California Center for Sustainable Energy

George Beeler is an architect with 35 years experience; with 25 years as principal architect with AIM Associates, Petaluma, CA. He has designed or managed a wide range of project types from technically demanding pharmaceutical laboratories, National Science Foundation award winning Environmental Technology Center, offices, conference centers, high performance public and private schools, wineries, aesthetically demanding custom homes to socially responsible affordable homes. His least energy efficient project of the last 15 years surpasses Title 24 by 35%.

He often exceeds Title 24 by 60% to 80% so that adding enough renewable energy to be zero-net or even carbon neutral becomes “affordable”. George walks his talk. He and his wife bought a 1940 energy hog building in 1998 and are rehabilitating it by phases to be not only zero-net energy but to be carbon neutral. It is a live/work building with AIM Associates located on the ground floor and they live on the main floor. Ellen and George’s, total lifestyle, carbon footprint is 1/8 of that of the average couple in the U.S.

His design of the award winning Environmental Technology Center at Sonoma State University 10 years ago was a catalyst for the emerging green design community in Sonoma County. He has designed zero net energy, carbon neutral master plans for homes, neighborhoods, wineries & schools. He often speaks at national conferences about sustainable building design. His audiences have included the Lawrence Berkeley Labs, Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan, Pacific Gas and Electric Energy Center, American Solar Energy Society National Conference, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy National Conference, Stanford University, International Facility Manager’s Association, American Institute of Architects, Construction Specifications Institute, local schools and colleges.

George walks his green talk. He and his wife Ellen moved back to Petaluma from an idyllic rural cohousing community in 1995 because the two gallons of gas they used commuting every day to their Petaluma jobs was a blight on their carbon footprint even with the otherwise green lifestyle of the community. They bought a 1940 house near downtown Petaluma so they could walk and bike to their jobs, grocery store, bank, post office, etc.. George designed a master plan for a series of remodels aiming for carbon neutral zero-net energy and a whole gamut of other green issues. They started with adding insulation, replacing windows, water and space heating upgrades, etc. substantially beyond code for new buildings. A later phase added solar air heating, wind power enhanced passive night air cooling and photovoltaic ( PV) electricity. The PV system was oversized to make up for the carbon released with their natural gas water and space heating but now they have ordered and electric car that they will charge from their PV system so the next remodel will be for solar water and space heating backed up with a carbon neutral, biofuel boiler. Ellen and George’s total carbon footprint is 1/8 of that of the average person in the U.S.. The home has been featured on several green tours and newspaper articles. Build-It-Green awarded them the award for the Best Large Remodel in Marin & Sonoma Counties of the homes on the juried tour of 1995. They have applied for inclusion in the Thousand Home challenge.