Member Bulletin Board
Stewardship, Inc. Wins Prestigious Water Conservation Awards
Each year, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) presents conservation awards to deserving individuals, organizations, companies or agencies that have excelled in efforts to protect and conserve water resources in the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. This year was especially critical for water conservation as BSEACD declared a Critical Stage Drought for the first time in its history. In November, the District recognized some of the exemplary water conservation steps taken by area citizens at the 2006 Conservation Awards luncheon hosted by the Bowie High School Culinary Arts program.
The 2006 award for Water Conservation by a Builder/Developer and the Innovation award honored the entire Circle C Fire/EMS Station Design Team: Alan Barr; Stewardship, Inc.; Urban Design Group; and Winterowd Associates, Inc., who worked together to minimize site disruption on the 9.28-acre tract, create an effective, attractive passive water quality system, and design an exceptional green building. The building, which earned a Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating, was oriented correctly with respect to passive cooling while being sensitive to the large existing trees on the site. In addition, only 8.7% of the site has impervious cover and the stormwater treatment design exceeds the EPA’s Best Management Practices requirements by removing 95% of the Total Suspended Solids and 98% of the Total Phosphorus.
 |
 |
Exterior view of the Circle C Fire/EMS Station. |
Art In Public Places display. |
Features of the project include:
"I am particularly proud of the fact that we stockpiled and reused native topsoil rather than hauling in soil," says Gayle Borst, architect and president of
Stewardship, Inc. "Not only is this better for the plants, but it avoids the environmental penalty associated with trucking soil off the site and later trucking new soil onto the site. Healthy native plants help prevent runoff and the resulting impact on the Aquifer."
Read more about the awards on the BSEACD site >>
Solar Rebate Program Increases Payout
The Solar Rebate Program has responded to overwhelming interest from customers and a new tax incentive program from the government by leveraging the rebates so that as many customers as possible can take advantage of them.
Back in May 2004, the Solar Rebate Program first launched with an amazing $5.00 per watt rebate. The response to the rebate was so positive that, after about a year, the rebate amount was lowered to $4.50 per watt so that more customers would be able to take advantage of the limited pool of rebate money available. In November 2005, the Federal Tax Credits for renewable energy came online and the rebate was lowered again to $4.00 per watt which, in concert with the tax credits, worked out to about the same overall cost savings for the customer.
As of October 2006, the rebate amount has been increased back to $4.50 per watt in order to continue to encourage the use of clean energy resources. This rebate level will pay between 45-75% of the cost of installation of a solar system. For example, a 1-kilowatt (1,000 watts) solar system, the smallest considered practical, should cost between $6,000 and $10,000. The Austin Energy rebate ($4.50 x 1,000 watts) will pay $4,500 toward the installation.
New Solar Hot Water Rebate Program
Austin Energy has expanded its Solar Rebate Program to include a rebate for solar hot water heaters to residential or business customers with all-electric systems. If you are planning on installing a new water heater, consider a solar water heater. These heaters are a cost-effective and environmentally responsible alternative to conventional methods of producing domestic hot water.
Note: As a municipally-owned utility, Austin Energy may only offer these rebates to our customers.
BuildingGreen Publishes Top 10 Green Building Products for 2006
Nine of the products have been added to GreenSpec during the past year. The 10th "product" is Renewable Energy Credits. Other products include an Indirect Evaporative Air Conditioner that creates no indoor moisture; an interior molding made from 90% recycled polystyrene; and salvaged underwater timber that was submerged decades ago by reservoirs created by hydroelectric dams.
The list contains a brief description of each product, its green features, and LEED credit availability along with contact information. You can also see the GreenSpec listing for each product.
View the Top 10 Green Building Products List >>
Central Texas to Host Natural Building Colloquium 2007 in October
Natural building and permaculture are coming to Quiet Valley Ranch, home of the long-running, world famous Kerrville Folk Festival. Quiet Valley Ranch will host the Natural Building Colloquium from October 19 - 28, 2007.
Austin's Design~Build~Live (formerly the Sustainable Building Coalition) and other Texas natural building leaders will work with colloquium participants to improve facilities used by Kerrville Folk Festival artists, staff and visitors. "We're looking forward to offering hands-on natural building seminars in this wide open setting, and hosting talks from leading natural building architects, builders, experts and teachers," says Kindra Welch, a natural home builder and co-organizer of the colloquium.
"The state of the world now is pretty messed up, and anything we can do to show people a better way to build, any positive changes we can make, we need to do," says Frank Meyer, a straw bale construction
veteran and event co-organizer.
Details on registration, costs, speakers, schedules, and other colloquium details are yet to be determined, but will be posted on the 2007 colloquium's web site as soon as is feasible.
Natural building emphasizes construction techniques that are deeply sustainable: materials are generally harvested from the earth, forests and fields near a site. Ms. Welch says, "Natural buildings
become pieces of art created with soul and purpose."
Permaculture, or "permanent agriculture" as originated by Bill Mollison, is the practice of designing sustainable human habitats by following nature's patterns, integrating ecology, landscape, organic
gardening, architecture and agroforestry.
Possible topics or projects for this colloquium currently under consideration include straw bale construction, cob construction, earthen and lime plasters, earthen floors, natural building theory
and practice, owner-builder project presentations and more. Colloquium planning committees are formed but not full. Anyone interested in supporting this event with time or other resources should contact Kindra Welch at 512-663-3166. |
