A lovely evening at Green Drinks: UVA's EcoMOD / Eco.House

We had a lovely time at Richmond's Green Drinks at Built Gallery!

The latest Green Drinks revolved around UVA's ongoing prefab, SIPs hybrid, and restoration projects, ECO.HOUSE / ecoMOD

John Quale, LEED, Director of ecoMOD at The University of Virginia gave a great overview of the project, bringing colleagues and participating students into the brave fray.

Who Was There?
Well, you, of course! Just for fun here are some pictures from the event:

My notes:

1. I found it interesting that the day before the EcoMOD/Eco.House presentation / Green Drinks there was a big ole discussion on Jetson Green ("Prefab is Not The Answer to Affordable, Modern & Green Homes"- and Tree Hugger and other sites' responses to that article about whether Prefab is really the way to go.
   
   Especially read Lloyd Alter of TreeHugger: 1. Another Opinion and 2. Refab Now!
   
   UVA's project has had a hand in all aforementioned and argued disciplines: prefab, hybrid SIP, and Refab.


2. Furthering the Refab discussion, here's another great TreeHugger article that made me giggle and clap:
   
   The Net-Zero Energy Now House is Really Boring.

Well, we are off to camp.
Looks like those UVA students have been doing a little camping of their own this week... ; )

 

Richmond's Solar Sidewalk!

I know I blogged about InLight, Richmond's first "Art, Turned On" addition to First Friday and celebrating 1708 Art Gallery's 30th anniversary last week.

But for you geeks like myself out there, thought I'd expound more on the technical green building/solar information as well as the volunteers whom made the Solar Sidewalk possible.

('Cause. I'mma geek. Better than playin' with Legos!)

Scott Kyle, the green building architect who created this piece, explains:


"A quick description of the system:

Two Kyocera 65 Watt PV Modules, 24V Solar Lighting Control, & two 12V Concorde SunXtender Deep Cell Batteries.

This is what is showing up in my truck and on the roof with the guys from Cityspace Construction (Richmondcityspace.com), who volunteered time and materials to the cause.

Thanks also to Kenny, whose rooftop apartment we have to go through every time we have to access the roof.

Next, there is 24V DC wired from the roof to inside the window seat at the storefront of 1708 where there are two 25W LED Fiber Optic Illuminators (http://lightbeaminc.com/illuminators_25_watt.html).

These are state of the art illuminators with very high light output and very low current draw, ideal for photovoltaics. If we would have used halogen, which is standard for fiber optic illuminators we would have had to have added four more PV modules (yes there is a lesson here for homeowners and their appliances and lighting).

The fiber optic (plastic filaments) bundles are divided into four smaller bundles from each of the two illuminators where they are brought to each of the eight concrete panels in metal conduit that are then covered in sidewalk cement.

That's Stan Webb of Concrete Ideas handling the fiber optic cables. Stan's company manufactured the fiber optic concrete panels in their shop in Richmond. The PV modules are illuminated at dusk and stay on for a set period of time (currently 8 hrs - long enough for staggering club dwellers to see their way home by). The PV controller takes care of the battery charging and control of the on-off cycle. "

Thank you, Scott, for sharing your wonderful project with us!!!!
Er, see ya at Green Drinks Thursday! : )





There is no photograph that can accurately freeze-frame/capture it, except to see/experience it.


Below is my video where I tease Scott (his wife has a degree in sculpture)...
but it kind of gives you the "experience" of seeing this nice addition to Richmond at night...

A great addition to the Richmond arts scene- it is a good time to be in Richmond!

 

Green Drinks! 'Cause it's always fun when yer drinkin' green... ; )

Went to Richmond's Green Drinks last night, at Built Gallery. Built Gallery's exhibit revolved around the Southface Eco Office, targeting to be the south-east's first LEED platinum new construction building designed by Lord, Aeck & Sargent, and Jim Nicolow presented the project.

"Jim Nicolow, a nationally recognized expert on sustainable design, joined Lord, Aeck & Sargent in 1997. Jim leads the firm’s Sustainability Initiative, overseeing the incorporation of sustainable design strategies and features into the firm’s design projects. As one of the firm's first of a growing number of LEED® Accredited Professionals since 2001, Jim has extensive knowledge of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED rating system and drives the firm's efforts to help other architects become accredited.

Jim is a frequently published author and noted presenter at conferences nationwide, including the Labs 21 Annual Conference and the USGBC’s GreenBuild International Conference & Expo."

Last night's sponsor was CKB Swanson, who provides fryer oil service management to restaurants, Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) distribution, and sells biodiesel processors. But even more importantly, the owners two young daughters were with them and got a round of applause and recognition for recently donating their hair to Locks of Love! : )

What I like about Green Drinks is that whether you are an architect steeped in green building or just a non-industry person interested in "being green," people are welcoming and friendly. I met two girls separately who had just moved to Richmond, didn't know anyone, and had shown up alone just because they were interested and wanted to meet people... I hope they felt welcomed! I admired their initiative and bravery!

From Wikipedia:

Green Drinks is an informal networking event where environmentally minded people meet over drinks. Started in London in 1989, by Edwin Dashefski and friends, it has spread to 30 cities in the United Kingdom, 49 in the U.S. and many more in Canada, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Puerto Rico. As of March 2008, there are 350 Green Drink Chapters worldwide.

To learn more about Green Drinks in your own city, please visit GreenDrinks.org. If you don't have one in your city... then, whatcha waitin' for?
Start one! : )