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...

The Parks at Walter Reed Our mission at Sparkflight Studios is to "design for humans," to create spaces for our neighbors that produce positive social impact. To that end, we are actively pursuing and passionate about mixed-use, multi-family affordable housing projects. These types of projects encompass what it means to truly design for the betterment of our communities. By developing an area that is a self-sustaining business and residential destination not totally reliant on cars/parking for its clientele, we are providing much-needed affordable housing while supporting economic development by bringing businesses a built-in customer base. These projects are starting to be built across the country, with promising results. According to the Multi-Housing News website : "Developers from market-rate to affordable housing are identifying ways to create mixed-income and mixed-use developments that promote diversity, equity and integration." One such project is th...

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...

Death Valley wildflowers How will you celebrate Earth Day? See this 1-minute video prepared by Green Building Research Institute ( GBRI ) with 10 ways to get out and do something... In our own backyard, Project GREEN is hosting a clean up in the Pittman Wash at 9:00AM Saturday, April 23.  This is a hidden gem of a trail with lots of wildlife habitat...get the details here. Or, sign a petition to re-activate the rooftop solar industry here in Nevada with Bring Back Solar .

We have a unique mix of projects on the boards this month.  Two photovoltaic projects have moved into the construction phase, and include an education component with interactive touchscreen and engaging animated characters developed by AEI .  In addition, these projects include a partnership with the non-profit DRI to bring free green box science kits to Clark County School District classrooms. Other work includes a 76-unit multifamily modernization project, a private residence loft remodel with elevator, and graphic murals for the RTC Mobility Training Center. Private Residence

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 .

image by Desert Sol team The 2nd Place Global winner from the 2013 Solar Decathlon, Desert Sol, is now at its permanent home at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas.  Admission to DesertSol is free for members or with paid general admission. Built by teams of UNLV students, the 754-square-foot sustainable solar-powered home took over two years to conceptualize, design and build.  Per the Springs Preserve website, its features include: Solar panels Low-flow fixtures and a multipurpose water system that combines plumbing and fire sprinklers Remote access to temperature controls Strategic window placement to promote cross-ventilation A custom screen along the outdoor deck that filters sun in the summer and retracts to allow warmth from the sun in winter  Intended primarily as a vacation home The bullet points don't begin to describe the beauty and function of this home.  See it in person to experience the textured and weathered materials, contemporary int...

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 .

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...

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...

There are several ways to make energy efficient improvements to your home, while improving your bank balance.  A few quick links follow: Federal tax credits NV Energy cash rebates NV Energy RenewableGenerations Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) rebates Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM) EEMs are offered by federally insured mortgage programs (Federal Housing Authority and Veterans Administration) and the conventional secondary mortgage market (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). More local information is available through Nevada Energy Star Partners .

"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that." -Thomas Edison to friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, 1931 Image of solar flare from NASA. Need I say anything about clean coal? Read an article with more about Edison's future-thinking...

If you’re thinking about converting to solar energy, one of the first steps is to assess and downsize your current energy usage. Your technology investment will yield a bigger payoff when it can cover a larger percentage of your home or business’ total energy load. One of the quickest ways to do this is to reduce phantom energy loads – the electricity used when appliances are plugged in but turned off. Using a power strip for collections of appliances (your audio-visual components or home office equipment), and switching it off when not in use can make a noticeable reduction in utility bills. Using energy efficient large appliances and heating/cooling systems is also key. Here are a couple of tools: The Home Energy Diet by Author Paul Scheckel Scheckel advocates for a “Triple A” approach: Awareness of the ways your home uses and loses energy, Assessment of your home's energy requirements, and Action taken to reduce energy consumption to a minimum. Kill-A-Watt Electricity Usage ...