GOODBYE!

Unfortunately, my blogging has come to an end but the rewards were great!
On behalf of my husband Pierre and I, we want to thank our professors, Megan Topham and Michael Wollman for a great experience during our sustainability course. Good luck with the upcoming sustainability classes this year.

Save Water

We came to an end as we made our way to the last site visit of the class; The Tarrant Regional Water District's Annex building is a LEED-Gold Certified structure. Our tour guide, Laura Blaylock, began the tour with a little information about TRWD. 80% of the water in North Texas is on the southend of the state and they need to bring it uphill from the lakes to the populated areas. This is an area of operations and sustainability that Laura concentrates on. The sources of water are all man-made lakes for the exception of one. Some of the lakes are Cedar Creek Lake, Richland Chambers Lake, Lake Arlington, Eagle Mountain Lake among others. Laura also let us know that water conservation is the biggest return on investment for them, and it is another form of water supply for other uses.

 As we continued through the building, the sustainability part of the class began and we were informed that the floors we were standing on were of a cork product and fully harvested. Another area of flooring is made up of uncovered concrete with a beeswax product that seals it and give it a shiny look. The furniture in the welcome areas is all made from recycled products and all paint on the walls contain low volatile organic compounds or VOCs. In addition, all steel that makes up the structure has 40% recycled content and all materials that were used to make the structure of the building such as the steel, stone, etc. were brought from a 500 mile radius. The U.S. Green Building Council - LEED also awarded the building points for having an open concept with no dropped ceilings. The breakroom countertops are also cement with the beeswax seal and the cabinets are made out of medium dense fiber board or MDF. A white film is inserted between the glass windows of the offices which allows it to serve as their dry-erase boards.

 All glass that surrounds the building is Low-E glass and the HVAC is centrally controlled in the Annex. The carpets are from recycled soda pop bottle products and the water fixtures are of course, low-flow. There are solar panels providing 15% to 16% of the total energy and covering about 19,000 square feet of the building. As we made our way into the back of the building, we were impressed with the giant rain barrels or tanks that were bought and made in Austin. When it rains, the water runs down to the roof gutters which then runs to each end and into 2,500 gallon tanks where it is recycled. This water is used for the irrigation system underground which waters the shrubs and trees only. The grass is never watered since they installed drought resistant grass and plants in the those green areas.

 Laura continued to educate us by mentioning the numerous conservation projects going on in the lakes. They are always trying to keep the runoffs clean and from being filled with dirt. Lakes are constantly turning water from bottom to the top and at times it carries the dirt up to the top where it is being pumped by TRWD. They also participate with dairy farms and ranchers on cattle management and soil management projects. Laura also expressed her concerns about the amount of water that is wasted in the summers since 60% of treated water is poured out into the lawns. To learn more about TRWD and their great tips on how to conserve water please visit the TRWD Website.

As the day came to an end, my interest and amazement on sustainability grew more with each presentation. I am very grateful to have taken this class because I was never aware of sustainability efforts at my Company other than recycling. I am now more aware of the issues that societies and buildings can have and how simple it is to make to those changes. Sometimes those simple changes can cost you a pretty penny but it can be done one step at a time instead of trying to change every aspect of a building. In the end, the returns are great and it will be a decision that you will never regret.

Teleworking Anybody?

Jerry Burbridge was our final in-class speaker of the day and of the mini-semester. He is employed with the Cherokee Nation where he is currently the Budget Manager for commercial leasing and ground construction and assigned to the Department of Homeland Security and Customs/Border Protection. Mr. Burbridge spoke to us about teleworking and the great benefits this brings not only to the individual but to the company as well. Teleworking is becoming increasingly popular but it is also becoming a way of life for many individuals and their families. Wouldn't it be great to work 2 or 3 days in the office with the remaining working days at home? Asked Mr. Burbridge. YES! 132 metric tons of CO2 per year are saved by the average full time employee when you add up the average vacation days, sick days and temporary leave. Can you imagine how much more CO2 can be prevented from going into the atmosphere if everyone telecommuted 2 days a week?

He continued to explain that his role in this process is to conduct site assessments and come up with a space planning sketch or plan for the work-spaces. He needs to make sure every possible work-space is being utilized efficiently for the specific number of people that are present each day at work while others are teleworking; Standardization of space! Mr. Burbridge, therefore builds Labor employee relations offices, forensic labs, jails among many others. He designed a space planning process with a "six side approach - 6666" where you must think of six sides for the four sixes:

1. Every piece of land has six sides. You must examine up, the top of the land, down and all four sides by asking yourself what is around me, are there minerals beneath the surface, who or what is next to me to the north, south, east and west?
2. Next comes the building and you check all six sides. You inspect the roof system, the foundation system and all four walls.
3. Third, you check all six sides of every room within the building.
4. The fourth and last six sided approach is for furniture, fixtures and equipment.

For Mr. Burbridge, this approach is essential for his everyday responsibilities and he proceeded to show us that a cost-savings on a 3,000 square footage space was $35 per square foot, $160,000 savings from construction costs and $155,000 savings in furniture costs. A reduction of 3,000 square feet  resulted in a cost-savings of $420,000 with these three items alone and everyone had a work-space for everyday they were physically in the office. Impressive! On top of his six side approach, you want to take into account operating costs, lease costs, contruction costs, furniture costs and carbon footprint. If you remember to incorporate all in your analysis, you will be an expert in green building!

Good Ol' Fort Worth Texas

Our second tour on January 12th, 2013 after the Trinity River Vision came to a stop at the old Fire Station No.1 in Downtown Fort Worth. We were welcomed by architects Bill Peterson and Geoff Reiner of Jacobs Engineering. As we entered the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the presenters assured as that throughout time, no city or society has been able to manage resources responsibly. The energy that is consumed in construction is a substantial amount which brings us to today. Instead of taking up space to build outward, societies are now trying to reduce footprint in a sustainable way and build up, just like old times.

150 years ago, timber, wood and stone were the materials of choice in Fort Worth, TX. The designs when constructing a home, a saloon or any building had to be adjusted for the environment. These buildings did not have a lot of insulation, living areas did not want to be placed in the front of the house where the sun was the strongest, big porches were needed for shade, tall windows for ventilation and also the home was raised off the ground to prevent flooding. However, this was not enough effort to where you could say that the first era of Fort Worth (1860s - 1870s) managed resources responsibly. In the second era of Fort Worth, around 1880s, steel, brick and cast-iron were the material of choice for buildings. The buildings also started to add square footage upward with multiple rooms in each floor. This is where mix-use zoning started taking place and you could have a saloon on the first floor and retrieve to your home in the second and third floors. As the buildings got taller, the city became dense and more populated. Cast iron columns had the advantage of being slender, compared with masonry columns capable of supporting similar weight. That saved space in factories and other kinds of buildings, and enabled architects of theaters and churches to improve sight lines when supporting balconies. Cast iron also became the standard support structure in the construction of greenhouses but late in the 19th century, modern steel was developed and it proved to be more suitable than cast iron for structural and support purposes.

Mr. Geoff then brought us to the beginning of the 20th century where we were still not remotely close to building sustainable. Air conditioning completely changed the way buildings are made while other buildings had limited work space for people since an atrium would be constructed which can be defined as wasted space. An interesting fact that I didn't know was that in the 1970s, there was a movement towards green buildings but it suffered and collapsed due to the image it portrayed. People didn't think highly or thought quality when having things made out of recycled tires or the look of a solar panel on the roof of your house. People were not attracted nor where they ready for any of these recycling ways or sustainable ideas that we now so much desire in the 21st century.

A New Place to Live, Work and Play

 The Trinity River Vision is a master plan to promote the 88 miles of river, keep it beautiful, accessible and enjoyable. It was recognized that the river presented an opportunity to revitalize neighborhoods, bring nature to people and enhance everyone's life with a beautiful outdoors. The plan is made up of eight targeted segments along the Trinity River with the Central City area, Trinity Uptown, being one of the most exciting areas for all the people, employees, engineers and architects taking part in this vision. It will connect from Downtown to the Stockyards and the Cultural District and provide flood control and environmental enhancements and create a “live, work, play” model that will encourage sustainable city growth. The Trinity River Vision got many of its ideas from the beautiful areas of Vancouver, Canada, combining an Eco-friendly system, urban revitalization and recreation for the river.

 There have been many events to try to entice and bring people to the river. Panther Island Pavilion is a part of the river next to the Tarrant County Community College/Radioshack Campus in downtown Fort Worth hosting fun Thursday nights for all young adults, college students and families called Rockin' the River. For concerts, a stage is set up and the bands perform live on the Trinity River while you enjoy a cold one on your floating device. Festivals and other events are also brought to Funkytown and white beach sand has been added to make the entrance to the river more accessible and attractive to all visitors. Panther Island Pavilion is located in Trinity Uptown, the future home to the vibrant urban waterfront north of downtown that will be the largest mixed-use development in Fort Worth. In addition, a one-of-a-kind urban drive-in movie theater located in the heart of Trinity Uptown will be Coyote Drive-In which will be up and running in the Spring of 2013. With the continued construction of these visions in the area, the public will get a better idea of what the future looks like for this neighborhood. Watch the following 30 second video to see the progress of the movie screens. Pretty cool!

With the recent growth, Fort Worth has gone out to seek smarter solutions to handle major population increases. Smart sustainability practices will be integrated into the design and construction of the new park facilities, flood gates, lakes, dams, roads, bridges, storm water management facilities, public plazas and other infrastructures. Land use will be regulated through mixed-use zoning. Re-use of materials for construction of public infrastructure. Low-maintenance greenscapes containing plants native to this region will be utilized. An innovative storm water management system will manage storm-water runoff through a series of canals replacing conventional underground conveyance systems. These are only a few of the many other green and sustainable efforts that the TRV is planning. With such a great, fresh, and beautiful upcoming area to live, dine, shop, and play, Fort Worth will become one of the best places to live in Texas.

Do It Yourself!

One of the most interesting and different presentations I have ever encountered was during our January 12th class as we welcomed our first two speakers of the day, Rik Adamski and Debra Stein. The topic of this morning would be DIY Urbanism.What is DYI Urbanism? As described by Mr. Adamski, it is a phased approach to instigate change in any city along with citizen-generated alterations of the built environment. In other words, individuals or small groups of people work together to make an improvement or to communicate a message, typically at the scale of the urban block or building and create their own positive urban interventions. The intro picture above is part of the Urban Art Program initiative in New York City. The art will help foster more vibrant and attractive streets and offer the public new ways to experience the City's streetscapes.

Since the federal, state and local governments are tight on budgets and do not have the time and people to invest in DIY Urbanism, active city council members, volunteers, architects, engineers, city artists, small and local business owners take on the responsibility to initiate change. For example, Parking Day is an event where spaces normally reserved for cars are transformed for the day allowing residents to socialize in re-envisioned public spaces and encouraged to use sustainable construction materials. The goal is to make a more lively, active and community-oriented place to live and work. After a few hours, the spaces revert back to meter parking. PARK(ing) Day Dallas promotes the use of temporary green space as a form of community activism. Another form of DIY Urbanism is DIY Crossing which is just a way of reinventing, modernize and make the streets looks more playful than your ordinary pedestrian crossing. The Intersection Repair is a city led conversion of an urban street intersection into a public square/space. The community works together to make the place beautiful and a place where people can go and have fun and feel welcomed. Mr. Adamski mentioned many examples of DIY Urbanism and even though some of these might seem like you are vandalizing the place, you are not! There are a spectrum of tactics on how to get involved and do your own DIY space.

Debra Stein was our second speaker who also talked to us about how to embrace a street or a space and build a better block! She is an individual with so much energy and ready to take on any challenge that comes her way. With her experience and background such as in the visual arts, dance, art gallery owner, city council member, theater, real estate licensee, once upon a time a TV show actress and an employee of Disney she is perfect for any DIY Urbanism movement and is currently tackling a project of her own. She announced that she is taking on the challenge of incorporating DIY Urbanism into Riverside and Race Street (an area in Fort Worth, TX). She realized that this is an urban village with county funds ready to be used. An urban village is an area that has been designated for reinvention and reinvestment. Debra is trying to get people out of their homes and into the streets by bringing in many small/local shoppes, DIY murals, paintings or crossings and mix-use zoning. Anything to make the place feel alive and a space for everyone to enjoy and socialize. She named it, the Riverside Arts District and it has definitely been a community driven district with many stakeholders involved.

I can't help but think how great both Debra Stein and Rik Adamski were for spreading the word and making us all aware about something I had no idea excited or was even a concept. DIY Urbanism is definitely something fun and exciting and worth every minute of someones time to make their area more beautiful, enjoyable and you get to meet people. This is something I would definitely look into for volunteering and would like to look for those areas around my community. There's not a better feeling than knowing you have helped your community thrive and it is more beautiful place because of you.

"You have to stand for something or else you'll fall for everything" quoted Debra Stein

Bring the Heat!

Our last presentation on January 5th, 2013 focused more on the topic of solar panels and the energy efficiency they provide which represent the environmental and economic components of the sustainability sphere. Our lucky speaker was Mark Thompson who is the Director of Sales at Green Ox Energy Solutions which is a full service commercial, residential and utility renewable energy provider. This presentation convinced me even more of the positive effects solar photovoltaic panels have on your electric bill and the amount of savings my family can accumulate. In Texas, most electricity is generated by the burning of coal, nuclear energy or through gas. However, there are many environmental concerns especially with the generation of electricity through coal or nuclear. Greenhouse gases and Global Warming have been the topic of discussion for decades and one that will continue to grow until the use of Coal for energy ceases. Cities and governments are now placing more restrictions on existing and new and upcoming coal plants and are becoming unpopular to build. Natural disasters such as the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and 45-foot tsunami caused the catastrophic explosion of the nuclear power plant in Japan. Explosions of nuclear power plants can cause massive radiation effects, toxic chemicals to be spilled on the water and land as well as the immediate killing of workers due to the blast. Nuclear plants are highly disliked and are also becoming too expensive to build. All of this creates rising demand in electricity while having a reduction in supply.

One way to answer to the rising demand is to consider the top three renewable energy sources: Wind, geothermal and solar photovoltaic panels. In fact, Texas is the leading state in wind renewable energy, with wind turbine farms all over North Texas and West Texas.Geothermal energy as I have mentioned in prior posts, is a way of extracting heat from the earth. In Texas, geothermal energy consumption is done with pipes full of liquid (usually water) that run down the earth and bring back up with the warm water for some of your energy consumption. Solar PVs are now being considered to be almost essential for any commercial building and even residential areas.

There are two types of Solar PVs, Ground Mount and Roof Mount systems that are available for residential, commercial and utility scale solar farms. The Solar PV design, whether ground or roof mount, are set up according to the orientation of the sun, availability of area for panels (standard panels are 3 ft by 5 ft), the client's budget and goals for energy efficiency among others. Another interesting fact that Mr. Thompson mentioned is the use of a micro inverter as opposed to a central inverter. A micro inverted is attached to each solar panel and takes the direct current and converts it to alternating current. What this does, it allows to see how much energy production you get per panel as opposed to a whole row of panels or a whole system that uses a central inverter. For this reason, a micro inverted is definitely more beneficial.

Overall, Mr. Thompson gave a very well prepared presentation with very useful information for me to take home and consider. I now know that the life span of a standard panel is about 25 years and produces 240 to 250 watts of electricity per hour of direct sunlight. After 25 years, the panels will still produce electricity but at a much lower rate than the first 25 years. It is safe to say that maybe about 80% of the 240/250 watts of electricity would be produced in the 25th year. When you are ready to get rid of your solar panels, the glass and metal frames of the entire mount can definitely be recycled for reuse or for other industry uses.  Judging from the picture above, I am not the biggest fan of the look and design of this particular solar panel for residents. I researched for different designs and color of panels and came across the following video from a company called SUNPOWER. Enjoy!

The Roof That Breathes!

 My favorite site visit so far came on January 5^th, 2013 when we arrived at the BRIT and were introduced to our tour guide, Greg Braak. There was so much to see, so many notes to write so I could mention every detail in this blog. The inside of the building is breath-taking and the buildings themselves were built and placed strategically in its specific location in order to stand as a sustainable building.  The BRIT stands for the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, and it’s a non-profit plant research and learning center focused on conserving and knowledge sharing. It was founded in 1987 along with its Herbarium on the east side of Fort Worth. However, in May 2011, after 11 months of construction, BRIT opened to the public its new 70,000 sq ft. building including the Herbarium. The buildings are called the “Think Block” which contains the main entrance foyer and other areas for education, research, exhibit and administrative offices. The “Archive Block” houses the Herbarium and the library. The BRIT received U.S. Green Building Council LEED - Platinum Certification which is the “highest level of green”. It was truly remarkable to see how this institution and its staff protect nature’s treasures.

As we entered the building, you couldn’t help but notice the large windows at the other end of the building and the amazing bamboo ceiling. Thanks to this massive wall of windows, as I like to call it, natural sunlight pours in and provides lighting through more than 75% of the building, thus cutting energy use throughout most of the day. The bamboo ceiling is a rapidly renewable resource which can be harvested within six-year cycles and it displays itself beautifully in the foyer. 

Eco-Friendly and Energy Efficient

 On the right hand side of the foyer, a tall and enormous wall of a wood-like material is also shown. It is a sinker cypress wall which comes from cypress logs that sank to the bottom of a river in Louisiana over 100 years ago. After they were pulled out and dried, they became the Eco-friendly lumber of choice to display in the foyer as well.  Low-flow faucets, dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals reduce water use 60% over EPA standards. In addition, the cement floors in the foyer and along the Think Block actually came from a Public Health building that used to exist right next door. The building had to be torn down but it was torn down piece by piece in order to recycle as much as they could. In the end, 97.6% of the building was recycled and this was something BRIT and their architect wanted to do because it was the right thing to do. Someone scored some good LEED points! 

Another cool and exciting sustainable fact is that the Think Block actually breathes! What did they mean by ‘breathe’? Well, the roof is a planted living roof which houses all sorts of plants that reduce cooling/heating needs as well as rainwater runoff. This improves durability and provides a habitat for native plants, butterflies and birds. The Archive Block does not have a planted living roof and instead it is covered with rooftop solar panels in the shape of a tube. The tubes cross in array and collect the sun’s rays on all 360 degrees of the tube. These solar panels cover 6,000 sq. ft. of the roof and provide about 16% of the electricity in the building.

Below are some more fun facts about the BRIT:

Future Vines

• The living roof is sloped 9.5 degrees so it’s viewable from the parking lot.
•  Vines will cover the walls of the Archive Block playing a big part in the building’s thermal insulation.
• There are 6,000 bio-trays that hold 30,000 plants of 48 species on the living roof.
• There are 166 wells each 256 feet deep drilled around the BRIT campus empowering BRIT’s geothermal system.
• The BRIT PV system is composed of 285 solar panels, each panel containing 40 solar cylinders.
  

Conserved Specimens

As we made our way into the Archive Block where the Herbarium is located, Mr. Braak preceded to inform us about the content of the walls,ceiling panels and floors. The drywall and ceiling panels are made from recycled sheet-rock and the rubber-based floors are made from recycled tennis shoes and tires. Before entering the Herbarium, we entered the plant preservation studio where all specimens of plants go through before entering the Herbarium. In this room, volunteers dry out the plants by placing them between newspapers and cardboard. They then go into a -20 degree freezer to kill any minuscule living bugs and eventually filed and contained in the Herbarium geographic region. These plants give scientists a lot of information and helps understand climate changes since the same type of plant can take on different shape, size and color in one part of the world as opposed to in Texas. Research is also done for nutritional and medical purposes. One particular student is doing research on ways to do DNA analysis for crime scenes through her experimentation with a plant's DNA.

As you can see, the BRIT is truly an amazing building to see. This is definitely my favorite site so far but wouldn't you be amazed at a LEED-Platinum certified building? The BRIT definitely shares knowledge about the plant world and with that knowledge comes a sense of care and stewardship for our environment.

Let's Bring It All Together

Andre McEwing was out final speaker during our December 22nd class. He is currently the Purchasing/Procurement Department Manager at Tarrant County Community College and coincidentally, he used to be the Executive Director at Southeast Fort Worth Inc. before Allen R. Smith. He is a graduate of Morehouse College located in Atlanta Georgia and also an alumni of TCC.

Mr. McEwing came in a reinforced everything we had learned throughout the day. After his introduction, he revealed to us that the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index contains over 300 holdings in addition to 26 Green Investment Funds that have been created since 2009. He also listed the immediate and long-term advantages of Green buildings. As a quick and obvious example, lower operating costs and improved indoor air quality were a no brainer. Improved risk management, enhanced productivity, enhanced recruitment and reduced absenteeism are advantages that I would not have thought of right away. It only makes sense that a happier and cleaner place would make the environment more enjoyable for everyone. If there is a clean environment then employees would enjoy coming into work and enjoy the duties and responsibilities they each perform. In addition, employees and recruiters would be proud of who they work for and immediately spread the word about such great company. For long-term advantages, the creation of Green-collar jobs would be very beneficial. There would be improved public health, reduced peak demand for electricity and potable water, reduced utility costs for businesses and consumers among others.

Mr. McEwing also stressed that over 75% of cities in the U.S. are changing building codes to encourage green/sustainable buildings and 88% of cities are educating the public about the need for sustainable buildings. To top it all off, Dallas, our own city, has the number one "Greenest" building program in the nation tied with San Francisco and all city funded buildings are LEED Gold Certified. In remembering all of this, there has to be a good size payback in the end for the large efforts and expenses some of these projects undertake. Cost-Benefit Analysis, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics among others are all involved into building for sustainability.

If there is something Andre McEwing can convince you on, that would be to go Green!

Let's Get To Brewing

MillerCoors - Fort Worth Brewery was our first and my second favorite site visit on January 5th, 2013 and had the pleasure of having Lairy Johnson, Environmental/Sustainability Engineer, and Rashad Alston, Trade Quality Specialist, as our tour guides. The company is not only passionate about beer but they are a hard-working and dedicated team with a deep sense of responsibility to the environment, the community and the beer lovers. MillerCoors grew from the innovations of two German entrepreneurs who came to the United States in the mid-19th century and successfully established their own brewing company. Frederick J. Miller and Adolph Coors had the good fortune of having committed family members who carried their vision and in time these two traditions came together to form one promising company.

 The brewery tour was more than amazing and educational. I am not a beer drinker but if only beer is available I will always go with my good old Miller Lite with lots of lime. The process and time that goes into making all the different types of beer is sensational and beyond what I expected. I didn't know beer needed to age up to a month before it is packaged and sent out to distributors. The process is quite complex in my opinion, and I will not attempt to describe the brewing process but will say that the five ingredients to any beer are barley, water, hops, yeast and liquid adjunct. I got that down! One of the most striking facts that Mr. Alston mentioned was that according to what beer will be in process, a mild, middle of the road or strong yeast  is used and it can be used up to 9 times to make that specific beer.Incredible!

MillerCoors excels in the efforts of sustainability towards energy efficiency, reduced water usage and waste and sustainable packaging. It is part of the Safe Quality Food Program and in fact the Fort Worth Brewery was the first in the world to obtain SQF Certification. According to Mr. Johnson, the certification specifies best practice processes such as lowest cost per barrel, lowest water usage, lowest energy usage among others.

In the area of energy and emissions, MillerCoors has reduced energy consumption across eight breweries by 4.3% since 2008 and is on target to reduce energy consumption by 15% across the eight breweries by 2015. How are they reducing energy consumption? MillerCoors uses waste water as a source of renewable energy by generating bio-gas. The Fort Worth brewery and two others use the bio-gas in place of fossil fuels to power the boilers and generate electricity. In 2011, seven security vehicles were converted from conventional gas to hybrid vehicles in six of the breweries including Fort Worth. The seven hybrid vehicles reduce their fuel consumption by more than 1,300 gallons each year. Motion light sensors were also installed to conserve electricity when there is no movement in an area and the lights turn on when movement is detected.

Water is probably the most significant resource since it makes up 96% of the beer and it's a significant part of every stage from the barley field to the brewery to the bottle. Mr. Johnson informed us that in 2011, the Fort Worth Brewery performed best with a 3.53:1 water-to-beer ratio and five of the eight MillerCoors breweries achieved water-to-beer ratios under 4.00:1, which is below the industry average of 5.00:1. In addition, the Fort Worth brewery's packaging lines were converted to use new waterless dry lubricants instead of the conventional water-based lubricants resulting in a projected annual savings of 10 million gallons of water. On a side note, during the filtering process when separating the barley grains from the water, the grains are recycled and taken to dairy farms and used as food for the cows. MillerCoors is also looking into converting the grains to fuel pellets to be used for burning light in lamps and other uses.

On waste reduction, Mr. Johnson also informed us that the company had a goal of reducing waste to landfill by 50% by 2015. In 2011, they exceeded their goal and reduced waste by 55% and are now working towards establishing a new target. The company reuses and recycles more than 99% of the brewery waste and also turn waste into energy, compost and soil conditioner for their own use. In the maturation vessels, where the beer rests to build its natural carbonation and develop its flavor, the carbon dioxide that is generated is also recycled and can be reused in the carbonation process before the bottle is sealed.

Overall, this a very unexpectedly fun and educating experience. I never thought so many ways of recycling and other sustainability processes/efforts would come out of the beer brewing cycle. As Mr. Johnson put it, Fort Worth is one of the biggest and oldest breweries with equipment that is 45 years old, yet the other breweries that have automated and up to date equipment that is only 12 years old do not compare with the levels of recycling, energy reduction and water reduction that Fort Worth is able to practice. This tour was an experience I will never forget. We topped it off with the class receiving a beer tasting which I politely opted out of at 11 o'clock in the morning.

Lead by Example

Allen R. Smith is currently the Interim Executive Director for Southeast Fort Worth, Inc. where his mission is to entice and promote developers to come build and re-build in the Southeast area of Fort Worth, TX. Southeast Fort Worth is currently a place where not a lot of development has been happening. One such example are the 400 plus acres that are available for residential and commercial development along the west shore of Lake Arlington. This specific area is centrally located and minutes away from any place of interest or tourist site in the metroplex. As Allen Smith pointed out, Southeast has all the elements for success:

• Available and affordable land
• Institutions of higher learning such as Texas Wesleyan University and Tarrant County College not to mention Texas Christian University only minutes away in Downtown Fort Worth.
• Plenty of room for families and businesses to grow as well as development incentives to make it all happen.

 A recent development came when Walmart started the long awaited construction of one of its super-centers in Southeast Fort Worth just east of Highway 287. This Walmart, scheduled to be complete by early 2013, became the anchor store and the first of many more stores/shoppes in Renaissance Square.
The neighborhood Homes Revitalization Project was a long and well known effort where investments were made from financial institutions such as Bank of America, Wellsfargo, Chase and others into several homes in the area by giving them a face lift and beautiful landscaping.The project lived by the words:

"An Investment in Southeast Fort Worth, is an investment in our Citizens of Fort Worth."

 The purpose of this was to help the residents of the area have a proud and beautiful place to live and also to make it attractive to potential builders/investors. By cleaning the areas and making the neighborhoods beautiful and clean will not only attract builders but families as well.

Mr. Smith is especially proud for bringing two schools from the Uplift Education System to the Southeast area. Uplift Education is one of the best and most recognized public institutions in the State of Texas and the campuses are rated exemplary by the Texas Education Agency. The new addition has made many families extremely happy because now their children get the chance to have a great education and with 100% graduation rates, they are more likely to attend college and start pursuing their dreams.

All these things that Allen Smith helps put together screams sustainability in a social and economic way. Helping people, volunteering and having a voice in the community is all that is needed to let the city of Fort Worth know what it is that the people want. In addition, Mr. Smith let us know that by speaking to your Homeowners Associations or at a City Council meeting can be a great way to heard.

Live Green - The Ultimate Dream Home!

Don Ferrier is the third generation of the Ferrier family in home building/general contracting business. He is currently the CEO and President of Ferrier Custom Homes where they specialize in Structural Insulated Panel construction and has merged sustainability into his design. He has built many of the early generation energy efficient homes across Texas and received the 2007 National Association of Home Builders Green Building Award. In addition, Don Ferrier was recognized as one of the Energy Value Housing Awards most devoted builders in 2011 and his company was honored with "Remodeler of the Year" award in 2012.

As a speaker in our Real Estate-Sustainability course, I was deeply interested in the techniques and energy efficient methods Don incorporates in his custom homes. Not only does he work with brand new custom homes, but he is also available for home remodeling and for commercial projects as well. One of the main energy efficiency techniques is to build the back of your home/windows facing south since that is where the living areas are located in a home. Large windows on the south side of the house let the sunshine in during winter because of the low angle of the sun. Eaves prevent sunshine entering the house in summer because of the high angle of the sun. Ferrier Builders can also incorporate solar hot water panels to reduce energy consumption as well as a metal roof which will deflect 75% of the sun's radiant  heat. Front-loaders, washer and dryer, yield more space savings and are energy efficient because they open down on the sides instead of the top, they use one-tenth of the water and finish in one-third of the time compared to an old fashioned washer.

These are only a few of the many techniques Don and Ferrier Builders can incorporate into your new home. If your goal is to build a Net Zero home, Ferrier Custom Homes might be a good if not perfect candidate for you. An American Standard Home has a Home Energy Rating Savings (HERS) of 100. In order for a home to receive an  Energy Star, it needs to receive a rating of 85 or lower. Ferrier Custom Homes builds its customs homes with a rating between 47 and 55 which is considered a healthy energy efficient home. As a home owner, I am definitely more aware and conscious to find ways for our home to be energy efficient. Even though incorporating many of these features can run at a high price tag, Dan Ferrier's presentation made me realize how great the benefits can be. When I'm ready to build  my dream home and have the savings in hand necessary to get started, Ferrier Home Builders might be getting a call from us.

A First Look Into Sustainability

Our first stop was at the Bedford Public Library in Bedford, TX. Maria Redburn had been a librarian for the  Bedford Public Library since 2006 and has now become the Manager of the Library. She became the Program Manager for a task that would prove beneficial to all residents of Bedford, Texas; That is, build a Green and Energy Efficient Library.

This wonderful library has many unique features. The building itself is not a new building. It had been used in prior years for other purposes and bought by the city to restore it and reuse it as the public library of Bedford.
The main issue Maria wanted to address was energy efficiency. It all started with a grant from the Department of Energy and in time the Library got an energy reflective white roof which reduces the heat that travels through the building. The reflective white roof increases solar production and the efficiency of the air conditioning system within the building. On top of the reflective white roof came a photovoltaic system or solar panels which was made possible with the help of Oncor, one of the largest electric transmission and distribution service provider. They were installed all along the roof at the precise angles to expose them to the sun for the longest period of time and produce the most energy possible. This allows the library's energy demands to be served by the solar panels first. If more energy is needed than what the solar panels are producing, then the city's energy utility grid provides the extra power. All walls are well insulated and the removed pebble residue that came from the existing roof was recycled and utilized as erosion control at the nearby parks of Bedford.

The library also contains motion light sensors in all bathrooms and in the back work/occupancy areas so the lights turn on and off automatically. The picture shown on your left is from the Teens section of the library. The room is filled with LED energy efficient lights that run on 16 amps of energy which equal the amount of energy run on a hair-dryer. (Pretty Impressive!) In addition, to LED ballasted light fixtures, the staff's work areas were designed to not enclose the employee in a cubicle but rather promote a social interaction with a very low middle wall and ergonomic-friendly work-area.

Another well defined moment for Maria came when the sorting equipment was installed which consisted of 40 feet of conveyor. This allows customers to drop off books or DVDs through a drive-through drop off or inside the building. After the drop-off the conveyor scans the book or DVD which then sorts it into a certain bucket. This has eliminated the work redundancy for the librarians and allowed for quick and proper shelving at the end of each day. This amazing piece of equipment has a price tag of about half a million dollars but with such an investment it will pay itself off in 6 to 7 years.

  In addition, the checkout stations have been a marvelous and exciting option for many of the residents. With over 4 stations spread throughout the Library and 5 computers on each station, the satisfaction in checkout time and privacy of each customer has never been better. In a matter of seconds, you could've paid your 2 day fine with the ability of swiping your card for the late fee and checking out your next 2 books for your own leisure and the kid's DVDs for their entertainment. Even though all equipment was not a cheap option, customer satisfaction has increasingly gone up due to the new checkout system. Less time has been wasted by librarians when customers are wanting to checkout or when returning numerous items. Both the conveyor and the checkout stations have helped the staff by focusing more on the in-depth questions from the customer. The equipment has also allowed for better management in FTEs (Full Time Equivalents.)

Maria had one last surprise for us before departing the Bedford Library. She began to make her way to the back of the library were she showed us an enormous piece of green space outside the library. This is where the installation of 150 geothermal wells were placed at 250 feet into the earth. This geothermal heat pump system uses the earth's core temperature to heat and cool the building and it is usually protected by placing a parking lot or a large green area on top. This system brings the building's inside temperature in the comfortable 70s and allowing Maria to minimally adjust the heating/cooling system inside to the desired temperature.

This trip to the library has never been more exciting for me! Not only did we get a tour of the library, we got a look at what this library means to Maria, the staff and the residents of Bedford. Maria was able to double  the size of her library to about 40,500 square feet and only incurred an increase between $400 to $700 a month in energy costs. This is an amazing energy savings with such sustainability improvements that have made this library 50% more efficient. The staff is more socially engaged with each other and its customers due to many of the improvements.

I had no idea so much could go into the topic of sustainability. I am definitely more aware of issues and improvements that one can make to their business or home and have such cost-savings without the wastes we produce everyday. My feelings on this experience are beyond what I expected. I've never felt so happy for someone like Maria after all the obstacles to get the library to where it is at today. I never thought that all the investment would pay off well in the end. Not only is having a green and energy efficient mind set good, it is the right thing to do in my opinion. Even though many of the equipment mentioned can be expensive, it does not stop you from beginning a journey of having sustainable business or even a home. Everything can be done one step at a time and slowly. Before you know it, your building or your home will reach 50% efficiency with all the sustainability projects you have implemented. Maybe one day, reaching more than 50% efficiency or Net Zero will not be too far behind.

The Bedford Library is a happier place to work in and for others like me, it is a happier place to learn.

Just the Beginning...

Before I came into the MBA program at UTA and into REAE 5304, I had no idea what exactly sustainability entailed. Amari Roskeli, our first speaker of the day and Sustainability Coordinator for Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. introduced this concept to the class. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. is one of the world’s largest providers of professional technical services and offers full-spectrum support to industrial, commercial and government clients across markets such as Aerospace and Defense, Technology, Buildings, Energy, Environmental Programs and many others. Amari is in the area of Aerospace and Defense where she mainly deals with sustainable projects for hangers and air traffic control towers.
Sustainability was introduced to me as:

"Building today so we do not harm the future. This is done, environmentally, socially and economically." 

These were the words of Amari Roskeli, which intrigued my interest in finding out what else surrounds the word sustainability. I became aware of the Green Building Rating System - LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which was developed in 2000 by the U.S. Green Building Council along with its Certification Levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. This Rating System is the used primarily in the U.S and Canada and other various countries. Within the categories of Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality are many of the LEED Credits that can be taken on by an Industry/Company/Business/Home to reach their desired level of sustainability. Most importantly, as mentioned above, there are 3 Spheres of Sustainability: Social, Economic and Environmental. Sustainability is achieved when an integrated approach to social, economic and environmental impact issues lead to sustainable profit growth.