First Platinum LEED certified building in Tarrant County

Botanic Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) is a holder of the Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The organization is completely devoted to the sustainable practices in its everyday operations.

 

What makes BRIT different from other organizations?

Obviously, BRIT’s goal to achieve the high score in sustainability rating for the Platinum certificate was not based on the idea to become famous. The minimum score to attain the LEED Platinum certification was 52 points. But their actual results were higher. BRIT’s headquarters received 56 points and, consequently, this building was more than qualified to become Platinum certified. Their strong desire to contribute to the overall well-being of the environment and society was one of the main driving forces of the organization which led BRIT to become one of the first Platinum LEED certified buildings in Tarrant County.

What did BRIT accomplish to be qualified for the Platinum LEED status?

By installing 52-killowatt energy-efficient solar panels on the roof of BRIT’s Archive Block, the organization saves approximately $37,000 per year on their electricity bills. Another part of the electricity saving comes with the advantage of using tall windows which let the natural sunlight easily stream into the building. Day lighting improves the quality of the light and helps to reduce the energy consumption. To further gain reduction in electricity usage, the organization installs fluorescent and LED lights throughout the building. In addition, sensors are attached to the lighting system. These control the amount of light to be delivered to the building in accordance with the natural light already present in the building.

 

 BRIT’s management is also concerned with smart water usage. They install huge tanks outside the building to collect rainwater runoff from the roofs. They are able to use this runoff water to irrigate their lands and, thus, reduce the consumption of clean water used in irrigation by 95 percent.

 

 

 Another 51 percent of reduced water usage is achieved by implementing low-flow faucets and dual-flush toilets. In addition to these methods of conserving the water resources, BRIT is well-known for their rain gardens. Rain gardens consist of deep-rooted plants and grasses, which helps to slow down the erosion process and decrease pollution.

 

Wool carpets and bamboo ceilings belong to the renewable materials, and they are components of BRIT’s building. To be less dependent on the non-renewable materials, the walls of this building are covered with linen and paper. Low volatile organic compounds (VOC) are used in carpets and flooring, help to improve the indoor quality of the air.  

 

There is much more to add to the full list of sustainable practices BRIT implements in its everyday activities. I recommend a visit to their site and experience for yourself their sustainable relationships between people and nature.

Environmentally friendly homes

Are you dreaming about living in a big house, but don’t want to pay high costs associated with the electricity, cooling and heating systems?

http://www.ferriercustomhomes.com/

 

My advice for you is to contact Donald Ferrier and receive his professional recommendations. Why Donald Ferrier? Who is this man? How can he help?

Well, let me first introduce this man to you. Donald Ferrier is a CEO of Ferrier Custom Homes, a construction company, specializing in building energy efficient commercial and residential homes. The company also provides services in remodeling existing buildings. Donald Ferrier is a professional with the expertise in structural concrete. He is known for building the first energy efficient homes in North Texas in 1984. In addition to his earlier expertise in structural concrete, Donald Ferrier makes use of his knowledge in Structural Insulated Panel construction to deliver the best results to his clients by building sustainable and energy efficient homes.  

Based on the preferences and the financial situation of the client, Donald Ferrier will recommend the best alternative to satisfy the needs and wants of his client. At the same time, Donald Ferrier will consult his client about implementing the sustainable materials in to the building structure to achieve the benefits of the reduction in the energy and water use. Donald Ferrier will make sure that his client properly understands all possible benefits from installation solar panels, implementation of passive solar design and water conservation systems.

Donald Ferrier works with a wide range of customers but his main demographic segment is baby boomers. Baby boomers have special needs and wants. Most of them are retired or will retire soon. As baby boomers plan to spend most of their time at home, they want to enjoy the comfort and coziness of their new house’s design. At the same time, baby boomers, who are retired and have fixed incomes, seek opportunities to pay less for electricity and water. Donald Ferrier is ready to help them with his advice, and, if both parties agree on the terms of the contract, the construction of a new home starts.

One of the best examples of Donald Ferrier’s sustainable residential houses is a 2,028 square-foot Heather’s home.

http://www.ferriercustomhomes.com

 This house is built from the green materials and is energy efficient. The house is constructed in accordance with the passive solar design. To improve internal air quality, the structural insulated panels are installed in the walls and in the roof part of the house. The use of CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs helps to bring the cost of the electricity down. The floors of this particular house are covered with a natural material, which is bamboo. The walls are colored with non-volatile or low-volatile paint, which also enhances the quality of the indoor air. For the purpose of efficiency in water usage, low-flow showers and faucets are integrated as a part of the house structure. To add more to it, the driveways and walkways are composed of pervious concrete. The major benefit of pervious concrete is its ability to allow water to stream into the ground and, thus, to escape the unnecessary and bad consequences of storm water runoff.  

If you are interested in building energy-efficient home and you also want to contribute to the wellbeing of the environment, don’t hesitate to contact Donald Ferrier and ask for his advice.

Laura Blaylock about sustainable practices at TRWD

Laura Blaylock occupies a hydrologist position with the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD). TRWD’s main focus is the development of sustainable management practices, conservation and efficiency of water usage, and flood control. The TRWD building, which is located on East North Side Drive, is the first building in the county with the LEED Gold certification. For those who are not familiar with the abbreviation, LEED is a certificate given to companies that achieve leadership in energy and environmental design.

 

What helped the Tarrant Regional Water District to receive a Gold LEED accreditation?

First of all, the original plan was to obtain Silver LEED certification for this particular building, which they accomplished. With a few additional recommendations from Laura Blaylock and other employees to install the solar arrays on the roof of the building, the company was able to achieve a higher level of recognition and, as a result, they received the Gold LEED certification.

Second, this building’s interior is equipped with recycled or recyclable furniture. The other renewable material, which the company uses for covering the floor surface, is made out of cork. Laura Blaylock defines cork as very renewable and sustainable. However, she mentions a few problems with cork made floors. One of the problems is that the cork surface is very vulnerable to scratches and does not remain shiny and smooth for long. A special care, like polishing, may be required to maintain cork floors in a presentable shape. The carpets on the floor are also made from recycled materials. The walls in the building are colored with non-volatile paints. Non-volatile paint is considered to be very sustainable material, and it improves the air quality in the interior part of the building.

 

Third, the passive design of this building helps to reduce the electricity usage. For example, tall windows provide superior natural light. As a result, the company is able to reduce the energy cost by using less of the artificial lighting. In addition to this, the company uses huge tanks to collect rainwater runoff outside the building and consumes it for irrigation purposes. This practice allows them to conserve water resources.

 

Finally, the company understands the importance of social sustainability. Through organizing different social events, such as ice-cream party or Christmas celebration, TRWD focuses on the healthy culture of the organization.

TRWD delivers drinking water to more than two million people in Tarrant County. The population is expected to grow rapidly in the near future. Laura Blaylock is concerned that TRWD will not be able to provide the rapidly growing population with a sufficient amount of water. Therefore, she encourages everyone to think in ways to conserve water.

Amari Roskelly: How to become LEED certified

 

Amari Roskelly works as a sustainability coordinator for Jacobs Engineering Inc., a construction company with a great emphasis on sustainable practices. Jacobs Engineering specializes in consulting commercial, governmental and industrial companies. Their goal is to improve projects by applying the principles of sustainability. At the same time, Jacobs provides a wide range of other services, including construction, engineering, and environmental safety services.  Jacobs has a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation and builds sustainable practices at its own offices. The company attempts to achieve economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Therefore, employees are viewed as a core value of the company and a driving force for the company’s success.

 Amari Roskelly is very passionate about her work at Jacobs and hopes that sustainability will be integrated to the structure of every business entity. However, her fear is that sustainability as a trend may be only temporary and, in 10 years from now, it will be less practiced within the organizations.

For Amari Roskelly, buildings are self-sufficient human organisms. With the right passive design in buildings construction and implementation of sustainable practices, the environment as a whole will benefit. In terms of an economic advantage, Amari Roskelly says, it may take years before returns on the investments from $1,000,000 of solar panels will start to pay off.

To understand better what it takes to become LEED certified, Amari Roskelly discusses the major requirements for companies to satisfy in order to receive the accreditation. There are 4 levels of certification, and these are: certified, silver, gold, and platinum. Each level of certification requires a certain number of points. The company that pursues a goal to become LEED certified can obtain these points from implementing sustainable practices from the following rating system categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental qualities. Extra points will be given to the companies that bring about innovations toward reduction in energy use.

From Amari Roskelly’s perspective, there is one limitation of the LEED certification.  It has no check and balance system. It is very common for companies to stop working on new projects toward energy-efficiency use after they receive their certifications. Amari Roskelly believes that LEED should be a continuous process toward the improvements in energy use.

Andre McEwing brings developers to urban villages

 

Andre McEwing is currently a CEO of the Southeast Fort Worth, Inc. This is a nonprofit organization. The goal of his organization is to enhance the economic development in the southeast part of Fort Worth, by attracting new investors and creating jobs within this area. The organization constructed a10 year plan for achieving the following tasks: creating 8000 new jobs for the southeast residents, opening 25 new restaurants and services, and building single family residential homes.

Andre McEwing believes that sustainability starts with taking care of the environment. In his opinion, people have freedoms but do not know how to use them. One of the freedoms is a chance to work on the projects toward building sustainability in small and, sometimes, abundant places. Andre McEwing feels responsible for communities that lack of opportunities for a better life. He says that not every individual or every family has enough financial means to move to bigger cities. Not every person wants to leave his hometown in search for a better job opportunity. However, everyone deserves to enjoy freedoms offered by his community or town.

Therefore, Andre McEwing is constantly working on raising funds and bringing developers to urban villages. The major challenge for him begins with managing different expectations. Andre McEwing talks to communities to get to know their needs and wants. Not everyone may like the idea of building a new infrastructure or a big store like Wal-Mart in his or her neighborhood. However, no one can deny the benefits of job creations and the convenience offered by Wal-Mart. Andre McEwing states that local businesses also benefit when Wal-Mart is introduced to small cities. Many local business owners rely on Wal-Mart in buying their supplies.

Another challenge is to convince developers to invest in small cities or urban villages. It is very crucial to provide them with a good plan, so they will have a visual aid to evaluate the investment opportunity. In addition to a good plan, investors have to be informed about all benefits they will acquire from investing in a specific project. For example, Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) is a subsidy that is offered to developers for investing in infrastructure or other community-developing projects. There are currently 11 TIF locations in Fort Worth area. TIF program is probably the main incentive for investors to finance the development projects in small cities or urban villages. At the same time, with the aid of TIF, there is an obvious increase in job creation, construction of new buildings, and, thus, the economic growth in towns and urban villages.

 

John Mauro with his idea of automated parking

When it comes to parking my car, I prefer parking garages. They offer convenience and protection to my car in case of a bad weather. Those who live in Texas know that the weather gets very unpredictable here. The temperature may rise above 100 Fahrenheit in the summer. The parking garage is a good solution to keep my car cool during hot summer days. At the same time, when it rains or freezes, parking garages keep my car warm and dry and make it last longer.

However, I see a few disadvantages for me to park in garages. So often, I hear different stories about people being robbed, raped, and threatened when they are left alone in garages. I do not want anyone to suffer this unnecessary risk. In addition to a low level of security, there are many collisions, which are due to the tight quarters, blind spots, and sharp corners of garages.

 My other concern is that many people fail to park their car properly. So many people do not park within their parking spot and struggle to back up. I wonder if one of these days I will find a few scratches on my car.

 I would like to find a solution for people like me who prefer parking in garages with no risk of getting robbed, raped or damage to my car.

 John Mauro is a vise president of Parking Vault, Ltd. His company offers an alternative solution to parking garages, which is automated parking. The automated parking system is something common to many places in East Asia, Europe, and big cities in the USA. However, it is not yet introduced to DFW area.

blogs.automotive.com 

 

Just imagine all the benefits of this new experience in parking. John Mauro describes this parking experience in following words. The automobile first enters the transfer room, which is equipped with all types of sensing devises. The driver is exposed to all kinds of messages, which guide him to the next action. When the driver comes out of his car, he proceeds to the kiosk room. He uses one of the kiosks to provide information about himself and pay with his credit card or cash. Sensing devises make sure that the car is closed and empty. Only after assuring that the car is empty and safe to move, the mules will pick up the car and place it in the elevator portion of the garage. Then, the elevator will raise the car to a selected parking space.

 John Mauro touches on other aspects of automated parking. He says that his company offers one of the major benefits of parking which is to handle different sizes of cars, starting from the smart cars and ending with the massive trucks. Another benefit of automated parking includes 40 percent saving on land usage. Automated parking is convenient and safe. At the same time, John Mauro says, automated parking is green because it uses less electricity.  

After John Mauro’s presentation, I have no doubt that automated parking is a solution to safe garage parking.

Take an action today to improve your community

So often we are not aware that we can change the way our communities look. We think that the city authorities will improve our neighborhoods. We wait the indefinite time for improvements of the roads, sidewalks, and crosswalks. We spend our weekends at home in front of TVs dreaming about better times.

Rik Adamski encourages everyone to take a stand toward improving his own community. He speaks about Do It Yourself (DIY) Urbanism as a form of responsibility each citizen must assume for his own city, people, and vicinity. Instead of relying on the governmental aid in helping to build better sidewalks or paint the crosswalks, people can act together as a union with similar interests and goals. These goals have to be oriented toward building the social sustainability. This may imply motivating every citizen to be responsive to the needs of his community.  

Someone may wonder how to motivate people toward instantaneous actions.

Rik Adamski suggests motivating people through reasoning. The objective is to “convince the citizens that their neighborhoods are their responsibility”.

Firstly, it is important to make sure that everyone attends the community meetings and is actively engaged in discussion of the problems his or her community currently experiences.

Secondly, it is crucial to start acting immediately. For example, if there are gaps in the sidewalks, the community has to get together and fill in the gaps with the proper material. Condensed granite can be used for this specific matter. Why everyone must be involved in doing this job? The answer is simple. No one wants to be hurt or to see his kids get into a trouble while walking or playing in the streets only because the sidewalks have some gaps.

How much effort does it take someone to clean his own block?

bettercities.net 

 

Cleaning a block does not require hard labor, and it does not take many hours to pick up the trash and weeds. It takes even less time when the whole community is involved. In addition to the enjoyment that clean parks and streets offer everyone, the person involved in the process of cleaning gets a sense of pride for himself and his community. Another way to add to the community perfection is to paint the houses and fences.

Rik Adamski states that community is also about the interaction between people and the feeling of belonging. Therefore, efforts must be made toward bringing the community together through different activities. For example, “chair bombing” (sort of tailgating in a city’s interior) in parking spots or on the sidewalks is one of the activities that unites citizens and let them enjoy their cities while listening to the music, cooking food, and relaxing.



places.designobserver.com

Tailgating, music events, and other activities in the city may increase the number of tourists to this city and raise the sale taxes. A good example of this is a New Your city. The residents of NY asked their authorities to give them permission to enjoy Broadway and close the road for traffic. If NYC had decided to study the effect of this action on the traffic in NY, they would have spent millions of dollars. Instead, people received permission to organize different events on Broadway. The result was tremendous. More tourists were attracted to NYC. The city itself benefited from the sale taxes. Surprisingly, the traffic was improved as well.

 

The example with NY is an indicator that no one has to wait to enjoy his city, his community, and time with his friends. There is no such thing as complaining about the lack of resources. Rik Adamski encourages people to take action today to improve their communities as responsible citizens.

Dan Lepinski and his Solar Shuttle

Will you consider solar energy for your home?

 How many of you would like to save on your utility bills and pay on average $45/month for a 2400 square-foot all electric house? Probably, you may think this is some kind of a joke, and it is impossible to come up with a $45 dollar utility bill for this particular size of the house in the end of the month. I will understand your skepticism ,because I did not believe this myself until I had a chance to listen to Dan Lepinski.

Dan Lepinski is currently a senior engineer at Exeltech ,but he has been working in the solar energy industry for more than 41 years. His expertise in solar energy helped him to become an advisor to the North Texas Renewable Energy Group and North Texas Chapter of the Texas Solar Energy Society. In addition to this, he is a member of North American Electric Power Research Institute. One of the goals of NAEPRI is to create a smart grid. Dan Lepinski says that, with this innovation, the power companies will be able to turn on or off certain electric appliances in houses when people do not need to use them. This action will require homeowners’ permission as well.

Have you ever seen a solar shuttle before?

Well, neither had I. When Dan Lepinski mentioned his solar shuttle, I even had no idea what it was like. The Solar Shuttle turns out to be a regular trailer equipped with solar panels on top to generate the electricity. The interior of the solar shuttle contains several inverters, charge controllers, and batteries. The blue containers provide the solar shuttle with important tools, extension cords, power strips, and many more in case of emergency. But the most amazing part of this machine is in its ability to generate enough solar power to provide the electricity for the energy-efficient home. However, the solar shuttle gets mostly used for educational purposes, all kinds of events, and in the emergency situations.

 

 

 

 

Why should you consider installing the solar panels for your home?

I’m not here to decide for you about buying the solar panels right away. I want you to know the main advantages and disadvantages of having the solar energy in your home. Yet, you alone are the only one qualified to decide what works best for you.

As a true believer in solar energy, Dan Lepinski speaks about several benefits of using solar energy to generate electricity or hot water for homes. For example, in some places, like Hawaii, he says the cost of electricity is 450 percent higher than in Texas. In the state of Massachusetts, the utility bill is 220 percent larger than in Texas. Therefore, it makes sense for homeowners from Hawaii and Massachusetts to install solar panels and substantially reduce the monthly bills on electricity and hot water. Even in Texas, with lower rates on electricity (the reason for this is that the utility companies are being subsidized by the government), the one who installs the solar energy panels in his home can benefit by saving a substantial amount of money on the utility bill each month. A good example of this is Dan Lepinski himself who pays on average $45 for his 2400 square-foot completely electric home.

At this moment, you may want to ask how much someone has to pay to have the solar energy at his home. The cost to install the solar panels for residential homes varies, but it averages around $10,000. I know you are smiling now. You are right. It is not cheap and not everyone can afford it. Let’s consider this as a disadvantage.

The good news is that the government steps in to help homeowners to bear the high cost of solar panel installation and offers 30 percent federal tax credit to everyone who buys solar panels. Now, the price is down to $6000- 7000. In addition, the solar panels industry is very competitive and prices on solar panels will likely fall significantly in the near future. Therefore, the odds are high that the prices on solar panels will become more affordable within a short period of time.

After you decide that the solar energy will benefit your household, do not spend much time on thinking how to come up with an extra $10,000 your family may need for paying everyday expenses, because financing is available. The advantage is on your side. The Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) is a helpful solution for the property owner who wants to install the solar panels for his home but cannot afford it. PACE helps homeowners to finance home improvement projects through the installation of energy-efficient devises such as solar panels. This financing program provides that the money, which a property owner takes out as a loan from the city, has to be paid back through the property tax within 5 to 20 years, depending on the project (http://cleantechnica.com).

http://www.solarcellideas.com/

 Now, you are scared that your property tax and the interest rate will be too high. Consider this: a property owner can always deduct the interest paid on his tax form. Also, the cost of his utility bill will be reduced significantly so that he will break even and have no extra cost associated with the installation of solar panels (http://cleantechnica.com).

What are the other benefits of solar energy?
 

The study conducted in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the positive correlation between an increase in the value of homes and a solar panel installation. Dan Lepinski summarizes the result of the study, saying that “for every dollar in annual reduction in the utility bills that you benefit from having solar energy equipment, the appraised value of the home is increased approximately [$] 150 to 200”. He thinks that this statement is very accurate for a real estate market in 2013, because the cost of power is increasing, and homebuyers are interested in saving their dollar in any way possible. If the homeowner is able to save on average $83 on his utility bill per month, the value of his home is $1500-2000 higher compared to homes without solar energy equipment. From conversations with a few realtors, Dan Lepinski believes that the homes with solar panels can be sold within 48 hours.

Now, you probably start to see real benefits of the solar energy. If you are a homeowner and plan to sell your house in the future, investing in solar panels can be a smart step to consider.

There is good advice from Dan Lepinski before installing solar panels. First of all, be sure that your home is well insulated. Secondly, keep in mind that solar energy is produced during the daylight. A disadvantage of the solar energy is that it cannot be generated on the hazy days or in the nights. The batteries for storing solar energy are not well advanced yet. Therefore, it is recommended to exercise a smart energy use after the solar panels were installed.

Have you ever thought about other alternative uses of solar energy?

Imagine yourself hiking in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. You enjoy the warm weather and an amazing view of the nature. You are all alone and far away from your home.  Suddenly, you realize that you are lost. What will you do? Of course, you carry your cell phone in your pocket. Looks like it is the right time to call for help. But, to your disappointment, your cell phone’s battery is too low. It may take a lot of hours before someone comes to rescue you.

A small piece of solar panel on plastic could keep you out of trouble. It is available for purchase and costs around $100-200. All you need to do is to take out this particular solar panel, place it under the sun, and wait a few minutes until your cell phone is sufficiently charged to make a call.

Solar panels are not only used in buildings. For example, they are installed along the Autobahn in Switzerland. They are also a part of parking structures and are used to produce the electricity during the day and provide lighting in the nights for a safety matter. Solar panels may be attached to the roofs of restaurant buildings to provide shade.

 Passive solar is another way to take advantage of the sunlight and reduce the heating cost. The requirements for implementing passive solar are simple and do not include any mechanical or electric devises to transfer or store the solar energy. The main effort is made toward designing building structures, which may contain large south-facing window, brick walls and stone floor covering. These materials are perfect to absorb the heat and distribute it all the way through the house. Passive solar design is another way to save on your utility bill. Therefore, you may well want to consider it when you manage the design of your future home.

Finally, you decided to install the solar panels on the roof of your home or in your backyard. But all your friends advise you to reconsider your decision. They just do not believe that solar energy is a reliable source to provide your home with an efficient amount of electricity. Moreover, they tell you that the solar panels will make your home look odd.

The opinion of our friends may alter our decisions. But we have to learn how to observe the reality and make our own independent choices. The reality today is that 90 percent of the energy produced in the USA comes from the fossil fuel, which in turn, pollutes the environment. The conventional sources of power cannot last forever and are not considered to be sustainable. On the other hand, the solar energy is renewable, and there is no concern that, in the nearest future, the sun will stop shining. However, the fossil fuel is the main source of energy at the present time, and it cannot yet be completely substituted by the alternative sources of power.

Why not to use the fossil fuel smarter and save some of it for the future generations?

With an implementation of solar energy equipment, this task can be accomplished. Consider that Coca Cola, Pearl Brewery, Wal-Mart, and many more successful corporations invested in solar energy. The public also becomes more aware of the benefits offered with the consuming of the solar energy. The data from recent Navigant Research state that the annual price of the building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) market will grow from $606 million in 2012 to over $2.4 billion in 2017.

Will you consider solar energy for you home?