Commercial Water Conservation News

In this issue--

Tax Breaks for Conservation Measures

The State of Texas offers property and sales tax exemptions for water conservation measures and equipment.

Brush control designed to increase water availability
Desalination of surface or groundwater
Reduction or elimination of water use
Rainwater harvesting
Water recycling and reuse

You must provide the vendor a State of Texas Sales Tax Exemption Certificate stating valid qualifications for the exemption. The certificate is available on the Comptroller’s internet site at http://window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxforms/01-forms.html. For more information, visit: Texas Sales Tax Exemptions for Water Related Equipment with Application .

The State of Texas also provides a property tax exemption on approved water conservation initiatives, desalination projects, or brush control initiatives that have been implemented pursuant to Texas Tax Code §11.32.

To apply, visit the following web site: Application for Water Conservation Initiatives Property Tax Exemption . The tax exemption is allowed for all or part of the assessed value of a property on which water conservation modifications have been made. Sales and Use Tax Bulletin 94-123 Water and Wastewater Systems. Check with your local county appraisal district for more information and guidance.

Is Your Irrigation System Off for the Winter?

Shorter days and cooler temperatures mean it is time to turn off your automatic sprinkler system. Check your irrigation system controllers to adjust for current conditions and watering restrictions. It is important to have active management of a landscape system – instead of a ‘set it and forget it’ approach. Contact your landscape irrigation professional for assistance in adjusting controller settings, if needed.

If you have concerns about your landscape becoming too dry, check soil moisture conditions to determine if watering is needed. Soil moisture conditions will vary from lawn to lawn due to soil types and their water holding capacities.

Mandatory Irrigation System Inspections Due for 2016

Austin Water is sending mail reminders for mandatory irrigation inspections. Commercial, multifamily, and city municipal facilities one acre in size or greater are required to have an evaluation of any permanently installed irrigation system. Austin Water will mail inspection packets at least 90 days prior to the due date.
The site inspection requires that the property have:

Proper backflow installed
A working rain or soil moisture sensor
No leaks in the irrigation system
No broken irrigation emitters – spray heads, drip lines
No broken or leaking spray nozzles or bodies
No water spray from the irrigation system landing in a street or parking lot
No runoff of 50 feet or more in a street or parking lot
No ponding of ¼” or more in a street or parking lot
No misting due to high water pressure

Only an Austin Water Authorized Irrigation Inspector can perform the irrigation evaluation. See WaterWiseAustin.org for a current list of Austin Water Authorized Irrigation Inspectors.

The purpose of this audit is to ensure compliance with code provisions. These audits are separate for water efficiency audits performed by Austin Water to secure a rebate.

For more information, please call Jason Keyes at (512) 974-3534 or visit our web site at: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/commercial-facility-assessments.

An Efficient Alternative to Cooling Towers

Austin Water offers a “Bucks for Business” rebate of up to $100,000 innovative water efficient alternatives to traditional cooling towers that reduce or offset the use of potable water.

Cooling tower type air conditioning systems are the most common way to cool larger commercial buildings. But, these systems use a large amount of water, often accounting for 50% innovative water efficient alternatives to traditional cooling towers that reduce or offset the use of potable water.

One cost effective alternative is a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system that uses refrigerant as the cooling and heating medium, rather than water evaporation. This refrigerant is conditioned by a single outdoor condensing unit, and is circulated within the building to multiple fan coil units.

VRFs are capable of variable motor speeds and variable refrigerant flow rather than simple on/off operation. These systems ramp up quickly, providing the energy needed to achieve the
cooling or heating demand of the zone.

Working in tandem with system controls and sensors, the compressor varies its speed to maintain the desired comfort level. This allows the system to operate only at the minimum energy levels needed and does not waste electricity when partial load conditions are present.

VRF systems can also pair with geothermal systems, which use the Earth’s constant underground temperature to balance the temperature of the exchange medium. Water in the heat exchanger circulates through a series of loops below the surface, absorbing or expelling heat to the below-ground heat sink depending on the time of year. This function ultimately reduces the load on the condenser during the conditioning process and results in significant energy savings for the building owner.

Barton Creek Mall to Benefit from Travis County PACE Program

The Simon Property Group, Inc. will use Travis County’s PACE program to finance $1.5 million in retrofits at Barton Creek Square, an enclosed mall in southwest Austin built in 1980. Simon’s water conservation, mechanical and lighting retrofits will lower utility costs and help Travis County conserve water and power. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2016.

PACE (property assessed clean energy) provides owners of commercial and industrial properties low-cost, long-term loans for water conservation, energy-efficiency improvements and renewable retrofits to real property.

Find out more about the Barton Creek Square project at .http://www.texaspaceauthority.org/first-pace-project-in-texas/

The loans are repaid through property assessments by the tax office, eliminating large upfront capital costs and significantly reducing the payback period for conservation investments. Water related projects could include cooling tower efficiency improvements, rainwater harvesting, reclaimed water connections, and commercial laundry water treatment systems, among other options.

To get the most savings, Austin Water customers should consider pairing a PACE loan with Austin Water conservation rebates. Austin Water offers rebates of up to $100,000 for equipment and process upgrades that save water and exceed city water efficiency requirements. To learn more, visit http://www.austintexas.gov/department/water-conservation-businesses.

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