eColegy

now and zen

2012-01-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

We all make decisions all the time that affect us, our families, and others. Some will have an impact on today or tomorrow or until the next paycheck. Some decisions will have an immediate impact but from the perspective of a year or 10 years from now are completely inconsequential. And some decisions will impact the seventh generation from now. One family living a resource/energy/environmentally wastral life will have a small impact on their great great great great great grandaughter, but 200 million american families will have a great impact. Be the change you wish to see; sounds nice as long as its not inconvienient. Whether you have a portorhouse steak for dinner may only affect your clogging arteries and slightly damage your health. Its hard to ignore the temptation for immediate gratification against some nebulous and minute long term consequense such as when will I die. Hell, most of us don't really believe we will die. How can "I" end, its inconceivable. If its that hard to make the right calls for our own health and longevity. Its an immensely greater tendency to ignore future generations when living our life today.
Be mindfull, live with right intent.
Also; be well and happy.

Indiana Considers PACE

2012-01-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

On Jan 20 the Indiana House heard testamony on HB 1332, the PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) bill. Everyone who believes in a green future needs to contact their Indiana State Representative Now.

If you are not familiar with PACE, It simply authorizes local taxing entities to add private sector financing of clean energy and energy saving investment to 20 years of tax bills. For instance a 20,000 solar system added to my building would add the amortized yearly cost (1000 plus interest) to my yearly property tax. Sell the building and the solar system and its remaining cost go's to the new owner. It removes the up-front cost deterrent to making the right building energy decisions. It is now law in 27 states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio, (and was enacted by 19 Democratic & 8 Republican controlled legislatures). Pace is supported by the American Institute of Architects amoung many others.

It is bi-partisan, will create jobs and investment in Indiana, does not raise taxes or increase the size of government. It addresses the dangers of dirty energy productions damage to the environment, our dependence on foreign energy sources and contributes to the solution to the problem of climate change, (whether you acknowledge that or not). The only negative in the bill is that it exempts the private homeowner , (which I hope can be corrected). The only sector opposing it are the Banking interests who won’t make any money as part of this advancement of clean energy and energy saving investments. From my viewpoint it also alleviates, (in a small way), the growing wealth imbalance and increases individual freedom.

If you agree please contact your Indiana State Representative and say so. This died a year ago but hearing from the citizenry now can make it happen.

to see the bill >> http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2012/PDF/IN/IN1332.1.pdf
to see a brief summary of Pace >> http://pacenow.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/PACE-One-Page-Primer-11-7-11.pdf
to see who your rep is and their contact info >> http://www.in.gov/cgi-bin/legislative/contact/contact.pl

File Sharing for ITT Classes

2011-01-31T09:38:00.000-08:00

This (link below) is where class files are posted for download.
DCOLE'S ITT CLASS FILE SITE
IVY TECH Students please use Blackboard.

New direction for the blog

2011-01-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

As my teaching load has increased I,ve decided to return to this blog with more resources for learning architectural drafting in AutoCAD & REVIT. Look for more links to articles and tutorials in the coming weeks.

where its at

2010-07-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Today I read one of the best articles , (do read all the comments), on the state of energy efficiency thinking in home retrofits versus solar etc. at energy-efficiency-retrofits-insulation-or-solar-power not just the dollars but the values, effects and strategies for a carbon neutral future.
Of course if you don't believe that global warming is happening or that we've arrived at peak oil (we'll save peak food & water for another day) then GO AWAY, Theres nothing for you here.

My own intended energy retrofit includes 5 of the best windows I can afford, which led me to the article passivhaus-windows -so whats the best window? Well it'll tell you, its made in Germany (of course) and its trey expensive.

There are some govmt incentives for energy retrofits & solar etc (30% of cost as tax credit). But the most promising program going is called Pace.

Cities and counties throughout the U.S. are developing new finance programs that help Americans install solar and improve the efficiency of their homes and businesses. Called Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), these programs enable local governments bring new green jobs, energy bill savings, and environmental benefits to their communities.

Simply; the feds thru stuff like stimulus bucks give cities cash to lend. Homeowners borrow it with no down payment to do the improvements (insul windows solar etc) and the loan is amortized over the projected life of the improvements (30 to 60 years) and included with the property tax bill. Sell the house and the next guy picks up the bill. Its simple effective fair and balanced so of course freddie may & mac are fighting it. Why? Could it be that the Banks won't make a dime off it? Well if you want to try internet activism you can go to democracyinaction.org/action_KEY=4359 and send a note to your representatives. Those of you in NE Indiana please note your representative in the House is VACANT!
(postscript * now that we,ve finally voted the seat is not vacant it's just filled with an idiot)

This happens to be the second time this year I attempted to to contact my representative to represent me AND THERE ISN'T ONE. Do I sound upset? If there was someone there would he probably blow me off anyway? Of course he would, but it really pisses me off that I have no one to direct my anger to.

Finally today this http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com//thinking-about-net-zero-energy

Still to come are:
* The highlights of the MREA 21st Energy Fair
* waldoecolgy musings on the NZE micro solar house design and systems
*And what do think of the trade name for that being Freedom Shelters

global warming sucks

2010-07-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"
Upton Sinclair 1935 (referenced in An Inconvenient Truth)
All art is propaganda. It is universally and inescapably propaganda; sometimes unconsciously, but often deliberately, propaganda.
Upton Sinclair 1925 wikiquote.org/wiki/Upton_Sinclair

2009-10-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

Four sites today that deal with green residential and whats good & whats not.

2009-10-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

2009 Solar Decathlon click for ecoHome coverage of the Solor decathlon.

2009-04-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

natural alternative homes

2009-04-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

As I bounced around today i connected with a few websites that threw me into a flashback of the 1970's hippie architect movement. So thats what thiose guys have been up to. Click on the picture of the web page to go there.

eColegy

2009-02-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

The Indiana Department of Energy Development 1 sponsered an all day worksop on Photovoltac system design and considerations Wednesday at the Allen County Library. Very briefly I'll sumarize the key info here.

Website references:

http://www.solarenergy.org/

Online training Books and other resources.

http://www.the-mrea.org/index.php

Hosts of the largest energy fair in the region for twenty years. Between near Stevens OPoint Wisconsin, (Point Beer). The seminar presenter was really pushing this group.

http://www.focusonenergy.com/

Wisconsin oriented but some good short fact sheets and guides.

http://ww w.dsire.org/

Database of Govmt incentives - very thin in Indiana - yell at your reps.

Federal: 30% no limit tax credit, State of Indiana: nada

http://www.aeesolar.com/

Better (cheaper) than Real Goods, (real goods, real expensive), source of solar stuff.

and

http://www.homepower.com/home/

The magazine.

Very Rough Costs of approx 1.5 kW systems installed:

Grid Tie system; 8-11 $/Watt

Grid-tie with tracker; 9-13 $/Watt

Grid-tie with battaries; 10-16$/Watt

Grid-tie with battaries and tracker; 13 - 17 $/Watt

Stand alone -off grid fixed; 13-17 $/Watt

(Installation included above approx 1.5$/Watt)

Upcoming seminars

March 17 Allen Co Library on Residential Wind energy systems

and The Indiana Building Green Symposium in Indy March 12-13
The Wisc Energy Fair June 19-21

Creating New View Types in Revit

2008-12-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

AECbytes has a new how2 for Creating New View Types in Revit

Reboot - Begin again

2008-12-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

Ok It's been quite awhile since I started or added anything here. Shortly after beginning this blog I was downsized from the position where I was using ADT and designing a BIM implementation for a standard design build pallet of parts. For about a year I wandered in Bentley wasteland before coming back to the Autodesk universe. Now as I begin to revit I'll keep my references and notes organized here on the blog.

I just flew in from Vegas and ....
AU was about a 7 a few very helpful and informative classes and few really worthless and most half helpful. As the class handouts become available I'll organize and post the keypoints.

tetradecagon

2008-04-06T17:09:00.001-07:00

Oh yea, its a tetradecagon being a 14 sided figure with a steep roof, and zero waste when ciut grom 4 x 8 sheets.

video post hexadecagonyurt

2008-04-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

So you can see Vnay Gupta's Hexayurt Project here and here. He developed a refugee shelter that can be built for about 200 dollars. When waldopaper turned me on to it I started thinking about 4 x 8 sheets, steep roofs for snow and a shelter in the North woods. This is the second iteration. The goal over the next 12 months will be to design and prototype a permanent (such as anything is) shelter for the north woods. fully energy self-suficient constructed & outfitted for under 2000 dollars. The survival shack for what some see as the coming collaose of western civilization. It could also just be the answer for retirement on 2 grand provided I got a place to put it.

2005-12-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

Storefront dentist in Fort Wayne

dcole design

2005-12-23T12:33:00.000-08:00

First post beginning the blog 12/30/05