When the delivery crew arrived with a slew of new products for their impressively, extensively remodeled West Side home, Francisco Martinez turned to his wife Laura and said with a laugh, “The last time I saw a water heater and a toilet on the front lawn is when we were starting this rehabilitation.”
They were among the environmentally friendly, green products to be installed in the Martinez family home as part of an ambitious program to transform San Antonio residences into more sustainable, energy efficient homes.
The non-profit community builder organization American Sunrise is spearheading “The Solar Project,” a green housing revitalization initiative that got a healthy boost thanks to a $1 million grant from the Blake, Kymberly and George Rapier Charitable Trust in partnership with the WellMed Charitable Foundation.
The effort launched April 16 just days before the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with a news conference outside the Martinez family residence on South Pinto Street, not far from Lanier High School and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, who co-founded American Sunrise with his wife, City Councilwoman Mary Alice Cisneros, called it an important step in differentiating San Antonio from other communities in terms of green initiatives.
“Right now we are in the middle of a drive to make San Antonio the No. 1 city with regards to sustainability, and solar is a big part of that. Solar water heaters and distributed energy are an even bigger part of that,” said Cisneros, chairman of American Sunrise. “WellMed is doing more than its part to make that happen.”
Currently, only nine homes in the entire City Public Service system have solar water heaters. The grant, distributed at $500,000 a year for two years, will provide for the cost and installation of solar water heaters in another 200 homes.
“This effort will create a new population of ‘green’ supporters who will gain wisdom and appreciation for an environmentally-friendly lifestyle, producing a green culture within our city,” said WellMed Chairman and CEO Dr. George Rapier III. “Most importantly, these heaters are a cost-effective and environmentally responsible alternative to conventional methods of producing domestic hot water.”
In addition to the solar hot water heaters, American Sunrise created a partnership with other leaders in the energy and water industry to maximize the efficiency of the homes. The municipal water supplier, SAWS, is providing 200 low-water consumption toilets and faucet aerators. CPS Energy is replacing all regular light bulbs with longer-lasting compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs. Faucet manufacturer Moen is providing 100 low-flow goose neck kitchen faucets, which can provide high-pressure water flow at the push of a button.
“This partnership reflects a fantastic collaboration between public, private and non-profit groups to ‘green up’ our city and benefit San Antonians from all walks of life,” Mayor Julián Castro said.
Both Castro and Cisneros lauded Rapier for his vision and commitment to giving back to the community. “Dr. Rapier is one of those visionary business people who has built a very successful business, understanding the changing shape of health care in our country, and then has given back to the community in volumes,” Cisneros said. “That he would extend his vision to solar capacity and energy savings and savings for families is huge.”
Sustainability and energy efficiency are passions of Rapier, who was among the first in San Antonio to purchase a solar water heater for his home.
“He would like to change the face of health care delivery for seniors, and his vision is very broad,” said Carol Zernial, executive director of the WellMed Charitable Foundation. “What does that mean? That means helping his patients be able to pay their utility bills. That means having an environment that is safe and good to live in.
“That’s the purpose of the grant – to lower the utility bills and improve the quality of life for families here in San Antonio.”
Essential to this effort will be people like the Martinez family, who are among a generation of young families refurbishing inner-city homes to revitalize those communities.
“The Martinez family are the real deal; young homeowners who moved back to the West Side, renovated their home and are taking their home to the next level by making it more efficient,” Cisneros said. “They are the true pioneers of a comprehensive, green housing revitalization effort in San Antonio.”
According to the solar water heater manufacturer, solar water heaters can offset utility costs by more than $300 annually. The solar water heaters normally retail for $4,800, including installation.
Although the grant pays for the solar water heaters, American Sunrise has created a Pay As You Save (PAYS) plan for qualifying homeowners to further expand the project. Homeowners pay just $25 a month for five years which, with a federal tax credit of $450 per installation, comes to actual out-of-pocket costs of only $1,050. It is more than covered by estimated energy savings. The money will be used to purchase more solar water heaters above the 200 covered by the Rapier Trust/WellMed grant.
The solar water heaters will be installed by Estrella Solar, a company partly led by Rapier’s son, Skeets Rapier, a strong advocate of sustainability.
“I’ve lived all over and seen a lot of places, and it’s really inspiring to come back home to San Antonio and see this kind of firepower and support,” Skeets said. “Sustainability is a huge passion of mine, and we’ve got to do it anyway. We’re going to make it happen. … I’m so excited.”
