Austin Texas Real Estate Blog

Many home owners want to “go green”, but fear the cost and bother of doing so. It’s surprisingly inexpensive and fairly easy, though, to make small changes that can lower your family’s carbon footprint. I’m only going to mention three, but this article has ten simple ways to become more environmentally friendly.

On average, an American household annually emits about 26,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The energy used costs about $1,400 every year. A first step to reducing these financial and environmental costs is the old “turn off that light” maxim. My mother’s cry of “turn if off if you’re not using it.” would echo throughout our modest ranch house, so much so that I find myself stepping into empty conference rooms to flick the switch on lights left burning after the meeting was long over.

Another small step is to check the standby energy use of your electronic appliances. Computers, when shut off, still draw electricity through their power cords. Today’s television sets don’t shut off completely when you hit the power switch. One way to make sure the appliances are completely off and not drawing power is to plug them into a power strip which, when the item is not in use, is shut off at the strip, thus ensuring no electricity ‘leakage’.

One last piece of advice: replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. The technology in this area has advanced by leaps and bounds in the past few years and these bulbs, while still a bit pricey, are easier to screw into the socket and use a quarter of the electricity of a traditional bulb. They also last ten times longer on average.

Simple steps, big benefits. Going green has never been easier

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, is the standard by which Austin’s building projects are measured these days. Developers seeking LEED certification must meet stringent requirements for reduced waste, conservation in energy and water use, healthy environment for occupants and employees, and demonstrate their commitment to environmental conservation and responsibility.

Austin lays claim to starting the green building trend. The city government has been at the forefront of providing incentives for home and office builders to apply sustainable building practices as they plan and develop residential and professional properties.

Austin recently hosted the Austin Green Living & Home Products Expo, April 18 through 20, at the Austin Convention Center to showcase new products and designs and offer workshops for consumers to learn simple ways they can change their lifestyles and products they use to help contribute to a more environmentally friendly future. Small changes such as using compact fluorescent bulbs and reusable shopping bags can make a big impact when a lot of people get involved.

The Expo featured builders, landscaping architects, producers of renewable and alternative energy sources, and natural, organic, and fair trade products. Mayor Will Wynn spoke about his Climate Protection Plan, introduced in 2007 to raise awareness and set some goals for sustainability for the city. His aim was to set an example for the rest of the state by encouraging area home and business developers to study ways of lowering energy costs and use and he�s leading by example. In an article in the Austin Chronicle, he stated “my home electricity bill is $28 again this month. I’m also driving a fifth what I used to”. His hope is that the city will set an example for the rest of the country and, indeed, the world.

As the cost of oil rises into the record books, businesses, regardless of size, are looking for ways to reduce consumption, and thereby improve the bottom line. Managing energy costs has become a new industry as companies such as LPB Energy Management in Abilene, Texas, come into being and carve out a niche for themselves, advising businesses on lowering energy consumption.

Construction comes into play first and foremost, with details such as which way the building faces, how air and sunlight moves throughout the day, and how best to take advantage of existing topography. In Abilene, costly alternative energy sources are not as in demand as the consumer doesn’t have the benefit of selling extra power back to the utility grid. So, innovations in design and construction are needed to meet the desire for greener, more environmentally friendly buildings.

LPB has provided advice in energy management to the Abilene Independent School District. As a result, more efficient lighting systems – those that incorporate motion detectors – were installed in AISD’s newest building, Craig Middle School. Motion detectors are an easy, low cost way to realize an immediate savings in energy costs. The motion detectors have an added bonus of being a security feature.

The heating and cooling system at Craig is monitored and controlled at the central maintenance office, meaning the system can be powered down at a specified time to save on energy when no-one is occupying or using the building. Eventually, all systems within the AISD buildings will be monitored and controlled in this way.

LPB monitors electricity, water, and natural gas usage for its clients and plays a large part in negotiating the best rates possible from regional providers, and saves its customers the headache of wading through contracts and rate negotiation.

There’s no question that most states, particularly Texas, want their residents to build and reside in environmentally friendly homes. Statewide incentives are heavily advertised, and local builders are openly praised. Thus you are well aware of the regional benefits of building green. But are you also aware of the incentives outside of the state for eco-conscious construction? Have you, for example, looked into what the federal government is offering you?

There are numerous federal incentives for building and living in a “green home.” For instance, installing energy conservation measures to reduce the electricity or gas that you use daily warrants a tax break. Your gross income, come next April, will not include the value of the solar paneling or whichever device you chose to use. And if you think you can’t afford this step, think again. The federal government offers loans and grants to a variety of individuals and businesses for installing environmentally safe devices.

If you are starting from scratch, building a completely new home rather than simply installing an energy saving device, you have even more to gain. Depending on the methods you employ and materials you use, you could garner a $2,000 tax credit. At the very least, you’ll get a $1,000 credit; as far as minimums are concerned, that’s not bad at all.

So you see, it’s not just the state providing you with reasons to build green; it’s the country, too. There are numerous federal incentives waiting to be taken advantage of by you and your eco-conscious plans. All you have to do is know that they exist. To do that, visit the Green Building Initiative at thegbi.org. It has a database of benefits just waiting to be acknowledged by you.