COSA OEP Noticias Verdes

City of San Antonio Office of Environmental Policy Noticias Verdes
Noticias Verdes	Monday, June 14, 2010 / Volume 3 Issue 6
Welcome The Office of Environmental Policy (OEP) is pleased to provide you with up-to-date information about environmental news and events from within San Antonio and surrounding areas. There are lot of exciting things going on and those of us at OEP are doing our best to stay on top of these efforts to promote economic growth through sustainable development.	In this issue: • 2010 City of San Antonio Green Building Awards Partner Events • Energy for the Future Kids Camp • Dump the Pump Day • Solar San Antonio at the Movies • HCA Conservation Development Design Workshop • USGBC LEED Workshops Partner Best Practices • The San Antonio Museum of Art’s Sustainability Goals Bring Rain Cisterns to the Campus OEP and COSA News • City of San Antonio Green Contractor Rebate Program • 2010 Neighborhood Challenge and Commercial Tree Planting Programs • San Antonio Bikes Assisting with Health Grant • Auxiliary Power Units installed in Airport Police Cruisers • Sustainable Urban Economics Tool • Liza Meyer wins W. Sinkin Solar Heroine Award Upcoming Job and Bid Opportunities and Events • Upcoming OEP Job Openings • Plug-in Electric Vehicle Conversion Invitation for Bids • National Solar Tour - Saturday October 2
New on the OEP Website: http://www.sanantonio.gov/oep Mission Verde Center: An overview of the center's goals, objectives, and partners. STEP Performance Reporting: Quarterly reports from CPS Energy tracking the progress of the Save for Tomorrow Energy Plan (STEP) CasaVerde SA: Low-income weatherization assistance program Green Rebate Program: Program information and application. San Antonio Bikes
2010 City of San Antonio Green Building Awards The City of San Antonio is proud to the announce winner from its second annual Green Building Awards. This annual award is designed to celebrate builders who have made significant strides in improving the performance of their buildings, as well as specific construction projects. Awards were offered in several categories within the divisions of commercial and residential construction. The winners by category are as follows: Green Building – Commercial Construction: Winner – *Holiday Inn at Westover Hills* (General Contractor – MCC Design-Build, Architect – CasaBella Architects, Mechanical Engineering – Agnew Associates) Honorable Mention – *Trinity University, Miller Residence Hall* (Architect – Marmon, Builder –Malitz Construction, Engineering – Cleary Zimmermann, Owner’s Representative – John Greene, Facilities Director at Trinity University) Honorable Mention – *Port San Antonio Corporate Offices* (Architect – Beaty-Palmer, Builder – MJ Boyle) Green Building – Residential Construction: Winner, Production Builder – 9002 Summit Lake (Imagine Homes was the developer, builder and architect for this project) Winner, Custom Building – Joe Koizen / Eaton Street Residences (Developer – Green Train Developers, Architect – Dewitt Architects, Builder – Stephen Jackson Construction) Winner, Affordable Home – 3010 Lancrest (San Antonio Alternative Housing was the developer, builder and architect) Green Practitioner: Winner – *Pearl Brewery: The Green Practitioner Award is awarded to individuals or organizations who have demonstrated an organization-wide commitment to green and sustainable practices. The Pearl Brewery project, developed by Silver Ventures, was awarded the Practitioner Award for the consistent commitment to sustainability and green practices. Bill Sinkin Solar Technology Award:* *Winner – Army Residence Community:* Cinco Solar was awarded the Bill Sinkin Solar Technology award for the solar water heating system installed on the Army Residence Community. This system is the largest evacuated-tube solar water heating system in Texas, and supplies approximately 80% of the hot water to the 198 units. (Hollis Fitch, CEO; Hugh Daschbach, Regional Sales Manager; Mike Tillman, Project Manager) *Honorable Mention – Ralph Porter Residence:* The Honorable Mention awarded to Novastar Energy was for the 5.4 kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system installed on the Porter residence. This system is estimated to provide 74% of the home’s yearly energy needs. (Ralph Porter, homeowner; Andrew Madison, Sales Consultant; Dustin Aubrey, President) Honorable Mention – St. Mary’s University Electrical Engineering Club Solar Team (2010 Fiesta Oyster Bake Solar Demonstration): The St. Mary’s University Electrical Engineering Club Solar Team designed and installed a 1.4 kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) array for the 2010 Fiesta Oyster Bake. The array powered a portion of the booths at the event. The project was a joint effort of the Solar Team (Nathan Churchwell, Stephanie Crowell, and Supratim Srinivasan) and Corbo Electric (Dough Camp). The students installed and mounted the charge controller, combiner box, inverter, and communication system and wired them together. Corbo Electric linked the batteries together, wired the panels, and grounded the system. For more information on the Green Building Awards, contact Liza Meyer, Office of Environmental Policy, at (210) 207-1449.
Partner Events Energy for the Future Kids Camp This summer, the Mission Verde Center in partnership with the San Antonio Youth Centers, Alamo Colleges, and the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD), is hosting a Energy for the Future Kids Camp. Seventy students from three SAISD schools are attending sessions held three times a day, supervised by excited and caring teachers. This camp allows students to build solar powered machines, cars, and robots, race solar boats and cars, and learn how solar energy works and how is transforming energy use in this country. Additionally, field trips to the solar powered Pearl Stables and a tour of SAWS water management facilities are planned. Dump the Pump Day June 17 On June 17, 2010, join VIA Metropolitan Transit and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in celebrating the 5th Annual National Dump the Pump Day. In these tough economic times with high gas prices, everyone is looking for a way to save money. National Dump the Pump Day encourages people to ride public transportation (instead of driving) and save money. Riding public transit is the quickest way to beat high gas prices. The latest APTA Transit Savings Report shows that a two car household that downsizes to one car can save – on the average – more than $9,000 a year. The average household spends 18 cents of every dollar on transportation, and 94% of this goes to buying, maintaining, and operating cars, the largest expenditure after housing. Map your own route using VIA’s Personal Trip Planner: http://www.viainfo.net/BusService/TripPlanWrapper.aspx Solar San Antonio at the Movies June 17 – 7:30pm – Alamo Drafthouse Theater, Park North Solar San Antonio, together with a host of local civic and environmental groups, hosts a monthly film series at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Park North. The series is designed to make educational opportunities around environmental issues more widely available through high quality, award--winning films and documentaries. The series will continue the third Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm and more information can be found here: www.solarsanantonio.org/FilmSeries.htm. Admission is $5 for Students, SSA members, EchoTown green card holders, and members of Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, Green Spaces Alliance, Sierra Club, and Bexar Audubon Society and $9 for general admission. This month’s film is DIRT! The Movie. HCA Conservation Development Design Workshop June 25 – 8am to 3:30pm – Pearl Studio The Hill Country Alliance will host Randall Arendt back to share his wisdom and expertise about Conservation Development. Local leaders, development professionals, and regional habitat and riparian experts will also share their knowledge with an informative panel discussion. Learn with your peers at a hands on design workshop. And, take advantage of valuable networking time with local advocates of sustainable development. The workshop will also explore how conservation subdivisions can accommodate profitable development while maintaining the intrinsic values of the natural and rural landscape. The presentation and planning exercise will demonstrate practical, easy-to-use techniques to enable developers and property owners to work together to implement full density residential subdivisions in such a way that helps to build a community-wide network of productive, protected and sustainable land use. This workshop will be useful for property owners; regulatory state and public officials; design, planning, development professionals; and real estate community to learn how to plan, design and market successful Conservation Subdivisions. For more information and registration instructions, please visit: http://www.hillcountryalliance.org/HCA/ArendtEvent2010 USGBC LEED Workshops The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is conducting two LEED related workshops in the coming months. LEED 201: Core Concepts & Strategies (July 15) This workshop provides essential knowledge of the LEED Rating Systems and sustainable building concepts for those seeking a better understanding of LEED or pursuing GBCI’s LEED Green Associate credential. By presenting LEED concepts at the credit category level – across building types and rating systems – and basics on the building certification process, this workshop provides the foundation required for any 300-level LEED education offering. Real project examples help demonstrate and reinforce learning. https://www.usgbc.org/CourseCatalog/coursedetail.aspx?ID=90000040 O+M 251: Understanding the Operations + Maintenance LEED Rating System (September 16 ) This workshop introduces the credit intents, key elements, main requirements, and reference standards of the Green Building Operations + Maintenance (O+M) LEED rating system. The course also reinforces understanding of synergies between credits, and provides an overview of the LEED certification process, including basic documentation considerations. Throughout the day, participants will engage in discussions and interactive activities to enforce what is taught about LEED O+M prerequisites, credits, and concepts. https://www.usgbc.org/CourseCatalog/coursedetail.aspx?ID=90003986 Partner Best Practices The San Antonio Museum of Art’s Sustainability Goals Bring Rain Cisterns to the Campus This is an edited version of an article submitted by Breann Boze. For the full article, please email her at bboze@trinity.edu Camouflaged by an earthy veneer of locally-quarried beige brick walls, visitors might never discover what rests along the beautifully manicured esplanade of the San Antonio Museum of Art. Beyond the Great Hall and beside Café des Artistes rest two features of SAMA’s sustainability plan: dual rain cisterns. The use of rain cisterns, which collect and store rainwater from a roof, is an effective environmental and economic method increasing in both popularity and practice. Studies by the National Wildlife Federation show American households using an average of 50-70% of their water consumption on lawns and gardens during the summer months. They suggest installing rain cisterns as an alternative means of conserving water for landscape use. Each rain cistern is capable of retaining more than 4,300 gallons of fresh rainwater which is automatically pumped through an irrigation system twice per week and in times of drought. Rain censors were installed and prevent overuse by turning the sprinkler system off during showers or storms. The San Antonio Museum of Art understands the importance of “going green” and is continually looking for ways to introduce sustainable practices in their day-to-day operations. In doing so, SAMA hopes to inspire the San Antonio community to do the same, making changes—no matter how minor—toward environmental protection.		OEP Staff -Laurence Doxsey, Director -Liza Meyer, Special Projects Manager -Bill Barker, Senior Management Analyst -Julia Diana, Senior Management Analyst -Philip Gates, Senior Management Analyst -Robert Young, Management Analyst -Sara L. Kirby, Grants Management Officer -Sonia Hernandez, Administrative Associate Physical Address 111 Soledad, Suite 725 San Antonio, TX 78205 ph:210-207-6372 fax:210-207-4396 Mailing Address P.O. Box 839966 San Antonio, TX 78283-3966 Links San Antonio Bikes
	OEP and COSA News City of San Antonio Green Contractor Rebate Program Applications are now being accepted for projects for the City of San Antonio’s Green Contractor Rebate Program. The Green Contractor Rebate program is a joint effort of the City of San Antonio and Build San Antonio Green (BSAG). It is designed to jump-start local energy efficient home improvement efforts by offering incentives for contractors who renovate homes through Build San Antonio Green’s Green Retrofit program. Incentives are available for registered contractors who are members of Build San Antonio Green and include BSAG certification costs, home energy performance testing, and a cash rebate based on the level of efficiency improvement per home. Projects must be within the CPS Energy service territory and have all necessary permits. Rebates are available until July 2012 or until funds run out. To find out more information, please visit the following website: http://www.sanantonio.gov/oep/greencontractor.asp 2010 Neighborhood Challenge and Commercial Tree Planting Programs The City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation and Development Services Departments have launched the 2010 Neighborhood Challenge and Commercial Tree Planting Programs. These programs have the goal of planting 825 new trees across the city during the upcoming fall tree planting season. "This is an excellent opportunity for citizens to beautify their neighborhoods and to contribute to the ecological health of their community," says Parks and Recreation Department Forester Michael Nentwich. "We also want to give neighborhoods an opportunity to work together and foster good relationships within those communities." Each applicant for each program will be eligible to receive up to 25 trees. Two neighborhood projects and one commercial project will be selected in each of the 10 City Council Districts. Completed applications are due at the City Clerk's Office by Friday, June 26, at 4 p.m. Project selections will be announced in August. Applications can be found here or by calling 210-207-3108. http://www.sanantonio.gov/sapar/treeplantingchallenge.asp San Antonio Bikes Assisting with Health Grant San Antonio Bikes is assisting Metro Health with the Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant. The purpose of this grant is to reduce risk factors and prevent obesity, mitigate chronic disease, and promote wellness in both children and adults. San Antonio Bikes will help Metro Health by promoting "active" transportation options through increasing signage and wayfinding, by providing safety equipment (such as bike lights), and by rolling out a bike share program in the coming months. Look for updates on the San Antonio Bikes Website as these programs roll out this summer. Auxiliary Power Units installed in Airport Police Cruisers Using stimulus funded Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant dollars, the City of San Antonio has installed auxiliary power units in 14 Airport police cruisers. These units enable the cruiser to operate its full electrical system for up to four hours without running the engine. This allows our Airport Police to run communications devices, computers, and warning lights without wasting gas or emitting pollution. It is expected that over 5 years this project will save 70,000 gallons of fuel and 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, as well as the associated wear and tear on cruiser engines. This can be converted into financial savings as less gasoline will be needed to be purchased, and vehicles can be replaced less frequently. Sustainable Urban Economics Tool The City of San Antonio recently awarded a contract to Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. in association with the University of Texas at San Antonio Center for Community and Business Research and Balanced Solutions, LLC. to develop a Sustainable Urban Economics Tool. This economic model will compute the impact of implementing environmental conservation actions such as energy and water conservation on the characteristics of the city. Additionally, the model will permit the consideration of economic and environmental consequences of alternative policies and programs. This tool enhances the City’s existing economic planning methodology by take into consideration additional sustainability measures currently not considered in analyses. Liza Meyer Honored by Solar San Antonio Solar San Antonio presented five solar advocates with a Solar Hero/Heroine Award at their annual luncheon on May 19th at the Pearl Stables. Recipients include Steve Ihnot of juwi solar, Inc.; Bob Sohn, executive director of the Pearl Institute; Cris Eugster, cheif sustainability officer, CPS Energy; Jigar Shah, CEO of Carbon War Room and founder of SunEdison; and Liza Meyer, from the Office of Environmental Policy. Liza earned her Solar Heroine Award for coordinating the Solar America Cities program and advocating for solar within the City of San Antonio. The May 19th luncheon was held to honor Solar San Antonio's accomplishments as well as Solar San Antonio's founder and chairman, Bill Sinkin, on his 97th birthday. Upcoming Job and Bid Opportunities Upcoming OEP Job Openings The Office of Environmental Policy is hiring! For job descriptions and application submission instructions, please visit the City’s Job Opportunities site at: http://www.sanantonio.gov/hr/jobs/main_jobs.asp The submission deadline is Friday, June 25, and the positions are listed under the "Non-Departmental" category. Plug-in Electric Vehicle Conversion Invitation for Bids The City of San Antonio is soliciting bids for a vendor to convert five (5) City-owned Toyota Prius vehicles to Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles. The vendor shall provide the conversion kits and all labor necessary for the completion of converting vehicles to plug-in hybrid vehicles. The Bid documents can be downloaded at http://epay.sanantonio.gov/RFPListings/. Bid responses are due promptly in the City Clerk's Office by 2:00 p.m., Central Time, on June 21, 2010. This project is being funded through a stimulus funded Alternative Fuel Grant awarded to the Office of Environmental Policy by the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO). National Solar Tour - Saturday October 2 The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Tour is the world's largest grassroots solar event. This event, which will take place on Saturday October 2 this year, offers the opportunity to tour innovative green homes and buildings to see how one can use solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies to reduce monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change. More than 160,000 participants will visit some 5,500 buildings in 3,200 communities across the U.S. Solar San Antonio is now accepting RSVPs from homeowners and solar installers who would like to participate in this year's tour. For more information please visit www.solarsanantonio.org/solartour2010.htm and contact Christine Chapa. Solar San Antonio is also taking reservations for companies who would like to exhibit their sustainable products or services at tour locations. Last year, thousands participated in local tour, and with the increase in solar activity this year, Solar San Antonio is expecting another successful event!
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