Led by nationally known straw bale enthusiast, educator, and consultant Laura Bartels, Straw Bale Construction & Natural Plasters promises to be an in depth comprehensive learning experience about how to live and build with straw. 

The five day workshop offers an in-depth look into the different building techniques, construction and detailing considerations of straw bale homes, including the role and application of earthen plasters. Participants will gain hands-on experience with different techniques, discuss and experience different construction and detailing ideas, and try their hand at sample plasters. Students in this workshop will build a small straw bale structure from the foundation to the roof assembly.

Location: Paonia, CO
Tuition: $795

No prior building or design experience is required although people of all skill levels will benefit greatly from the information and hands-on activities of this class.

For more information, visit http://www.solarenergy.org/workshops/strawbale.html or email Matthew Harris at matthew@solarenergy.org.

Click here for event flyer.

BOSS incudes a tour of the facility by the builders and installers, a gourmet dinner, and an in depth analysis by a panel of building science professionals.

Time: 5:30pm – 8:30pm

Location: The Balsam Project

A new carbon neutral home on a hill in the heart of downtown Boulder, where functionality, meets style, meets sustainability. Home was built, originally, as a spec home in Boulder. The goal of the spec project was to build a high-end luxury home that far exceeded the minimum green-points and required HERS points, all to a traditional budget for a home of that quality and square footage in Boulder. The result is a beautiful home that is architecturally striking, with high amenities through-out, while achieving twice the required HERS points.

Click here for registration and more information.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
BGBG Commercial Brown Bag Series: Illumination of the US Green Building Council’s Headquarters

Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm
Location: REI Community Room, 1789 28th St Boulder
Price: Free to Members, $20 for non-members

The primary design goal for the US Green Building Council’s Washington D.C. Headquarters was to create a viable office space at standard costs with standard materials. The project was awarded the first Platinum Certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Green Interior Design and Construction (LEED-CI) Green Building Rating System, Version 3.0. The lighting was responsible for gathering ten of the 94 points achieved, including an innovation point for Lighting Power Density Reduction.

David Roederer and Dane Sanders of Clanton & Associates, designed the lighting to be an integrated and dynamic architectural component of this office space. Dimming control of electric lighting, occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting and sun glare control provide the appropriate amount of light with a minimum electric load (0.45 W/SqFt.) based on daylight availability and occupancy requirements. Work stations are pulled away from the glazing to create a larger effective daylight aperture, minimize direct sun occurrences at task planes and allow the perimeter floor circulation areas to become a very effective “light shelf” with deep daylight penetration to the core.

The Headquarters have received an award of Merit from The International Association of Lighting Designers, and two Awards of Merit from the Illuminating Engineering Society of North American, for Interior Illumination and Energy and Environment.

Presenters:

David Roederer, LEED AP, began in theatrical lighting design and more than twenty years ago began to practice architectural lighting design in New York City. His work has received awards from The International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North American (IESNA). David has now been with Clanton and associates for five years after owning his own architectural lighting design firm for ten years in the Southeast. He is glad to be living in Boulder County and fully enjoying as much of Colorado as he can.

Dane Sanders, EIT, LEED AP, began work with Clanton & Associates in 2002. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering, Illumination Emphasis from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dane’s previous design work includes an internship in London, England, and two years in Sydney, Australia with projects completed in Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia. His interests include daylighting for sustainable design, graphics, and light as art. Dane is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America and the US Green Building Council.

Click here to register.

Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm
Location: REI Community Room, 1789 28th St Boulder
Price: Free to Members, $20 for non-members
Speaker: Todd Gamboa, ENERGY STAR Homes Program Manager

Click here for registration and more information.

Mikl has been researching, building and using simple greenhouses for 17 years. This class will focus on 5 designs on site at the nursery.
1 – 2:30 pm $15

Location:
HARLEQUIN’S GARDENS
4795 N. 26th St. Boulder, CO 80301
303-939-9403
http://www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes-for-2010/

This year's ride takes place from September 21 - 25, 2010. Learn more and sign up for the 2010 Climate Ride California today!

Climate Ride is looking for team members to join one of the greenest multi-day charity bike rides in the world.  This year's ride will travel more than 300 miles along California's North Coast from Eureka to San Francisco. Participation is open to anyone who wants to experience world-class bike riding while learning about renewable energy, making a statement about the climate crisis, and networking with environmental and cycling leaders.

There's a $75 registration fee and Climate Riders must raise a minimum of $2,400 to participate, with proceeds going to 1Sky, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and Green America. We're honored to be named as an official beneficiary of such an exciting event focused energy innovation, climate leadership, and the best bicycling in the country. We hope you'll join the biking trip of a lifetime for such a crucial movement.

Click here for more information.

Title: Energy Use in Green Retrofits vs. Conventional Homes – a Tour Preview

In association with the Boulder Green Building Guild (BGBG) and part of their Building On-Site Seminars (BOSS) Series

Time: 5:30–8:30PM

Location: Center for Resource Conservation, 2639 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302

Cost: $25, includes dinner

Register here (this event will sell out).

Panelists: Eric Doub, Ron Flax, David Neiger, Paul Norton

Description:

How do conventional homes use energy? How can green homes and green retrofits reduce typical energy use, enhance comfort, improve air quality, improve safety, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions? How do these technologies affect homeowners' expenses (mortgage + utility costs)?

Please join our expert panel as they explain building science, in simple terms that all homeowners can understand. You will learn how building components and systems interact, where energy is used (and typically wasted), and how you can economically address these issues. There will also be discussions about City and County building codes and the coming SmartRegs policies for rental properties. After the lecture, all attendees will walk next door to a home that is on the market and just recently had an energy audit conducted. You will see the applications of building science just discussed and better be able to understand what to look for when touring homes on the Boulder County Solar & Green Homes Tour.

Biographies:

Eric Doub: Founder & CEO Ecofutures Inc., Bachelor of Science, Engineering & Political Science Stanford University. With over 15 years experience in homebuilding, Eric helped formulate the City of Boulder’s Green Points Remodeling Program and is a founding member of the Boulder Green Building Guild. Widely acknowledged as an expert in all areas of green building, Eric is a regular contributor to numerous leading green building publications, conferences, and advisory committees.

Ron Flax: Associate AIA, LEED AP, is an Associate and Project Manager at Rodwin Architecture and has been a member of the sustainable building community for the past 14 years. He has experience with both residential and commercial green projects, including the second LEED Platinum Home in Colorado (which was the highest scoring home in the country at the time of its certification).

David Neiger: Principal, Populus Sustainable Design Consulting, degree in Architecture from Pennsylvania State University. David is a RESNET Certified Quality Assurance Designee and Home Energy Rater, a LEED for Homes Accredited Professional, a BPI Certified Building Analyst, and a RESNET Green Rater. David provides energy modeling and consulting to architects and builders who seek to achieve zero energy homes, above-code energy performance and green building certifications. David currently serves as an Advisor on the City of Boulder's Climate Action Plan Residential Technical Team, and he performed the case studies for SmartRegs.

Paul Norton: Senior Project Leader with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering. Paul has specialized

Time: 8:30am – 5:00pm

Location NOTE: This training may be held in Longmont. CO. Please check back for exact location specifics.


Green Building 101 is a densely packed 8-hour primer on residential green building basics, and also teaches you how to meet the rigorous City of Boulder and Boulder County green building codes. This workshop is for builders, designers, realtors, green building professionals and homeowners of all levels of experience.  It is especially useful for any project or professional that wants to take advantage of the Climatesmart loan program.

The training, taught by Scott Rodwin and Ron Flax of Rodwin Architecture, is in two halves.

The first 4 hours will cover A to Z of passive and active solar systems, insulation, windows, mechanical and electrical systems, alternative construction methods, indoor air quality, moisture control, water conservation, recycled & renewable materials, construction recycling and deconstruction.

The second half will cover local case studies that demonstrate, in depth, how these strategies have been successfully applied in our community. One hour at the end of the training will be dedicated to ensuring that you know how to take advantage of local rebates and incentive programs. A handout on these opportunities will be provided.

Cost

About the Trainers
Scott Rodwin, AIA, LEED AP, is the Principal of Rodwin Architecture. Named AIA’s 2006 Western Mountain Region Young Architect of the Year, Scott has been designing some of Colorado’s greenest homes for more than a decade including Colorado's 2nd LEED Platinum single family home.  Scott is also the President of Skycastle Homes, a small local green construction company.


Ron Flax, Associate AIA, LEED AP, is an Associate and Project Manager at Rodwin Architecture and has been a member of the sustainable building community for the past 14 years. Ron has extensive experience in both the construction and design world, and is one of Boulder's leaders in Building Science.  He is currently completing a deep green retrofit of his own home, and exploring how to make sustainability truly affordable for everyone.

Click here for registration and more information.

9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tour more than 14 homes. $5 per person.

Check in locations:
NREL Visitors Center 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden
Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, 3245 Elliot, Denver

Buy Tickets here.
Click here for more information.

10am-4pm, $5

Registration Locations:
Boulder: Center for ReSource Conservation, 2639 Spruce Street
Louisville: Louisville Library, 951 Spruce Street
Nederland: Nederland Visitor Center, 2 West 1st Street (just past the traffic circle)

Buy Your Ticket Today

Click here for more information.

Title: Applying Tour Technologies to Your Home & Available Incentives

Time: 6–8pm
Location: Center for Resource Conservation, 2639 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
Cost: $5

Register here

Description:

Now that you’ve seen the green homes on the tour, please join us to learn how you can take advantage of the latest subsidized programs and incentives. The County of Boulder has received federal funds to expand both the scope of services and the number of homes served by the Residential Energy Action Program (REAP, currently managed by the Center for Resource Conservation). 

This yet-to-be-named next generation program will provide as many as 18,000 single family homes, condos, and apartments with energy audits, customized energy and financial modeling, rebates, and consulting to reduce energy use. Learn how this program works in conjunction with other City and County programs and how this process will give you an actionable plan for your own home. There have never been so many incentives on the table for Boulder County homeowners to save energy (and money). Find out how you can get your share.

Speaker bio:
Brad Queen is the Energy Division Director at the Center for Resource Conservation. Brad holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and has performed graduate work in building energy systems, energy policy, power electronics, power generation, and renewable energy systems. He helped develop the energy use and emissions model for the University of Colorado's carbon neutrality plan.

October 6

BGBG Commercial Brown Bag Series: City of Boulder and Boulder County updates on programs

Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm

Location: REI Community Room, 1789 28th St Boulder

October 12

BGBG Residential Brown Bag Series: Deconstruction Practices for Residential Buildings

Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm

Location: REI Community Room, 1789 28th St Boulder

November 3

BGBG Commercial Brown Bag Series: TBA

Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm

Location: REI Community Room, 1789 28th St Boulder

November 9

BGBG Residential Brown Bag Series: Indoor Air Quality

Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm

Location: REI Community Room, 1789 28th St Boulder

Click here for more information on all BGBG events.

The Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association (RMSLA) Year Round Workshop Series is a project aimed at offering education that has applications to increase the health and viability of our communities.  You will leave our workshops with the skills to make a substantial, sustainable change.

Click here to view available workshops and to register.