Over the years the GBRC has held education seminars and has participated in some presentations at other locations in Houston. And as of 2020, we have held webinars online as a result of Covid-19. Many of the sessions were recorded, and are available to watch from our archives. And the archives all have the visual presentations available for viewing. Our largest attendance was our Earth Day presentation in 2015 regarding Tiny Houses with 250 in the audience.
If you are concerned about how toxic pesticides can affect you, then you are interested in nontoxic alternatives (and living with pests is not one of them). Learn about the importance of integrated pest management (IPM) and choices you make regarding your pest control and impacts to environmental quality.
Solar panels are a hot topic in Houston. Here are some frequently asked questions: Why are they so expensive, and how many do I need to take my house off the grid? Are there any rebates and tax incentives? What type of new technologies are in the pipeline? Do I need a permit?
Prices have fallen 53% in five years Growth Projection: 6,409 MW next 5 yrs/ranks 3rd Number Of Installations in Texas: 38,220 (Charlie Hemmeline will discuss this data)
A current buzzword, what does zero waste mean—is it really zero? Spoiler alert: no, it’s a goal (and more reasonable than you would think), however some companies and individuals are very, very close.
Some people living in apartments or duplexes might think they are left out of the green building and energy conservation world because they rent instead of own. Steve Stelzer will give introductory remarks about the Houston Multi-Family Habitability Code that brings below-par facilities up to code (and in the direction of Green). Guest speakers will discuss their approaches to:
Materials really do matter to the health of occupants and the environment, but the ingredients are not easy to discern. To perform, material composition involve tradeoffs with how sustainable, floodproof, or healthy these ingredients are. With tens of thousands of unregulated chemicals in building products, how many are toxic? How does one predict reliability and longevity of a product, especially in the post-Harvey reality? How much data is available regarding life-cycle assessments and embodied energy, and the manufacturing process regarding byproduct
While PACE is not yet an everyday term, it is gaining traction in Houston. What is it? Property Assessed Clean Energy. Texas PACE enables property owners to finance 100% of their energy saving, water conservation, and distributed generation improvements with little to no capital outlay.
Rainwater harvesting is not common practice, but many people are becoming interested in learning more about it. This education session will cover both commercial and residential scale projects. Focusing on irrigation techniques and what works and what doesn't for rainwater storage, pumps, and hookups and an overview of code requirements. We'll also have a quick look at residential stormwater retention requirements that can be solved with rain barrels.
Green buildings provide benefits to occupants, what about Green benefits to neighborhoods where buildings reside?
Learn about the various components of home energy bills for Houston’s climate, and what options you have to lower them and save money. Introductory remarks will target current energy consumption patterns globally and in Texas. Speakers will discuss various approaches that their companies take to analyze residential energy and resource consumption patterns in an effort to help the public better understand how to reduce their energy use.