Archive for July, 2010

Jul

29th

Austin Energy Solar for Schools Program


Through the highly successful Solar for Schools Program, Austin Energy has set an ambitious goal of completing nearly 50 solar installations at schools in the Austin Energy service area by the end of 2010. The utility recently home-imgcompleted an additional six schools, bringing the total number to 28. The estimated savings for those 28 schools is 120,744 kWh annually and is expected to reduce Austin Energy’s peak demand by 17 kW. Another 20 solar systems are expected to be installed at schools throughout the year.

Read the full article here: 

http://www.austinenergy.com/About%20Us/Newsroom/Press%20Releases/2010/solarSchools.htm

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Jul

28th

HEB Supports Local Farmers in Drippin’


The community of Dripping Springs is excited about the opening of the new HEB there this month, and the Stanberry Green Team is so proud of many of HEB’s great decisions in the process.  They listened to locals asking for more organic choices, and expanded that department.  They met with local farmers and producers, tasted wares and made purchasing commitments with Pure Luck Dairy in Dripping Springs for goat cheese, potted plants from Klepac Greenhouses in Blanco; fresh flowers from Arnosky Farms in Blanco; lettuce from Bella Verdi Farms in Dripping Springs; wine from 01farmermarket2Wimberley Valley Winery and Texas Hills Vineyards in Johnson City.

Buying locally produced foods is important for superior nutrition, environmental reasons (no fossil fuel based shipping), and because it keeps important dollars in the local economy.  Congratulations to HEB for being an excellent civic and environmental citizen!

See our Live-Eat-Buy Local section for a list of local vendors for fresh foods, farmers markets, and restaurants offering locally sourced fare.

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Jul

28th

LEEDing the Way to a Greener Future


AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) – The number of LEED-certified, high-performance buildings in Central Texas has more than tripled in two years, from 24 in 2008 to 76 in 2010, according to the Central Texas Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).greenbuilding-150x150

Buildings that acquire LEED certification demonstrate high standards in construction, operations, maintenance and have an environmentally conscious design.

“The fact that this growth in green building is occurring during an economic downturn indicated both that green building has become mainstream and that owners and developers are seeing it as a way to compete in the new marketplace,” said James Andrews, chairman of the USGBC’s local chapter. “It appears to reflect growing recognition by owners, operators, contractors and the community at large of the return on investment, both financially and environmentally, that green building and sustainable development brings to a region.”

The benefits of constructing under the LEED guidelines are found in buildings such as the Advanced Micro Devices campus, which has yielded annual savings of 20 percent on energy use campuswide.

The most recent buildings to achieve LEED certification in the Texas capital are the Livestrong headquarters in east Austin and the Department of Veteran Affairs Financial Services Center. Within Central Texas, Austin leads the way with 44 LEED-certified buildings and more than 190 properties awaiting certification.

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Jul

6th

2 Minutes: Green Return on Investment


It’s becoming increasingly apparent that building to greener standards saves energy costs, increases health, and adds value to real estate.  Here is a great two minute video showing how building to LEED standards benefitted this commercial building with energy and water savings. 

This is a 2 minute version of the full 12 minute Green Building Education Film produced and directed for Stiles Corporation’s Lake Shore Plaza II project. This film earned 1 Innovation and Design Point for LEED Certification.

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Jul

4th

Stay Cool for Less:Programmable Thermostat


Here’s a great little how-to video for a simple home improvement that can reap big benefits.  A programmable thermostat can cost you $30-$100 to install, and pay for itself very quickly.  The EPA says homeowners typicallythermostat spend 20% of their energy bill on cooling in the summer- and it Texas it’s probably well above that average!  We installed these in our Stanberry Westlake office, and are saving about $200 a month on our electric bill!  http://tinyurl.com/2fd2cpn

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Jul

4th

Vertical Hillside Home Wins LEED Platinum


Marin County architect Scott Lee bought a 1/10 acre, nearly vertical, “unbuildable” lot, and turned it into a showcase green home.5hillsidex-inset-community

The four-level home, bunkered into a hill, won the top or platinum rating in March from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.

It’s a great story in a weekly feature at usatoday.com that showcases a green house each week.

Read more and see the photos/floorplan at http://tinyurl.com/323dv9v

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