Member Bulletin Board

July 2007 Table of Contents
	Unique Hospital Opens at Mueller Redevelopment
	2007 Cool House Tour a Big Success
	TreeFolks Creates Carbon Offset Program
	City of Austin Ends Landscape Rebate Program

Unique Hospital Opens at Mueller Redevelopment
The Dell Children’s Medical Center celebrated its grand opening with much-deserved fanfare in late June 2007. The hospital hosted tours of the building and invited the community to a grand opening party that included live music, hot air balloons, and fireworks.

The Center's accomplishments as a green building are worth celebrating.  The building is slated to receive an Austin Energy Green Building Rating as well as LEED Platinum certification. To date, 39 buildings world-wide have achieved Platinum certification, which is the highest offered by LEED. If awarded, the hospital will be the first building in Texas, and the first hospital in the world, to earn Platinum certification. 

	Interactive kinetic art appeals to kids and adults.
	Walls of windows bring in natural light and give "kid's-eye-views" to the outdoors.

Thoughtful Planning = Great Results
Thoughtful planning went into this building at every stage, and it shows. According to AEGB staff, Sarah Talkington, "They have gotten the smallest details right.  The art work is interactive, inspiring and youthful without a trace of a cartoon cliché.  Everywhere you look, things are to scale with the smallest patients: lower windows, cubby-hole spaces, and kid-sized doors are sprinkled throughout."

When completed, the 475,000 square-foot, 170-bed facility will house a three-acre multi-level healing garden with a labyrinth, human sundial, reflecting pond and bridge. Awareness of the environment's role in health and healing can be felt throughout the building. Almost every space is within 32 feet of natural light; many windows are operable, allowing fresh air to circulate; and outdoor spaces are easily accessible. The Center has five courtyards and two healing gardens: each embodies one of the seven eco-systems in the hospital's 46-county service area so that no matter where the patient is from, they can spend time in a familiar natural setting. 

Building features include:

	47,000 tons of Mueller airport runway material was re-used on site.
	92% of construction waste was recycled on site.
	Many regional materials, including Texas Red Sandstone, are used throughout.
	Captured stormwater run-off is used to irrigate landscaping.

Efficient and Reliable On-site Power
Austin Energy partnered with the Center to build an on-site combined heat and power (CHP) plant that meets 100% of the hospital's energy needs. This allows the hospital to use the on-site generation as its primary energy source, with the grid as back-up. The CHP is more efficient than a traditional fossil-fuel plant and releases less emissions.

Resources
Dell Children's Medical Center slide show
Dell Children's Medical Center "About Our Green Building"
Clean Energy Powers Hospital, Transmission & Distribution World article

2007 Cool House Tour a Big Success
Eight homes participated in the annual tour, which was held Sunday, June 24. The tour, co-sponsored by Austin Energy Green Building, is the main fundraiser for the Texas Solar Energy Society (TXSES) and according to Board Chairperson, Carol Harwell, they sold about 1,650 tickets. Tour-goers came from as far away as Dallas and Houston.

Being a part of the tour is a great way to show off your best projects. Many Green Building professionals who rate homes with Austin Energy Green Building participated in the tour. Having these professionals available in the homes to answer questions is an invaluable benefit of the tour. "We strive to have as many building experts as possible at each home," says Mary McLeod, Coordinator of the Residential Green Building Program. "The tour is an opportunity for us to educate the public about green building and to market the skills of our program participants."

Jim Rush, of Jim Rush Green Builder, Inc., showed off his classy and environmentally-friendly remodel of a small bungalow that included a variable-speed HVAC system, screened porch, tankless water heater and dual flush toilet. The smallest home on the tour, this design earned big kudos for its site- and owner-sensitive context and its focus on energy, water and material conservation.

Our most famous house was the Hyde Park bungalow featured on "This Old House" -- the long running PBS show's first green-rated project. The remodel was designed by Webber + Studio Architects and built by Bill Moore, William T. Moore Construction, Inc. The solar PV system was installed by Meridian Energy Systems and Innovative Water Solutions installed the rainwater collection system.

For the first time, a spec house (for sale by the builder) was on the tour. At 4,200 sq ft, the 5-star Tarrytown home designed by Barley + Pfeiffer Architects and built by Risinger Homes LP, was the largest on the tour. Builder Matt Risinger comments, "Having a 5-star green spec house is very unusual. People had great questions and seemed especially interested in the spray foam insulation and energy efficient lighting."

Owner-Architect-Builder Don Smith of Northfield Design Associates, Inc. was on hand at his energy and water efficient modern-style, 5-star east Austin home. The home was designed to minimize material use and maintenance while maximizing durability and efficiency. In particular, the concrete floor and countertops, along with the wool carpeting, were chosen for their durability and low maintenance.

Owner-Architect Ross Tedter right-sized his bungalow-style home on a small, infill lot. The home, built by Oliver Custom Homes, is a text-book example of green building from the tree protection on the site and efficient passive cooling design strategies to the low-VOC finishes, efficient lighting, and tankless water heating.

The gorgeous greenbelt view from Owner-Architect Glen Chappell's home was a huge hit with tour-goers. Built by Randy Meek Homes, Inc., the Chappell-Najvar home had beautiful and useful outdoors spaces (including an outdoor shower and tub) along with energy and water efficient systems and appliances.

The studio addition at the Curry-Waldron residence was designed by Hammer Design. The south Austin home considered sustainability in all its decisions and slowly became an urban permaculture site. It now incorporates a rainwater catchment system, organic gardening, chickens, and a solar PV system. Craig Overmiller of Texas Solar Power was on site to answer questions about the solar PV system.

TreeFolks Creates Carbon Offset Program
Carbon offsets were originally created as way for large corporations (i.e., large polluters) to compensate for their carbon emissions. When carbon offsets are purchased, the money typically buys and retires carbon emissions credits, or is used to fund projects based on renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation. Recently the concept has become more accessible to individuals who want to reduce their impact on the climate. Most of us contribute to global warming by driving and using electricity, among other things. According to ClimateCrisis.net, emitting 7.5 tons of CO2 annually is the national average. More and more people are seeking to determine their carbon emissions (using a carbon calculator), reduce their emissions as much as possible and purchase carbon offsets for any emissions that they can't eliminate. Carbon offset programs can provide an important personal, and in some cases, local solution to global warming.

Think Global, Offset Local
What could be better than using a local, well-respected non-profit organization to offset your global warming emissions? Not much, really... except maybe having your carbon offsets be used to directly enhance your community. That's where TreeFolks comes in. With a 20-year history of growing the urban forest, TreeFolks has planted tens of thousands of trees in the Central Texas area through it's five major programs:

• City Shade (plants trees on public lands)
• CommuniTrees (grant program for individuals or groups)
• Neighbor Woods (plants trees to mitigate heat island effects)
• Urban Orchard (plants fruit and nut trees in public spaces)
• Sapling Days (October tree give-away program)

Go Ahead: Hug the Tree
TreeFolks has created a carbon offset calculator that allows you to offset your personal carbon emissions by, in effect, purchasing the planting of trees. Along with all their other benefits, trees are very effective at reducing pollution, especially in urban areas. TreeFolks will use the carbon offset funds to plant trees through one of it's existing programs. Participating in this local solution has a special benefit: since TreeFolks will identify the areas in Central Texas where your carbon offset trees are located, you can even visit your trees. And give them a hug.

Resources
TreeFolks' Carbon Offset Program
US EPA Climate Change - What You Can Do
David Sukuki Foundation - Go Carbon Neutral

City of Austin Ends Landscape Rebate Program
You, and the environment, will always benefit from landscaping that conserves water. Earth-wise landscaping practices can save you time, energy, and money. However, due to low participation, the City of Austin Water Conservation department has phased out its landscape rebate program. On the plus side, they are doubling the rebate (up to $200) for water efficient clothes washers purchased before September 30, 2007. Be sure to follow the applicable guidelines. For more information, contact Water Conservation at 512-974-2199.

Resources
City of Austin GrowGreen Program