Meet our newest Net-Zero Hero, Jerry Bramwell! In 2013, Jerry and his wife Lauree made the decision to move from Houston to Austin to be closer to their family. They ended up buying the home right next door to their daughter Amy, and began a four-year remodeling journey to create a contemporary, energy-efficient home that would allow them to age with family close by.

Described by his family as the “ultimate DIY-er”, Jerry took on much of the project himself. He personally did all the framing, window installation, waterproofing, insulation, interior and exterior trim, and decking himself with only one or two helpers. Impressively, he also designed, drafted, and permitted the home's 6,700 gallon rainwater system, which provides water for the toilets, pool topoff, and future vegetable garden irrigation. The home also features Austin's first residential gray water system, which could be a model for future systems.

On June 9, Jerry’s home will be featured on the 23^rd annual Cool House Tour. We spoke with Jerry about his interest in building an energy efficient home, what challenges he faced in the process, and what advice he has for others.

In January, Austin was selected to participate in the American Cities Climate Challenge by Bloomberg Philanthropies. As part of that that award, we were granted two years of technical support from a climate advisor who would work with us hand-in-hand to implement our “dream” projects and move the needle on climate change. We are thrilled to announce that our new Climate Advisor Jen Cregar is here and she’s already been hitting the ground running. Here’s a little more about her:
 
Jen has 17 years of experience advancing policy and behavior changes to slow the pace of climate change and improve our collective quality of life. She encourages carbon-reduction activities everyone can do, such as carpooling and taking the bus, powering our lives with renewable energy, and minimizing what we send to the landfill. Jen has led sustainability teams for diverse organizations, including the Austin Independent School District, the County of Santa Barbara, and renewable energy and carbon offset provider Green Mountain Energy. She also was a founding member of the Austin Climate Protection Program and is excited to again support the City of Austin’s leading-edge climate team.
 
Jen holds a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas-Austin and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Sciences and Environmental Management from The University of Virginia. She is a City of Austin Zero Waste Block Leader and has previously served as the Vice Chair of the City of Austin’s Resource Management Commission and the City of Santa Barbara’s Transportation and Circulation Committee.

Meet Pranav Sarma, a student at Artie Henry Middle School in Cedar Park, TX. Pranav recently competed against hundreds of students in the 2019 Austin Energy Regional Science Fair. For his project, Pranav focused on using biomass — a waste material from plants and animals such as wheat stalks or yard waste — to produce a renewable form of energy. His innovative project ended up winning a Best in Climate Protection award.

We spoke with Pranav about what inspired him to do this project, what his toughest challenges were, and what advice he has for others.