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Rocky Mountain Workshops - Sustainable Heating, Cooling, Indoor Air Quality, Alternative Power Systems
September 20-25, 2009

This course is fast-paced yet consistently rated as valuable across a wide range and depth of experience levels. Homeowners, construction/design professionals, and specialty trade contractors will gain valuable insights into integrated systems that are highly energy efficient and environmentally friendly, with superior indoor air quality and comfort. The instructors teach practical and theoretical course content using a combination of lectures, discussions, demonstrations and hands-on orientations with actual equipment. This building block approach creates a comprehensive understanding by the participants of alternative energy systems and heating and ventilating (HVAC) system options. Starting with the basic design considerations and opportunities created by the earth, wind, water, and sun when integrating a building with the site, the course expands to specific best practices for implementing system solutions. These include air sealing and insulating the building envelope, selection of materials and systems that contribute to excellent indoor air quality, tradeoffs for heating and cooling a structure, providing power for on-grid applications, and implementing integrated systems incorporating best practices for green building. The instructors will highlight technologies that are well suited to address the challenges uniquely created by timber frame construction. The expertise involved in selecting these systems is supplemented with a discussion of the financial implications in initial cost, cash flow during operations, and life cycle costs.

Without exception, the financial investment that students make in this course will be exceeded by the cost savings they realize in the design, selection, acquisition and installation of systems for their own requirements.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own home designs and technical challenges to the course to implement concepts and stimulate class discussions. Prospective attendees should review the website, www.OurCoolHouse.com. As a learning benchmark, attendees will be able to implement the integrated solutions found on that website, as well as understand the design consideration affecting the selection of those highly efficient systems. They will be provided a tabbed binder with hard copy of outline notes and slides of the seminar presentations, and a CD digital copy of the presentations with additional reference material.

The instructors are certified high performance home energy raters and construction professionals, each with a specialty: one on air sealing/insulating, and the other with integrated heating/cooling and power systems and LEED certification.

Tentative Daily Outline

  • September 19 (Friday)
    :: Get Acquainted Social
  • September 20 (Saturday)
    :: Energy Efficient Design Concepts
    :: Best Practices Insulation, Air Sealing, Moisture, Air Quality
    :: Introduction to HVAC Heat Pumps & Controls
    :: Overview of Geothermal
    :: Slideshow of Installed HVAC/Energy Systems (optional evening program)
  • September 21 (Sunday)
    :: Geothermal Ground Loop Options
    :: Residential Geothermal Equipment
    :: Right Sizing HVAC Systems
    :: Overview of Hydronic Heating
    :: Systems Pricing and Acquisition (optional evening program)
  • September 22 (Monday)
    :: Hydronic Controls
    :: Integrating DHW: Domestic Hot Water Systems
    :: Solar Hot Water Systems Design
    :: Overview of DC Power Systems
    :: Timber Frame System Issues (optional evening program)
  • September 23 (Tuesday)
    :: Site-Generated DC to AC Power
    :: Photovoltaic (PV) Power Systems Design & Install
    :: Small Wind Turbine Systems
    :: Micro Hydro Power and Batteries Primer
    :: Student-Specific Design Challenges (optional evening program)
  • September 24 (Wednesday)
    :: High Performance Residential Design
    :: Best Practices for Sustainable Design & Building Tectonics
    :: Optional: Site Design Earth and Sun
    :: Optional: Site Design Wind and Water

Download the complete schedule in Excel format.


Taught by Al Wallace and Dennis Brachfeld