USE RAIN
Annie Hatala & Fred Rapczyk, Brazos County Master Gardeners Association
Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable practice that can be traced back hundreds of millennia. Originally used as a farming method, rainwater harvesting is exactly what it sounds like: collecting water from rainfall and putting it to use!
The Brazos County Master Gardeners Association, or BCMGA, is a nonprofit organization led by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension that leads educational programs on different research-based gardening methods. One such method that they specialize in is rainwater harvesting.
“[Rainwater harvesting] is beneficial on a lot of levels,” says Annie Hatala, Master Gardener, who previously led BCMGA’s Rainwater Harvesting Workshop.
“Economically, it makes sense to gather water that's free and to take the pressure off of municipal water supply and the stormwater system because that avoids costly municipal projects that eventually taxpayers will end up picking up the bill for. But besides that, it's just good for the planet.”
Annie, along with Fred Rapczyk who oversees the BCMGA’s rainwater harvesting system, explains the process of capturing rainwater in a safe and effective way. First, Fred says, you have to start small.
“You have to determine what you're going to use it for and use that to decide how big of a system you need,” Fred says. “Most people generally start out with a 55-gallon barrel and go up from there.”
In Texas, rainwater harvesting doesn’t involve complex systems and safety inspections as long as you aren’t planning on using the water for drinking purposes, Annie adds.
“Think of all the things that you use water from the tap that isn’t drinking because every time you water your lawn, you're watering grass with drinking water,” Annie says. “There are other countries where kids go without drinking water for days, whereas we're spending our drinking water on keeping the grass green or keeping plants alive — we can do it a different way! We don't need to flush our toilets with drinking water.”
You can set up your own rainwater collecting system with just a few materials. Step one: find a bucket or barrel that you can keep covered.
“If you have a gutter system, you can have the rain barrel where the downspout comes out,” Fred says. “It's actually remarkable how much water your roof sheds.”
If you just want to use collected rainwater for outside maintenance purposes, you will need to attach a spigot and mount the barrel off the ground so gravity helps increase your water pressure. Make sure to keep the barrel covered to avoid mosquitos, and check it for debris that may clog your barrel every so often.
“Besides being able to save city water, you're also keeping that rainwater from rushing into creeks, gutters, or sitting on your lawn for a long period of time,” Fred says. “Especially here in the Brazos Valley, where we have a lot of clay in our soil. With clay, it takes eight hours for an inch of rain to drain, so when we have big downpours, there’s a lot of people that are sitting with really mucky yards for days afterward.”
For more information on setting up a system, BCMGA offers educational workshops where attendees can learn to make a rain barrel. More resources are also available on their website at brazosmg.com/rainwater-harvesting.
USE SUN
William Arvance, All Solar Texas
Have you noticed that more of your paycheck has gone to pay for higher electricity month after month? Over the past decade, the market for solar energy has exploded, with the state of Texas expected to become the leading solar energy supplier in the nation, according to Solar Energy Industries Association, and homeowners are also picking up on the trend.
All Solar Texas is a locally owned and operated solar installation company specializing in residential and commercial solar systems. Owner William Arvance says there are many reasons people are going solar, and sustainability is only one of them. “Most homeowners are choosing solar for some energy resiliency,” William says. “As we continue to see more and more aggressive weather patterns, homeowners want to be in charge of their own generation and take a load off the grid, as well as provide an option for sustainability that requires less reliance on fossil fuels.”
Like any other home renovation, installing solar is a long-term investment and requires careful consideration before making thejump. The first thing to consider is how long you plan on staying in your home, William says.
“You want to make sure you’re going to be in your home for at least the amount of time that it’s going to take for you to recoup your investment,” William says. “If you're going to be in your home for at least 10 to 12 years, absolutely consider solar.”
From panels to generators, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to installing a solar energy system, so it’s important to think about your goals before making your decision. “Doyouwantenergyindependence, or do you just want to offset some of your consumption?” William asks. “If your goal is to offset all of your electric consumption, you need to be in your home for at least 12 months beforehand so you can produce a history of electric consumption to ensure your system is appropriately sized.”
The cost of installing solar depends on the home's size, with averages ranging from $30,000 to $40,000. Despite the initial cost, the long-term investment pays off, he says.
“You're essentially pre-paying your electric bill with equipment that will last about 30 years,” William says. “Plus, if you are having overproduction, most of the time, the grid or the utility company will buy that power back from you, so there's actually an economic incentive there. In Bryan and College Station, any overproduction will be bought back by BTU or College Station Utilities, and they will use that to offset the cost of your other utilities, such as water, trash and sewer.”
To learn more about how to upgrade your home with solar panels, contact All Solar Texas at (979) 401-3905 for a free quote or visit allsolartexas.com for details.
USE VEGETATION
Bruce Dvorak, FASLA, PLA
Townees love grass, right? Why not put it on your roof?
Bruce Dvorak, FASLA, PLA, is a professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning at Texas A&M University with a special interest in green roofs, living walls and sustainable landscapes. Since coming to Texas A&M in 2007, Bruce has been researching green roofs for central Texas and recently co-authored the book “Ecoregional Green Roofs.”
“Green roofs can be installed on multi-family residential buildings, single-family homes, or any structure designed to support the weight of the growing medium, or engineered soil,” Bruce explains. “Green roofs benefit building owners by diminishing the amount of heat energy that enters air-conditioned spaces through rooftops. They conserve energy use in buildings, maximize the longevity of waterproofing by over 60 years or more, soak up rainwater, provide habitat for wildflowers and pollinators and offer views to rooftop meadows from inside a residence.”
A green roof is quite simply a roof with vegetation, but all the technicalities vary per building based on the building's structural design and the preferred visual aesthetic. Different plants require different depths of growing space; for example, while succulents only require 4” to 5” of growing medium, most grasses and wildflowers require 6” to 10”. The depth and additional weight support must be built into the structure to ensure the safety and efficacy of the design.
“Green roofs can be applied to existing roof decks if the existing roof deck can support the weight of a green roof, and the drainage system and roof deck slope are appropriate,” Bruce says. “A structural engineer and or architect would need to be hired to assess the capacity of a roof deck to accommodate a green roof. However, it is much easier to accommodate a green roof on new buildings when the idea is introduced early in the design process.”
Though the process may be more lengthy than a standard roof installation, the benefits are extensive, from physical health benefits to economic incentives.
Not only do green roofs have practical uses like reducing energy consumption and soaking up excess water, but they are proven to enhance the quality of life, Bruce says.
“Researchers have learned that when people spend time in nature or even time viewing nature, heart rates become lower, stress is reduced, and emotional health is improved,” he says. “So, if green roofs are visible through a window, residential homeowners can expect more than savings in energy and extended life of the roofing membrane. They can expect improved health as well.”
To learn more about green roofs, read “Ecoregional Green Roofs,” found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Google Books, or visit livingarchitecturemonitor.com for more informational articles by Bruce Dvorak.
USE RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
Kurt Bradicich, Lone-Star Roof Systems
When in doubt, use materials that can be recycled!
Asphalt shingles are the leading roofing material in the United States, installed on over 70% of homes nationwide. With a usable lifespan of only two decades and a decomposition period exceeding 400 years, asphalt shingles contribute to upwards of 11 million tons of waste in the U.S. each year.
Lone-Star Roof Systems is an Aggie- owned roofing business that has been serving the Brazos Valley for 20 years. With a specialization in custom metal roofing, co-owner Kurt Bradicich says metal roofs are a sustainable option for homeowners.
“Metal roofs can be made from recycled materials and recycled after use, so it’s not a one-and-done deal like asphalt shingles,” Kurt says. “Plus, certain products are solar reflective, which is more energy efficient for your home, and can add some insulation value to your home, depending on the system chosen. So, it has a higher impact rating, higher wind rating, and it’s solar reflective.”
Though also a roofing option, metal roofs are not typical competitors with green roofs, due to their very different nature. Green roofs are most compatible with low-sloped roofing, which is more commonly seen in commercial and multifamily developments, but metal roofs can be installed in sloped roofs, which is the more popular choice for residences.
In addition to the recyclable aspect of metal roofing, its solar reflectivity can aid homeowners in reducing energy consumption, Kurt says.
“To put it in perspective, one thing we tell customers is that the color of your roof actually can impact its efficiency because darker colors absorb more heat," he says. "However, even the darker metal roof colors are more energy efficient than the lightest shingle roof and that's because of the pigments used in that paint that is baked on prior to an acrylic coating that does on top of a metal roof panels that give them a little bit more reflectively. The lighter you go, the better the reflectivity rating."
Metal roofs also boast an impressive lifespan of upwards of 50 years. Plus, its durability makes metal roofing the best option for installing solar panels.
“It's the best option for solar because you don't have to penetrate the roof to mount it,” Kurt explains. “Solar systems have clamps that can clip onto the ribs of a metal roof, so you have less penetrations and it's strongly secured and almost 99% of the time is more highly wind rated than any of the other type of roofing system out there."
Call Lone-Star Roof Systems at (800) 994-3194 to learn more about metal roof options or visit their website at lonestarroofsystems.com for more information.
