developer's thirst for frugal
digs. A huge challenge will be to get home building into the fold.
- Material
Matters: New materials are fueling the environmental building
revolution. Examples include see-through concrete and SmartWrap,
a transparent building membrane that adjusts its properties to
changes in light and temperature.
- Race to
the Top: Only one thing is in doubt about the next generation
of skyscrapers: which will be the tallest?
- China,
China, China: An architects dream come true, Chinas red-hot strong
economy is igniting a building bonanza, giving designers a chance
to experiment with whole communities from scratch.
- Cars vs.
No Cars: The rapid spread of suburban-style sprawl isn't slowing.
Yet theres a parallel movement of dwellers into more pedestrian-friendly
communities closer to downtowns. More and more people are willing
to pay extra for well-designed mixed-used neighborhoods
The Wall Street
Journal, 31 Jan 05, p R5, by Alex Frangos.
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