USGBC Western Regional Council Leaders visit NetZero Energy DesertSol

April 25, 2015 at Las Vegas Springs Preserve, USGBC Western Regional Council Leaders were able to visit the NetZero Energy LEED Platinum Home DesertSol as part of a personalized tour. Daniel Huard, USGBC Nevada Past President and current USGBC Western Regional Council delegate provides “I had the honor of providing a personal guided tour of the Las Vegas Springs Preserve for several members of the Western Regional Council as close out event following their participation in the USGBC Western Regional Council Leadership Summit.” provided Daniel Huard.

The Summit was held in conjunction with USGBC Nevada’s 2^nd Green by SouthWest event which focuses on leadership development and as well providing introductory training to the most recent trends in Green Building and products which align with the specific needs of the Pacific-West regions.

The tour provided delegates a look at the seven LEED Platinum Buildings and award winning grounds and gardens that Huard a LEED O+M and BD+C Accredited Professional worked on as well as assisted in the development of numerous operational protocols for. During the tour Huard shared details on the Site’s photovoltaic renewable energy generation systems which offset a majority of the energy demand of the NetZero Energy LEED Platinumfacilities using a combination of fixed and solar tracking systems that provide the benefit of providing premium covered parking at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. Other additional facilities identified included the Nevada State Museum, the first new state museum in 23 years where Huard was the Engineer of Record as well as Project Manager for the facility’s construction.

The tour continued through the site’s grounds and shared details of passive, energy conserving, sustainable as well as unique construction features including the extensive horticultural collections on native and adapted species. Other unique features of the Las Vegas Springs Preserve pointed out included the site’s NetZero contributing sanitary waste management system and constructed wetlands that organically treat the site’s wastewater to beyond tertiary standards before being able to locally recharge the aquifer or be re-used on the site.

The delegates then proceeded to the NetZero Energy LEED Platinum DesertSol where Daniel Huard, Senior Mentor to UNLV’s World Renowned 2013 Solar Decathlon Team shared thoughts and highlights about the relevance of the house which earned 1st place in the World for Market Appeal during the 2013 Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Competition. The DesertSol House which is currently seeking the Living Building Challenge’s Net Zero Energy and Petal Certifications is now an important interactive exhibit at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve which serves as a resource for living sustainably in the desert.

The Solar Decathlon is a Global Competition held by the U.S. Department of Energy where 20 University teams from around the world compete in 10 challenges to establish a champion that powers a fully functional and desirable home on renewable energy. The 2013 competition was hosted at Great Park in Irvine, California

In the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, collegiate teams design and build energy-efficient houses powered by the sun. These teams spend almost two years creating houses to compete in the 10 contests of the Solar Decathlon. The winning team produces a house that:

Is affordable, attractive, and easy to live in
Maintains comfortable and healthy indoor environmental conditions
Supplies energy to household appliances for cooking, cleaning, and entertainment
Provides adequate hot water
Produces as much or more energy than it consumes.

Learn more about the Solar Decathlon: www.solardecathlon.gov

USGBC, LEED, NetZero Energy, are trademarks which are utilized herein with permissions of their parent entities.

# Daniel Huard has been an active Green Building Expert for over 25 years, with an ongoing commitment to mentoring, service and leadership contributing to National Fenestration Rating Council as their 2017 and 2018 Board of Directors Vice Chair and Governance Chair, IWBI, ASHRAE, Association of Energy Engineers, USGBC’s LEED Technical Committee, USGBC Water Efficiency Technical Advisory Group as their 2018 Committee Chair, former – USGBC Western Regional Council Chairperson, USGBC Nevada President, and as well founded the Las Vegas Valley Living Building Challenge Collaborative serving as Nevada’s ILFI Ambassador. Daniel as well currently serves the U.S. DOE contributing to their Building Envelope Tech Team and has served as Technical Subject Matter Expert to the US Department of the Interior since 2009. As a former League of Indian Nations of North America Ambassador to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Daniel focused on international sustainability programs, social and educational programs and native rights recognition and advocacy.