File Sharing for ITT Classes

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

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

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

"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

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

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

natural alternative homes

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

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://www.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

more green links:

http://www.usgbc.org/ &

http://www.usgbc-in.org/

http://www.agreenerindiana.com/

sall4now

Creating New View Types in Revit

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

Reboot - Begin again

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

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

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.

Storefront dentist in Fort Wayne 

dcole design

First post beginning the blog 12/30/05