GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS Helps Low-Income Apartments Beat the Heat And Electricity Bills Affordably With Solar-Powered Attic Fans

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By installing 100+ solar-powered attic ventilation systems manufactured in Texas, GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS is helping Multi-family Mission Ministries, Inc. – the affordable housing developer and manager of Brazos Bend Villa Apartments in greater Houston – to lower its occupants’ electricity bills, improve their thermal comfort, and create better building health.

RICHMOND, TX – August 30, 2011 (PressReleasePoint) – www.HowToGreenAffordableHousing.com - Anticipating the long-awaited end of 40 100-degree days, and responding to ERCOT’s repeated Energy Emergency Alerts across Texas this month, GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS is installing today and tomorrow 100+ solar-powered attic fans at an affordable housing apartment community in southwest Houston.

As of August 31, 2011, Houstonians will have suffered 40 100-degree days in a year – the most 100-degree days in Houston since 1889 when record keeping began. Five of the top ten happened since 1998.

On Wednesday morning, GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS’ solar installers will teach Brazos Bend Villas’ residents – kids and adults – about green jobs, and how solar panels and attic ventilation systems work.

Even though these Section 8, low-income apartments were renovated this year with other energy efficiency best practices - like radiant barrier foil and new insulation – attic air can still become humid and hot, requiring attic ventilation.

Solar-powered attic fans increase ventilation and expel moist, heated attic air very affordably with a typical payback of 2-3 years.

By changing the attic air 15 to 30 times per hour for free over the next 30 years, these solar photovoltaic ventilation systems are expected to reduce attic temperatures to within just a few degrees of outside air temperatures, to lower tenant's utility bills, and to improve apartment occupants' thermal comfort.

“This low-cost, proven best practice for retrofits and new construction offers a rapid payback to apartment occupants, managers and owners,” said Kenneth Tann, President of Multi-family Mission Ministries, Inc. (MMM Housing). “Tenants with lower bills and more comfortable living spaces are happier. And, our maintenance staff finds it easier to work in cooler attics, when needed.”

“At a time when the economy, weather and so many other factors can get you down, it has been a joy to see other local businesses join us in caring for this community’s residents,” said Mark Alan Robinson, Partner at GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS (www.greenpower4texas.com).

La Madeleine’s Meyerland bakery donated breads and pastries for a community-wide breakfast each day.

And, Ruggles Green’s CityCentre restaurant (www.rugglesgreen.com) donated a healthy, local, organic and natural lunch for the solar installation crew each day.

“Probably the most inspiring coincidence was the fact that the freight delivery driver’s family had lived at Brazos Bend years ago,” said Robinson. “The driver and his wife had their first baby here. His mom and aunt had lived here. He was happy to see how well the recent renovation had improved the community. It is an honor to be part of Brazos Bend’s ongoing mission and ministry.”

About Multi-family Mission Ministries, Inc.
MMM Housing is a non-profit, Christian ministry that loves its neighbors by acquiring, operating and maintaining low and moderate-income apartment housing and other affordable housing properties in Texas and Louisiana.

About Momentum Bay’s GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS
GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS (www.greenpower4texas.com) is a Texas-based full-service energy management consulting firm focused on sustainability. The firm procures and manages energy for primarily green businesses and green buildings, particularly those pursuing LEED, ENERGY STAR and Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR certification. To learn more about GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS’ à la carte and integrated service offerings – including energy strategy, energy demand, energy supply (offsite and onsite procurement), energy marketing and communications, and energy monitoring, visit:

• Offsite: TexasRECBroker, TexasElectricityBroker, TexasElectricityAggregator, GreenPowerMarketer
• Onsite: TexasWindDeveloper, TexasSolarDeveloper.com
• Managed: EnergyManagementTexas

About Ruggles Green
Formed in late 2008, Ruggles Green is a premium fast-casual health food restaurant offering delectable, healthy, organic, all natural foods and wines, a great dining atmosphere. Ruggles Green is Houston's first Certified Green Restaurant®. In 2011, Ruggles Green at CityCentre also became Texas’ first 4-Star Certified Green Restaurant, the Green Restaurant Association’s highest level of certification.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS: Mark Alan Robinson, media@greenpower4texas.com, 877-ECO-TEXAS
Multi-family Mission Ministries, Inc.: Kenneth Tann, ktann@mmmhousing.org, 281-298-7999
Ruggles Green: Federico Marques, federicom@rugglesgreen.com, 713-533-0777

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