Giving Bottles a Structural Purpose

There is something very satisfying about a big payout. Before having recycling pickup, I would amass a large amount of cans and bottles, and redeem them all at once (a full year’s worth) to get about $15. I liked this much better than getting 30 cents at a time, but it requires a very good system for cleaning, organizing, and storing all of the cans and bottles. If my system was less organized, I could have been reported for hoarding. So that’s the background. The real story is my desire to build a nice quality, but very cheap shelf. While looking at…

Astrotecture

October 7, 2012January 4, 2017 Categories: Architecture · Astronomy · UncategorizedTags: astronomy · observatory · science dissemination · stargazing · telescope · theme restaurant

I own a telescope, but its diameter is just over 5″, which greatly limits what I am able to see in the night’s sky. I have graduated to a setup with a gravitational mount, meaning that with the attachment of a motor and proper alignment with the Celestial North, I can track the stars. Along with an iOptron Skytracker, I am able to observe and take decent photos of the stars. The added functionality of a tracking system makes observation a smooth process. While I appreciate the precision that is necessary to align and track certain astronomical objects, it can be a deterrent…

Iowa B3 Benchmarking

October 7, 2012September 8, 2016 Categories: Architecture · UncategorizedTags: ARRA · b3 benchmarking · benchmarking · energy monitoring · featuredLeave a comment

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Iowa Energy Center’s Pilot Benchmarking project collected building and energy consumption data from over 1200 public buildings across Iowa. I worked from the beginning to the end of this project as a Sector Leader, working with public organization contacts (data owners), utility companies (historic data collectors), as well as the Weidt Group, the company that developed and hosts the B3 Benchmarking system.