Included on this page are all of Eric's past presentations and reflections on zero energy home building.  To learn more about green building, zero energy homes, or green building trends currently going on in Boulder, Colorado, check out the Boulder Green Building Guild Events Calendar filled with round tables, workshops, and presentations!

BEYOND ZERO ENERGY HOME WORKSHOPS

• "Deep Energy Retrofit and Green Remodel" presents a comprehensive look at the integrated design approach taken to achieve Boulder's first zero-energy remodel.  Presented at: 
  
• Greenbuild, 2007: November 11, 2007

• "Beyond 'Green' and 'Passive vs. Active': Benefiting the people and the planet through verified net-zero homes" presents a new perspective on the value of building net-zero energy homes, and how to get clients on board.  Presented at the: 
  
• 2nd Annual Passive-House Conference: November 2, 2007

ZERO ENERGY HOME WORKSHOPS

• "Profitably Decarbonizing" evaluates performance goals for the future of homes to make them appealing to consumers and effective in reducing carbon emissions.  Presented at:
• CU Bioneers: October 20, 2007

• "Increasingly Intelligent Design" tracks the evolution and lessons learned in zero energy home design and construction.  Presented at:
  
• Boulder's Solar Week Conference and Expo: September 23, 2007

       "Solar Harvest: Better than Net-Zero Energy" was featured at several events during Summer, 2006:

• The Boulder Green Building Guild & Office of Environmental Affairs Event: November 27, 2006
• Greenbuild Pre-Conference Zero Energy Home Event: October 25, 2006
• Boulder's Solar Week 2006 Zero Energy Home Workshop: October 5, 2006
• GreenBuild's Solar 2006 Conference: July 9, 2006
• A Virtual Tour of Solar Harvest given to DU Environmental Studies studients: April 7, 2006

      CARBON-NEUTRAL HOUSING

• Photos from the ACI Summit: Moving Housing Toward Carbon Neutrality: July 11-13, 2007

      GENERAL GREEN BUILDING/CLEAN ENERGY PRESENTATIONS

• Guiding Green & Healthy Decisions in Interior Design: Experiences of a Green Builder.  Presented to the first meeting of the Sustainable Residential Interiors Program, a joint venture with the American Society of Interior Designers, USGBC and national professionals April 8, 2007
  
• Ecofutures Building: Growing a Business by Growing Greener  Part of the Boulder Green Edge Training program to promote ecologically conscious industry
• Heating and Cooling After Peak Oil: The future of green building  Presented during the Going Local! event sponsored by Boulder Valley Relocalization Program

  ------------------------

What Every Westerner Should Know About Energy Efficiency and Conservation: A Guide to the New Relationship

Written by the University of Colorado's Center of the American West and Boulder conservation group Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, the report relates to readers through humor and wit, while presenting the dire need for energy efficiency, a very serious subject.

Low Energy Communal Housing: the Virtues of Living in a Cave without the Depravities of Living Underground
By Larry Kinney, Gary Cler et. al.

This paper describes a variety of ideas on designing buildings suitable for communities whose members share concerns for living as lightly on the land as possible—and a process for discussing them. Design concepts include Permaculture; Tight, Well-Insulated Envelopes using Recycled (or at Least Recyclable) Material; Radiant Heating and Cooling Supplied by a District Loop Largely Fueled by Solar; Ventilation and Better Bathrooms; Fenestration Strategies; Daylighting Systems; Cooking; and Solar Greenhouses. The ultimate aim is to develop sound strategies to influence groups of people to live less energy intensive lives that are both creative and fulfilling.

On Payback
By Seth Portner

Written for the Boulder Tour of Solar Homes Guidebook, this article argues against the commonly asked question about "payback time" for solar panels.  Payback is used to refer to how long it will take for the panels to generate enough energy to offset its original cost.  While its understandable that payback was first used as a financial incentive for consumers to adopt new technologies, Portner questions its applicability today.