[Sdpg] 2 0 0 3 SUSTAINABLE LIVING COURSES in Hopland Ca and Pomona

Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson lakinroe at silcom.com
Wed Jul 16 06:17:19 PDT 2003


http://www.solarliving.org
                        2 0 0 3   SUSTAINABLE LIVING 
COURSE   DESCRIPTIONS  in Hopland Ca and Pomona at Real Goods Solar 
Living                             		Center

                        Sustainable Living 5-Day Intensive  at Real Goods 
Hopland CA

                        Day 1 Passive Solar and Ecological Design
                        David Arkin, Project Architect for the Real Goods 
Solar Living Center, shares the basic tools
                        to help you design your own sustainable dwelling. 
Course emphasis is on passive solar
                        design features and includes discussion of site 
analysis, energy efficient design,
                        cost-effective alternative construction methods, 
recycled and non-toxic materials, and an
                        overview of renewable energy options. David leads 
the class on an in-depth tour of the Real
                        Goods Solar Living Center, incorporating it into 
the class as an exciting learning model for
                        innovative ecological design.

                        Day 2 Introduction to Permaculture
                        In this exciting class, we explore the fundamental 
principles and ethics of permaculture
                        design in order to broaden our concept of how human 
settlements can synergistically fit into
                        the natural world. Take part in a pragmatic 
exploration of how to integrate food, water,
                        landscape, and shelter in ways that are energy 
efficient and that enhance the surrounding
                        environment to create a regenerative system. Taught 
by Penny Livingston or Brock Dolman.

                        Day 3 Sustainable Wastewater Design
                        Bill Wilson of Environmental Planning and Design 
and friends present a comprehensive look
                        at on-site, decentralized methods for treating and 
recycling greywater and sewage at the
                        individual home or community. Sophisticated 
technical as well as low-tech and natural living
                        systems design, composting toilets, political 
considerations, permitting, and integrated
                        planning with storm water and potable water systems 
will be covered, along with a tour of
                        greywater, pond and reed treatment systems at the 
Solar Living Center and other nearby
                        wastewater and sewage treatment sites.

                        Day 4 & 5 Introduction to Photovoltaics
                        This two-day workshop covers the basics of 
electricity, load analysis, system sizing, and the
                        components of various systems. Hands-on session 
includes wiring of a photovoltaic system
                        and an extensive tour of the solar and wind energy 
systems at the Real Goods Solar Living
                        Center. Day two provides a detailed look at 
component options and system design, including
                        the integration of wind and hydro sources, 
generators, and utility intertie systems. Students
                        will have the opportunity to design their own 
site-specific system. Taught by a pool of
                        instructors who have worked for decades as solar 
consultants, contractors and installers.

                        October 13-17, $575 (Register Now!)

                        Sustainable Living 9-Day Intensive  The Center for 
Regenerative Studies at Cal State Pomona

                        Day 1 -- Alternative Building Materials & Methods
                        Kenneth Haggard, architect and principal of San 
Luis Sustainability Group, shares the basic
                        tools to help you design your own sustainable 
dwelling. Course emphasis is on passive solar
                        design features and includes discussion of site 
analysis, energy efficient design,
                        cost-effective alternative construction methods, 
recycled and non-toxic materials, and an
                        overview of renewable energy options.

                        Day 2 -- Straw Bale
                        In this popular class, Kenneth Haggard will guide 
us through design considerations for straw
                        bale. We will explore foundation systems, framing 
for windows and doors, and roof-bearing
                        assemblies. Building codes will be discussed and 
basic construction methods demonstrated
                        through hands-on construction of a bench. Learn the 
latest innovations in this constantly
                        evolving building technique!

                        Day 3 & 4 -- Permaculture & Aquaculture
                        You will study the five elements of community 
design (food, waste, water, energy, and
                        shelter) and learn about regenerative design, 
ethics, and review case studies. We will utilize
                        The Center for Regenerative Studies' gardens and 
buildings to demonstrate experiments in
                        process, and culminate with a hands-on experience 
that will include planting a demonstration
                        project permaculture garden. You will explore how 
to integrate food, water, landscape, and
                        shelter to move beyond enhancement of the 
surrounding environment and to create a truly
                        regenerative system.

                        Day 5 -- Wastewater/Greywater Systems
                        A comprehensive survey of on-site, decentralized 
methods for treating and recycling
                        greywater and sewage for individual homes and the 
community will be presented. You will
                        learn about technical/low-tech natural living 
systems design, composting toilets, political
                        considerations, permitting, and integrated planning 
with storm water and potable water
                        systems. We will tour the wastewater/greywater 
systems at The Center for Regenerative
                        Studies. Taught by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bill Roley.

                        Day 6 -- Biodiesel
                        Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, 
non-toxic and essentially free of sulfur and
                        aromatics. It can be used in existing diesel 
engines with no noticeable loss in performance.
                        It is proven to reduce unhealthy emissions 
associated with petroleum. This renewable fuel
                        offers an immediate opportunity to improve air 
quality and reduce our dependence on foreign
                        oil. In this hands-on class, you will learn the 
process of making fuel from restaurant "waste"
                        oil and discover how to build your own small-scale 
biodiesel processor.

                        Day 7 -- Hydrogen Energy - the Emerging Fuel Source
                        Hydrogen, a renewable and sustainable source of 
energy, could be usable in any fossil fuel
                        application. It can be produced from water using 
solar or wind energy without detrimental
                        environmental effects. It can be produced from 
biomass or biological processes. This class
                        will examine properties and uses of hydrogen, 
hydrogen production, storage, fuel cells,
                        safety issues, and more. Taught by Mark von Wodtke, 
President, Energy Harvester, Inc., the
                        sessions will draw upon the expertise of Dr. B. 
Samuel Tanenbaum, Professor of
                        Engineering, Harvey Mudd College; Jerald A. Cole, 
Partner, Hydrogen Ventures, LLC; and
                        Dr. Bob Zweig, Founder of Clean Air Now.

                        Day 8 & 9 -- Solar Electric 101: Introduction to 
Photovoltaics
                        This two-day workshop covers the basics of 
electricity, load analysis, system sizing, and the
                        components of various systems. Hands-on session 
includes wiring of a photovoltaic system
                        and an extensive tour of the solar and wind energy 
systems at The Center for Regenerative
                        Studies. Day Two provides a detailed look at 
component options and system design,
                         including the integration of wind and 
hydroelectric sources, generators, and utility intertie
                        systems. Students will have the opportunity to 
mock-up their own site-specific system.
                        Taught by a pool of qualified instructors who have 
worked in renewable energy for decades as
                        solar consultants, contractors, and installers.

                        August 2-10, $1,095 or $135 per day if taken 
individually (Register Now!)

                        Rural Water Development at Real Goods Hopland
                        A one-day hands-on class that will cover a broad 
spectrum of water system development
                        issues for residential property. Topics will 
include development of surface water sources such
                        as springs, and pond building, or development of 
underground sources by well drilling. We’ll
                        cover various ways to store, purify, and deliver 
your water, and will explain the good and bad
                        points of all common pump types. High-efficiency 
solar-powered pumps will be covered in
                        detail, and the class will include hands-on 
assembly of both surface and submersible
                        solar-powered pump systems. Cost effective solar 
water heating will also be covered. Taught
                        by Doug Pratt.

                        August 30, $125 (Register Now! )

                        Rural Land Development -- Living Your Dream
                        To Be Announced
                        Taught by Doug Pratt.

                        September 13, $125 (Register Now!)

                        Fruit Horticulture
                        Learn to grow high-quality fresh fruit. Bill will 
teach techniques to improve the output of your
                        harvest. We will conduct site analysis; discuss 
soil improvement; how to choose the best
                        fruits for each site-specific microclimates; 
discuss growing common and unusual species;
                        proper planting techniques; organic pest and 
disease control; and pruning. The hands-on
                        portion of the class will include pruning, and 
diagnosis of tree, shrub, and vine health. Taught
                        by Bill Palmer-Taylor, founder of Urban Orchards of 
Boston.

                        August 10, $90 (Register Now!)

                         Sustainable Gardening Workshop 5-Day Intensive

                        Day 1 Soil Management, Advanced Composting, and 
Cover Crops
                        This intensive hands-on course is designed for 
people wanting to expand their knowledge
                        about nutrient specific composting, soil 
management, and the inter-relationship of each to
                        enhance soil biology. Learn how to identify soil 
problems, to collect samples and understand
                        soil tests, as well as how to select and use 
compost and other soil amendments to improve
                        the health of your soil. Determine the compost 
characteristics that are best for your soil
                        situation and how to use cover crops to improve 
your soil. Taught by master composter,
                        Linda Cushman.

                        Day 2 Edible Landscaping
                        This class delves beyond growing vegetables and 
fruits to planting aesthetically pleasing
                        combinations of plants, all of which are edible or 
medicinal. Bill will share information on
                        many little known and native edibles (flowers, 
fruits, leaves, stems, and roots); how to select
                        the correct plants for your place; how to create 
micro-climates using slopes, buildings, and
                        shade patterns; and how to care for plants once 
planted. A survey of low-maintenance
                        landscapes will be used to illustrate the concepts. 
In the hands-on section, we will create a
                        landscape at the Solar Living Center by arranging 
plants mindfully while identifying ideal
                        growing conditions. Taught by Bill Palmer-Taylor, 
Founder of Urban Orchards of Boston.

                        Day 3 Fruit Horticulture
                        Learn to grow high-quality fresh fruit. Bill will 
teach techniques to improve the output of your
                        harvest. We will conduct site analysis; discuss 
soil improvement; how to choose the best
                        fruits for each site-specific microclimates; 
discuss growing common and unusual species;
                        proper planting techniques; organic pest and 
disease control; and pruning. Bring your
                        questions and particular interest. The hands-on 
portion of the class will include pruning, and
                        diagnosis of tree, shrub, and vine health. Taught 
by Bill Palmer-Taylor, founder of Urban
                        Orchards.

                        Day 4 Biointensive Food Production & Winter Crops
                        Create true security at home by learning to grow 
your own fruits, vegetables, and grains in
                        the most efficient manner possible. Biointensive 
gardening provides you with large yields of
                        food while using just a fraction of the area, 
resources, and energy of conventional methods.
                        This method is comprised of four individual, 
mutually enhancing techniques that work in
                        unison-double digging, intensive planting, 
composting, and companion planting. It is a whole
                        system in which all aspects work in harmony to 
ensure peak production. Join our certified
                        "Grow Biointensive" teacher, Machei Matysiak, as he 
leads hands-on demonstrations and
                        discusses the four principles.

                        Day 5 Harvest: Seed Saving
                        Prepare your garden year-round. Take care of the 
soil by incorporating cover crops and sheet
                        mulch into your fall beds. Get going on seed saving 
by learning gathering, sifting, sorting,
                        and storage techniques. Seed saving enables you to 
develop seed suited to your area, to
                        help protect heirloom varieties, and allows you to 
save and share your seed from year to
                        year. Move beyond gardening basics into full circle 
gardening! Taught Sarah McCamant.

                        September 8-12, $475 or $125 per day (Register Now! )




                        Space is limited and many of the most popular 
sessions fill up quickly.
                        Register for a workshop online, by phone 
(1-707-744-2017) or write:

                        Solar Living Institute
                        PO Box 836
                        Hopland, CA 95449.
                        or email sli at solarliving.org







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