AUSTIN, A GREEN CITY
One more reason to love Austin and call it your home. . .
Austin is all about nature. With the beautiful parks, greenbelts, lakes, and rolling hills, residents and visitors love the natural setting that Austin has been able to preserve while evolving into a major metropolitan area. Early on in its development, the "city fathers" decided that Austin should pursue technical businesses instead of industrial pursuits. In addition, they were dedicated to protect the environment as the city grew. The dedication provided a good foundation, and today Austin is considered one of the top eco-friendly cities in the nation. Most of the Austinites are committed to helping the City of Austin attain its goals.
Austin has attained numerous rankings in recent years for its leadership in clean energy. In June, 2008, Austin was recognized as one of the top 25 Solar Cities in the U.S. by the U.S. Department of Energy. SustainLane ranked Austin the No. 1 U.S. city for incubating and clustering technology companies in 2007. Within the past year, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, and MSN.com have all referred to Austin as one of the leading green cities in the nation. Austin has also received international exposure for its effort, being listed among the top 15 greenest cities in the world by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. Austin Energy has been ranked as the No. 1 green energy program in the country by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Texas is also the No. 1 generator of wind power in the nation, while Austin leads the nation in architectural green building design with its Green Building Program.
The City of Austin provides a culture that embraces environmental conscious developments, and it is a hotbed of green innovation among start-up companies as well as public companies. There are many programs and activities in Austin to help Austin be "green."
The Green City initiative is a partnership between the City of Austin and the community, with the goal of preserving and protecting Austin's environment. Its vision is "to make Austin the most livable city in the country. To achieve that, we also need to be the most green." Here are some of its accomplishments:
- The redevelopment of the downtown area has brought together many of the major concepts of sustainability. People are living in compact environments, with walkable distance to restaurants, work, groceries and shops. (See our DOWNTOWN section for real estate options, entertainment choices, restaurants, and more.)
- An increase in Green buildings in 2007 resulted in an energy savings equivalent to taking 3,625 cars off the road in Austin, attributing directly to the city's green-building efforts.
- Street trees provide an enjoyable environment, while reducing urban heat and helping to mitigate both air pollution and global warming.
- City Hall has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification, becoming only the second City-owned building in Austin to receive this designation.
The City is doing the following things to protect the air, the climate, our health, the landscape and the habitat . . .
- A recent $1.7 million energy upgrade project at the airport that will reduce the electrical consumption by 12% annually.
- The airport's use of thermal energy storage will reduce its peak demand by almost 50%.
- The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has established a program called Commute Solutions. It recommends transportation alternatives (carpools, vanpools, transit, bicycling, walking) and work schedule alternatives (flextime, compressed work weeks, teleworking).
- River Cities Ride Share is a new web-based, ridesharing program that helps commuters reduce automobile dependency by providing carpool and vanpool matches, biking and pedestrian information and public transportation options.
- Bicycle Commuting in Central Austin increased almost 100% between 1990 and the year 2000 when 66 miles of bike lanes were installed.
- They are developing a web-based finding system that will help bikers choose a route based on riding experience. It will also calculate the calories you will burn on your ride, the cost savings compared to a car, and your carbon footprint reduction.
- Public Works is in the process of completing 140,000 feet of additional sidewalks throughout the city.
- The city will have six trash collection trucks that runs on compressed natural gas.
- All airport parking shuttles use clean burning propane.
- The Parks and Recreation department is shifting to alternately fueled mowers. (A conventional lawn mower creates as much air pollution as driving a car for 100 miles.)
- Austin implemented a smoking ban in public places in 2005.
- Watershed Protection and Parks and Recreation gave away over 500,000 Scoop the Poop bags in the parks to encourage people to clean up after their pets and reduce bacteria in the waterways.
- The City has purchased over 32,000 acres of land for parks and preserves to protect both water and endangered species.
- A program is being launched to guide homeowners and stewards of public lands in creating natural habitats to help reduce the impact on wildlife.
- The City plants thousands of trees each year to ensure a healthy urban forest.
- Under new measures recommended by the Water Conservation Task Force, and in conjunction with LCRA, the City expects to save over 32 million gallons of water each day in peak season by 2017.
- The Water Utility has reduced the annual total of about 13 million gallons of sewage overflow in 2002, 1 million in 2006, and expects more reduction each year.
- Austin Clean Water Program has restored or relocated old wastewater lines.
- Austin one of the first cities in Texas to have curbside recycling and the innovative Pay-As-You-Throw Program encourages Austinities to recycle more and "trash" less.
- Parks and Recreation uses brush chipping and mulching of yard waste from landfills to promote organic material recycling. (Austin has been awarded EPA's first place national award two times for recycling all of its yard trimmings and biosolids.)
- All of the primary structural framing system in the airport terminal building is made of 100% recycled steel.
Find a Green Building Home
Let us help you find a home that has been built with environmentally friendly construction. We have a Green Housing Checklist to help insure you find the right house to meet your eco-friendly needs!
What is green building? It means using sustainable, environmentally friendly construction practices and material. The National Association of Home Builders has two green initiatives: the Certified Green Professional designation, a label meant to assure home buyers that their builder or remodeler applies green practices and the new, expanded National Green Building Standard, which includes guidelines for single and multifamily housing, residential remodeling, and lot/site development.
 LINKS & IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Green City Austin Programs:
Air Quality
Austin Berstrom International Airport
Austin's Green Builder Program
Austin Public Library
Austin's Sustainable Communities Initiative
Water Quality Protection
Water Treatment / Reuse
Other links:
Map of DieselGreen Fuels Stations (B100 biodiesel and possibly filtered VegOil
Green Living Home Products
Austin's source for biodiesel and vegetable oil as fuels
Austin Energy GreenChoice Plan
Logical landscapes for Green Living in Central Texas
Eco-friendly tips
Eco-lifestyle Site
Sourcebook for Green and Sustainable Building
Green Life Eco-Consulting
R.U.S.T. (Radical Urban Sustainability Training)
Project Green: Kids Stuff
Project Green Glossary
Project Green Tips
Austin Earth Day
Free Home Improvements/Power Saver Program
Free Thermostat/Power Saver Program
Home Energy Analysis
Biodiesel Magazine
MyGallons.com
Ecomodder.com
CleanMPG.com
GasPriceWatch.com
GasBuddy.com
 Where do I buy BioDiesel in Austin? (For other locations in Texas, visit: Biodiesel Stations. For other locations in the U.S. by interactive map, visit: Biodiesel.org.)
Austin Biofuels, LLC
1501 E 7th
Austin, TX 78702 |
 |
(512)
825-1211
|
B20 |
24hrs - 'Fuelman' and credit
cards only |
Austin Biofuels, LLC
2027 Anchor Lane
Austin, TX 78723 |
|
(512)
474-8755
|
B100, B99 |
M-F 8-5 |
Major Brand
1723 East Oltorf Street
Austin, TX 78704 |
 |
(512)
326-9976
|
B20 |
M-S 7AM-1A; Sun 6:30AM to
mid Visa, M/C & Discover |
Austin Biofuels LLC
10012 Old Lockhart Road
Austin, TX 78747 |
|
(512)
220-1443
|
B100 |
Call for availability. |
Eco-wise
110 w. Elizabeth st.
Austin, TX 78704 |
|
(512)
326-4474
|
B99 |
7 days a week/ 10-7 pm
Central Austin area
800 Gal Store |
Shoppers Mart # 23
800 E. William Cannon
Austin, TX 78745 |
 |
(512)
441-2829
|
B20 |
6AM-10PM Daily |
Shoppers Mart # 24
10500 N. Lamar
Austin, TX 78753 |
|
(512)
837-0079
|
B20 |
6AM-10PM Daily |
Shoppers Mart # 34
609 Bastrop Hwy.
Austin, TX 78741 |
|
(512)
389-0166
|
B20 |
6AM-10PM Daily |
Signature Store 2
608 S. Lamar
Austin, TX 78704 |
|
(512)
440-8853
|
B20 |
M-W 6AM-11PM
Th-Sat 6AM-12AM
Sun 8AM-12AM |
Signature Store 31
6412 Hwy 290 West
Austin, TX 78731 |
|
(512)
892-1601
|
B20 |
M-W 6AM-11PM
Th-Sat 6AM-12AM
Sun 8AM-12AM |
Signature Store 35
6107 Parmer Ln.
Austin, TX 78729 |
|
(512)
257-7653
|
B20 |
M-W 6AM-11PM
Th-Sat 6AM-12AM
Sun 8AM-12AM |
Shoppers Mart # 8
525 W. Ben White
Austin, TX 78704 |
|
(512)
326-4750
|
B20 |
6AM-10PM Daily |
Signature Store 11
1601 East St. Elmo Rd.
Austin, TX 78744 |
|
(512)
441-8832
|
B20 |
M-S 5AM-12AM
Sun 6AM-12AM |
Signature Store 25
1405 RR 620 South
Austin, TX 78734 |
|
(512)
263-5581
|
B20 |
M-S 6AM-12AM
Sun 8AM-12AM
|
Signature Store 26
6500 Hwy 183 South
Austin, TX 78744 |
|
(512)
243-1416
|
B20 |
M-F 5AM-12AM
Sat 6AM-1AM
Sun 7AM-12AM |
Signature Store 36
606 West Slaughter Ln.
Austin, TX 78748 |
|
(512)
280-2687
|
B20 |
M-W 6AM-11PM
Th-Sat 6AM-12AM
Sun 8AM-12AM |
Signature Store 38
11000 RR 2222
Austin, TX 78726 |
|
(512)
346-7528
|
B20 |
M-S 6AM-12AM
Sun 8AM-12AM |
Signature Store 39
8701 Hwy. 290 East
Austin, TX 78750 |
|
(512)
929-1960
|
B20 |
6AM-12AM / 7 days |
Shoppers Mart # 14
7837 Burnet Rd.
Austin, TX 78757 |
|
(512)
407-8761
|
B20 |
6AM-10PM Daily |
Shoppers Mart # 44
11300 N. I-35
Austin, TX 78753 |
|
(512)
339-0669
|
B20 |
6AM-10PM Daily |
Signature Store 1
8801-B South IH-35
Austin, TX 78744 |
|
(512)
280-5727
|
B20 |
5AM-1AM / 7 Days |
Signature Store 41
1420 East Anderson Ln.
Austin, TX 78753 |
|
(512)
381-1166
|
B20 |
M-S 5AM-12AM
Sun 7AM-12AM |
Signature Store 9
900 East Ave.
Austin, TX 78701 |
|
(512)
476-4158
|
B20 |
M-F 6AM-12AM
Weekends 8AM-12AM |
Signature Store 17
8947 Bee Caves Rd.
Austin, TX 78746 |
|
(512)
263-5900
|
B20 |
6AM-12AM /7 Days |
Signature Store 33
1515 Round Rock Ave.
Austin, TX 78681 |
|
(512)
255-5508
|
B20 |
M-S 6AM-12AM
Sun 8AM-12AM |
Diesel Green Fuels
3222 E. 5th St.
Austin, TX 78702 |
|
(512)
391-0569
|
B100 |
Retail by appointment, also
sell filtered WVO |
GO GREEN WITH IMPROVEMENTS TO YOUR HOME THAT BOOST ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Make an existing home more efficient with simple improvements:
- Cool your attic with a radiant barrier under the roof decking.
- Add more insulation to your attic (R30 is recommended for Austin's climate).
- Caulk windows and baseboards; weather-strip doors; install foam covers at light switches and outlets.
- Insulate and weatherstrip the hatch to your attic.
- Change windows only if they are steel casement or jalousie types. Most other window replacement isn't worth doing for energy reasons.
- Shade windows that receive a lot of direct sun. Add solar screens, window films, awnings; build a pergola or trellis; plant shade trees.
- Install and use ceiling fans in rooms you occupy the most, even kitchens and baths.
- Change out old leaky recessed-can light fixtures to the IC-AT kind (insulation-contact, air-tight)
- Change useless down-light trim lighting to eyeball and wall-washer trim when possible to get more light on walls.
- Paint exterior a light color to reflect heat. Paint interior light colors to reflect light and reduce need for hot artificial lights.
- Get your heating and cooling equipment serviced regularly. Change your filters regularly.
- Change indoor and outdoor lights that are used most frequently to durable, energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.
(Source: Austin Energy)
Informational articles:
Contact Us
Have a question about a home or want to talk about selling yours? Or, if you have any other questions or comments, then feel free to e-mail or call using any of the information below. You will get a response as quickly as possible.
Jacqueline Wittmuss, Broker
Phone: 512.892.4663
Direct: 512.917.1717
E-mail: jacqueline@jwproperties.net
 
Jeremy Smith
Phone: 512.892.4663
Direct: 512.658.9444
E-mail: jeremy@jwproperties.net
JW Properties
5611 Hwy 290 West
Austin, TX 78735
Phone: 512.892.4663
Fax: 512.892.4680
Request a Relocation Packet
For a map to  click here.
The information herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, no investigation has been made to determine the accuracy of such information. No person or entity should rely on the accuracy of this material without conducting a thorough, independent investigation of same. JW Properties has no liability expressed or implied relating to this information.
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