Sparkflight Studios

A country’s overshoot day is the date on which Earth Overshoot Day would fall if all of humanity consumed like the people in this country.  Humans use as much ecological resources as if we lived on 1.6 Earths. The Ecological Footprint is the only metric that compares the resource demand of individuals, governments, and businesses against Earth's capacity for biological regeneration. Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. In 2020, Earth Overshoot Day lands on August 22. We maintain this deficit by liquidating stocks of ecological resources and accumulating waste, primarily carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, an international research organization that provides decision-makers with a menu of tools to help the human economy operate within Earth’s ecological limits. More information may be found...

Image courtesy of UNLV Team Vegas http://unlvsd.com/sinatra In its third effort at the biennial Solar Decathlon, UNLV's  990 square feet "Sinatra Living" entry placed second in the Architecture and first in Innovation.   Designed for desert living and aging-in-place, the project emphasizes: Passive Design Comfort & Accessibility Home Automation Electrical/Mechanical/Water Systems  Sustainable Building Techniques The Team Vegas website shows more background and imagery. See the project under construction here... Read local press here...  and Vegas Seven here... Innovations specific to energy use include use of a phase change material (PCM) , Tesla battery storage, and a modular mechanical room: PCM - cooling system works at off-peak hours and stores energy creating utility bill savings Tesla Powerwall 2.0 battery - stores energy for high need periods or to sell back to utility Modular Mechanical Room - used for solar thermal tu...

Caught sight of a Smart Car charging at the photovoltaic canopy after an appointment at Clark County Government Center today.  It's very satisfying to see our project in use! Learn more about this project in our previous posts. December 2011 - Opening September 2011 - Construction February 2011 - September 2011 - Construction Background Since construction completed nearly three years ago, there are many charging stations at hotels on the Strip, at downtown's Container Park and Zappos headquarters, and North Las Vegas' City Hall. See a map of other nearby charging stations here: Enter zip code 89155 This installation operates on the Chargepoint system, and you can learn more, download an app, or find other locations at their website .

The Green California 2014 conference is just wrapping up today.  It was exciting to learn of the latest developments in California Green action and legislation.   Sessions included innovation, electric vehicles and EV infrastructure, government best practices, green schools, energy and buildings, funding strategies, water, farm to fork to fuel and an Expo with exciting new products. Energy policy updates are of special interest since CALGreen and the updated 2013 California Energy Code are barometers for code updates coming regionally and nationally.   Other sessions explained current developments in renewable energy production--including renewable natural gas created from organic waste.  What an incredible way to divert from the landfill!  Learn more at the CleanWorld website.  Related to the CALGreen policies, were updates on water policy related to the current drought and graywater usage. Our April post focused on the use of graywater in fi...

Hosted by Green Chips , the Green by Southwest Conference is a 3-day event held this week starting Thursday, April 3 and running through Saturday, April 5.  Events include: leadership conferences breakout sessions professional education expo and mixer bicycling and walking tours It's an opportunity to re-connect, learn and be inspired.  Hope to see you there! Learn more at the Green Chips website and register at the USGBC NV website .

UNLV students have done an impressive job with their DesertSol house at this year's Solar Decathlon.  They are currently standing at second place, which is an outstanding accomplishment for the first year's entry for UNLV.  If you agree, give them a vote--or more--for the People's Choice award.  Voting is through this Thursday at 11AM at the Solardecathlon.gov site. See all of the entries through next weekend, October 13 at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California or at the website . The Solar Decathlon is a bienneal program hosted since 2002 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that, per the DOE, "challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive." Read more here... I traveled out to see the homes first-hand and was invigorated by the enthusiasm and innovation--inspiring!  Check back soon to see photos from the trip.

Public event tonight - Wednesday May 22 USGBC is hosting a presentation and discussion about our Southern Nevada sources of electrical power, options for alternative energy and how to more effectively use the energy that we have.  Discussion panel includes experts in the field, representatives from NV Energy's RenewableGenerations program, and an expert on residential remodeling for energy efficiency. See more details, and list of presentors, at the USGBC website . Wednesday, May 22, 2013 5:30pm-7:00pm NV Energy- Wengert Room 6226 W. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89151

Art by Adriann Helton Get out and enjoy the first annual Solarbration this evening.  It's an arts and energy festival for Southern Nevada.  Held this year at Henderson's downtown plaza off Water Street, it will always be on June 21 for the summer solstice.  The Conservation District of Southern Nevada is hosting this outreach event, and there are many local sponsors, including Solar NV and Natural Awakenings . Vendors at this FREE event include face-painting, energy efficiency experts, hybrid and electric vehicles, and of course food! Per the Conservation District of Southern Nevada , proceeds will be used to commission a solar-powered public art project. Put it on your calendars for next year! Like it on facebook .

To back up a bit, LEED is a third-party certification process for energy efficient and "green" building.  It stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  LEED AP stands for LEED Accredited Professional, and is someone who has undertaken extensive training and continues to gain experience and knowledge in the field of sustainable building. According to the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) website, "The Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) is the process by which LEED APs with specialty and LEED Green Associates renew their LEED credentials every two years through continuing education.  The renewal process allows LEED professionals to continue developing professionally within the field of green building, enhancing their resumes and improving job performance. It continues rewarding hard work while renewing the credential holder’s commitment to green building and sustainability." Our firm principal's specialty is a LEED AP sin...

Opower, in partnership with Facebook and NRDC , has established a social energy app that allows you to see how your energy use stacks up against friends and homes across the US.  Join groups and discover how you can save even more. This leadership challenge provides a path for everyone to be a winner with individual energy savings and positive results for the very air we breathe. Opower partnered with their first utility client in 2007 from a rented desk in San Francisco. Their purpose is to engage the millions of people who are in the dark about their energy use. “Our product platform now reaches more than 10 million homes in North America. Together with our clients and their customers, we're saving energy, saving money, and helping reduce global carbon emissions.” Get started now on Opower .  You can also try a home comparison without connecting to Facebook at the same link.  After your first pass, make sure to click the "Update home information" button for the most...

New photovoltaic covered parking and vehicle charging stations at Clark County's downtown Government Center are now open to the public.  Our studio is proud to have contributed this design to help Clark County "Go Green!"  If you own an electric vehicle see how to use the free charging stations on ChargePoint's website . Explore animations about how solar photovoltaic systems work and see real-time data for Clark County's solar installations here...  Learn more about this project by clicking here and scrolling down... This project is part of Clark County Real Property Management's (RPM) Energy Management program and is primarily funded by grant funds targeted for Energy Efficiency and Conservation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).  Cesar Ceballos is RPM's Design and Construction Administrator for the project.  Our design team includes Wright Engineers and KJE Consulting Engine...

Monofacial photovoltaic (PV) panels cover this LED-lit structural steel shade structure over 20 visitor parking spaces.  This solar power array generates Renewable Energy Credits for Clark County and offsets their electric utility bill.  Electric vehicle charging stations are available to a majority of the parking spaces.   The project also includes an accessible, public, interactive kiosk at the main entrance to Government Center. This project is part of Clark County Real Property Management's (RPM) En ergy Management program and is primarily funded by grant funds targeted for Energy Efficiency and Conservation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).   Cesar Ceballos is RPM's Design and Construction Administrator for the project.  Our design team includes Wright Engineers and KJE Consulting Engineers.  Contractor is Jetstream Construction . Read more about Clark County's newest photovoltaic projects by clicking here an...

Work is progressing steadily at the Clark County Government Center Photovoltaic project. Our design team includes Wright Engineers and KJE Consulting Engineers.  Contractor is Jetstream Construction . Read more about the project funding  here...  or see the finished result here... More photographs here...  structural steel frame shoring  aerial courtesy of Jetstream Construction completed structural frame x-brace detail at beams Read more about the project here...

Usually, solar panels are visualized on the roofs of buildings, or scattered somewhere in the desert.  However, thanks to thin film photovoltaic and other new technologies, we will start seeing more building integrated solar production, known as BIPV . One new solution for a solar-powered building surface is the HeliOptix solar façade.  Syracuse University’s Center for Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems is the first place this new and innovative solar façade is being tested. HeliOptix has designed an integrated, tracking solution that uses the concentrating power of Fresnel lenses.  These windows generate energy by using an array of tiny generators that “follow the sun like a field of transparent flowers.  Each lens-and-solar-cell molecule collects light onto a photovoltaic cell while heating up a trickle of water.  (Ferris, David. “ Innovate: Windows That Generate Energy”   Sierra Magazine , March/April 2011: Page 22). Click here to view ...

We’ve been busy in the office with a few government projects, as well as some additional design opportunities.  Two of our projects are focused on energy production in the form of photovoltaic covered parking.  B oth are funded through the Department of Energy, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).   We're optimistic that President Obama's new Better Buildings Initiative for energy efficiency will bring new opportunities in the commercial sector.  Energy efficiency combined with energy production is an ideal mix for retrofits.   Clark County Development Services' Russell Road Campus is home to a newly constructed steel parking canopy made up of photovoltaic panels covering 17 employee parking spaces.  An interactive, public kiosk is provided in the main lobby to demonstrate the renewable energy production process.    Starting construction this spring, Clark County Gover...

Design professionals and have been using Building Information Technology, or BIM, for several years now.  During pre-construction, these 3-dimensional and data models inform design by allowing for virtual walk-throughs with clients, coordination of structural-mechanical-electrical-plumbing systems, and 3D testing of details.  Solid physical models can even be built from these virtual models using 3D printing . Additionally, these models create data regarding quantities of components (e.g. building material quantities, or numbers of repeated room modules).  These models also support ecological design assessment, whether native to the software or via import into another program such as Ecotect .  Factors addressed include sun orientation, fenestration, carbon footprint, water usage and more.  Read more about current eco design software here ... Contractors are finding the BIM process useful for site logistics, quantity take-offs, 3D Request for Informat...

Although the NV Energy rebate window for photovoltaics (PV) has closed*, Southern Nevada residents can still pursue green energy generation through wind power.  Local codes are still evolving to encourage residential and large-scale wind power installations.  Use the In My Backyard (IMBY) tool to estimate how much power your property can produce with PV or wind turbines.  Then contact a licensed contractor for more information.   Be aware that there are local ordinances governing the installation of wind turbines.  For example, in the City of Las Vegas, “small wind energy systems” are only allowed in certain residential districts zoned R-A, R-E and R-D and up to 100kW.  Check out Wind Power Nevada for some more background on current state and local laws. WindGenerations and HydroGenerations are still accepting applications.  NV Energy is also now accepting more options for wind generators.  See their website for a listing of accepte...

Article by Anne exploring current trends in green building, commercial retrofits, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding, Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC), and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification: "Real estate and construction markets are experiencing a growing interconnection of green building and our economy. “Show me the money!” now requires a green edge. The United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) “Green Jobs Study” projects over 7.9 million jobs and $396 billion in labor earnings from green construction for 2009 through 2013. This is encouraging for our national and regional economic recovery...Recent studies and our own hands-on experience identify the following trends for 2010 and beyond: • Green building growth led by existing building operations and tenant improvements • Increased renewable energy production and energy conservation retrofits with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ...

1 hour without lights at 8:30PM. It's that simple. All around the world. Global site: http://m.earthhour.org/ Some fun facts about Earth Hour: Http://ow.ly/1rmYd

Live greener and enhance your cash flow. The recent passage of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) opens the door to tax savings for energy efficient home improvements, commercial renewable energy development, and many other green choices. For homeowners, the new law increases the credit rate to 30 percent of the cost of all qualifying improvements and raises the maximum credit limit to $1,500 for improvements placed in service in 2009 and 2010. Examples of improvements include insulation; heating or cooling systems; roofs (metal and asphalt); and energy efficient exterior windows, doors or skylights. Qualifying standards for energy efficiency are increasing, so stay tuned. In the meantime, homeowners may continue to rely on Energy Star labels for exterior openings in determining whether product purchased before June 1, 2009 qualifies for the credit. Renewable energy improvements also are funded with the residential energy efficiency property credit as the pr...