Integrated Design and Construction Series: Rebuilding for Comfort, Durability and Energy Efficiency

Free Five-part Training Series Organized by PG&E in Collaboration with County of Sonoma Energy and Sustainability Division, County of Marin Community Development Agency and Sonoma Clean Power

​While each session stands on its own, we encourage you to attend all or as many classes as possible.

Session One: Friday, April 27, 12:00 pm to 4 pm 

Design Thinking for Zero Net Energy - Rebuilding for Comfort, Efficiency, and Affordability 
Instructor: Ann Edminster 
Ann will discuss how good design decisions and careful architectural and construction detailing can create attractive, comfortable, durable buildings that require much less energy for mechanical heating and cooling. Participants will learn key considerations that enable designers to make choices rather than pay a premium to achieve excellent comfort and energy performance. Click here to register for this class.

Session Two: Friday, May 4, 2018, 12:00 pm to 4 pm 

Advanced Framing to Save Energy, Material and Labor
Instructor: Bruce King - Structural Engineer
Bruce will discuss how advanced framing can improve energy performance and meet or exceed structural building loads while using less material, potentially reducing first cost of materials. He will describe the overall approach optimum value engineering and show and discuss specific details. Bruce will consider potential tradeoffs such as increased need for advanced planning and identifying framers skilled in the technique or training an unskilled crew. While the majority of this training will focus on wood framing, Bruce will briefly describe other enclosure methods such as straw bale and earthen construction. Click here to register for this class.

Session Three: Friday, May 11, 2018, 12:00 pm to 4 pm

High Performance Enclosures: Air Tight, Well-Insulated, Properly Ventilated
Instructor: Mike MacFarland 
Mike will discuss what it takes to properly build a well-designed enclosure that will provide comfort and good indoor air quality, while reducing energy use for heating and cooling. He’ll describe how clear goals and metrics, a team approach on the job site, and planning, communication and coordination can help manage cost while resulting in a better finished building. Click here to register for this class.

Session Four: Friday, May 18, 2018, 12:00 pm to 4 pm

Residential Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC): Small Heat Pumps and Small Furnaces – High Efficiency and More Affordable
Instructor: Rick Chitwood
This session is for all audiences: home owners, construction veterans, and all other building professionals. Residential HVAC systems can deliver excellent energy efficiency and greatly improved comfort when air infiltration through the building enclosure is confirmed to be low, equipment is properly sized and the performance of the whole system is tested and measured during and after installation. However, currently this rarely happens! The only thing we definitely know about most new HVAC systems is theoretical performance and installation cost. Energy modeling can provide very useful guidance for low-energy design. However, energy models include assumptions about the quality of construction and equipment installation. Research has shown that without testing and measurement there can be tremendous differences between modeled and actual performance. Rick Chitwood will explain why setting an air tightness goal for the enclosure and confirming it has been achieved via blower door testing is essential and makes it possible to select small heat pumps and furnaces that cost less than a ‘standard’ furnace. Rick will discuss how properly installed and sealed air distribution systems located inside the home’s thermal and air barriers greatly improve performance without the need for new, complex technologies. He will also describe the strengths and weaknesses of visual inspections and how the only way to assure proper HVAC installation on a new home is with building performance testing equipment. Click here to register for this class.

Session Five: Friday, June 1, 2018, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Water, Energy and Time Efficient Hot Water Systems for New Homes
Instructor: Gary Klein
How can we reduce energy used for delivery and heating of water while also managing the volume of water used? Hot water systems include heater, distribution piping, plumbing fixtures and appliances, and the capture of waste heat that would otherwise run down the drain. Water heating has changed considerably in the past twenty years with increased adoption of on-demand and heat pump technologies. Distribution systems have also been rethought. Occupant behavior has a big effect as well. Given these numerous changes, many building professionals were taught to design and build hot water systems based on information that is many years out of date. This session, intended for all audiences: home owners, construction veterans, and all other professionals, will explore the answers to the following questions: What is the most energy, water and time efficient way to install a hot water distribution system for a given floor plan? When should you install water heaters in multiple locations? What would be more efficient floor plans from a hot water perspective? When is it appropriate to use drain water heat recovery systems? How can these considerations be integrated into good building design? Click here to register for this class.