Going Green... (Houston, Lubbock, West: real estate, 2009, city hall)

[NeoPlanner]

How many of you all have solar panels installed either on your rooftops or on your property, or are considering the idea?

Do you feel that government buildings should install solar panels on there roofs to reduce the light bill so that many could go towards other smaller projects?

I think this would be an excellent idea, but does anyone know of any city in Texas that has begun installing panels on their city hall, libraries (etc) to reduce their electrical costs?

[Westerner92]

In Shallowater, the school has put up three wind generators, which I believe has cut their dependency on the grid in half. Because if their success, Lubbock is looking into installing solar panels and wind generators on government buildings and schools.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by NeoPlanner

I think this would be an excellent idea, but does anyone know of any city in Texas that has begun installing panels on their city hall, libraries (etc) to reduce their electrical costs?

Yep

George R. Brown convention center in Downtown Houston has plans to transform its 11 acre roof into a gigantic space of solar panels & green landscaping starting this coming year.

Also, the new Discovery Green Tower going up in eastern Downtown Houston will feature the first wind driven turbines in Texas on top of its roof.

[NeoPlanner]

Originally Posted by Westerner92

In Shallowater, the school has put up three wind generators, which I believe has cut their dependency on the grid in half. Because if their success, Lubbock is looking into installing solar panels and wind generators on government buildings and schools.

Very nice! I hope Lubbock gets those solar panels on those buildings and schools.

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Yep

George R. Brown convention center in Downtown Houston has plans to transform its 11 acre roof into a gigantic space of solar panels & green landscaping starting this coming year.

Also, the new Discovery Green Tower going up in eastern Downtown Houston will feature the first wind driven turbines in Texas on top of its roof.

Now that is awesome! I'm going to look more into that online. Good deal.
This is a bit off topic: I know a Wal-Mart up near Mckinney, Tx, I think, has a 150 ft tall wind turbine along with solar panels, and an awesome landscape that allows penetration and filtration of the rainwater through the parking lot.
Wal-Mart Deploys Solar, Wind, Sustainable Design - Renewable Energy World

360 Wind Powered Wal-Mart Stores by April 2009 : TreeHugger

[$DFW8$]

Originally Posted by NeoPlanner

How many of you all have solar panels installed either on your rooftops or on your property, or are considering the idea?

Do you feel that government buildings should install solar panels on there roofs to reduce the light bill so that many could go towards other smaller projects?

I think this would be an excellent idea, but does anyone know of any city in Texas that has begun installing panels on their city hall, libraries (etc) to reduce their electrical costs?

Well we don't have solar panels installed on our house, but I have seen some that do have them.

I do think that city and government buildings should install solar panels on their roofs as it would only help cut back on expenses. But I have heard that solar panels will not work at all if they have snow on them or anything else on them because it blocks the light.

[TexasHorseLady]

I'm holding out for the "paint on" solar products (nano-solar) to become available commercially. They're working on getting those down to the same price per kilowatt hour as "traditional" electricity, thus making them more likely to be used by the average household. Since I'm an EcoBroker®, I'd like to try them personally so I can give good advice.

[NeoPlanner]

Originally Posted by $DFW8$

Well we don't have solar panels installed on our house, but I have seen some that do have them.

I do think that city and government buildings should install solar panels on their roofs as it would only help cut back on expenses. But I have heard that solar panels will not work at all if they have snow on them or anything else on them because it blocks the light.

That is true. Have to go up and swipe off the snow once it stops dropping, but it is always good for the summertime when it gets hot and the A/C is running most of the time.

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

I'm holding out for the "paint on" solar products (nano-solar) to become available commercially. They're working on getting those down to the same price per kilowatt hour as "traditional" electricity, thus making them more likely to be used by the average household. Since I'm an EcoBroker®, I'd like to try them personally so I can give good advice.

You're right. Once Wal-Mart installs solar panels on most of its big-box structures, I think we might probably see the price of solar products drop dramatically. Pretty much the same thing you are talking about. EcoBroker? Hmm, sounds interesting....could you tell me a little more about your company?

Thanks!

[AK123]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

George R. Brown convention center in Downtown Houston has plans to transform its 11 acre roof into a gigantic space of solar panels & green landscaping starting this coming year.

Also, the new Discovery Green Tower going up in eastern Downtown Houston will feature the first wind driven turbines in Texas on top of its roof.

I didn't know about these. Very cool...

[TexasHorseLady]

An EcoBroker® isn't a company, but a real estate designation that I studied for. We're educated in things that relate to "green" building, homes, etc., everything from the rebates and such that make buying or renovating a home to be more ecologically friendly more affordable to resources for energy audits, rainwater harvesting, solar or wind power, insulation, etc., etc., etc.

Now, for me, the very foundation of "green" building is obviously how you orient the building on the lot, as everything else grows from there, but there are things that can be done in addition to that both in new building and in renovating, and even if, due to being in a subdivision, orientation isn't ideal, there are ways to cope.

We don't have solar panels on our house. However, we live in a home that was built in the early part of the 20th century (somewhere between 1900-1930), that was moved out to our place in 1970 (long before we bought it in 1996), oriented perfectly, and because it was built before central air and heat, we don't turn on the AC here in Central Texas until June/July, and then it's window units. It was built to accommodate the climate that it's in, in other words, with high ceilings, windows oriented properly, etc. Could use some more insulation, but the basic design is there.

The area I live in has been green since green wasn't cool. I can remember visiting a home some 20-odd years ago that had as close to a zero footprint as possible, and such things as rainwater harvesting have been readily available for decades - well, not counting the rainwater harvesting that's been going on since folks first got here that they learned in the countries they came from in Europe a few generations back.

The nanosolar I didn't learn about from the EcoBroker classes though - that was just my native tendency to research.

[TexianPatriot]

I'll go green when it becomes cost effective to do so. Until then, I'm off to burn a pile of tires in my backyard to prevent the global cooling that is destroying our planet (kidding, but 2008 was the year that global warming from human activity was totally dismissed). I'd actually really enjoy going off the grid, but I can't afford panels. As with all gadgets, prices will fall over time.