Happy Groundhog Day 2023, at least for those hoping for six more weeks of winter it will be at least. According to Newsweek, Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow this year denoting that we’re not quite done with the winter holiday as of yet (https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/groundhog-day-2023-did-punxsutawney-phil-see-his-shadow/ar-AA171Bra). While I love the possibility of snow and sweater weather extending into the early months of the year, it can present some difficult challenges for Texans as well as we brace for the possibility of another winter storm this year.

The good news is that since we’ve endured a few over the past years, there is a collective knowledge, understanding, and protocol for dealing with these types of situations and while we hope not to have to employ them, it’s always best to be prepared to “weather the storm.”

With that said, you can of course consult our previous blog posts on how best to prepare or deal with power outages during a freeze, here: https://suntexllc.com/survival-tips-from-texans-weathering-the-storm/, or if you would prefer, read on to learn more!

Prepping your home for freezing temperatures:

1. COVER YOUR OUTDOOR FAUCETS: As you’ve likely seen before, one of the first things that should come to mind when preparing for freezing temperatures is covering your outdoor water spickets. Why? The reason for this is that when exposed to temps below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, pipes – particularly those with water still trapped inside – can expand, or in this case contract, potentially causing cracks and leaks which could cause lots of damage to your home, even without you noticing it for some time.In order to prevent your pipes from freezing and contracting, it’s best to cover them with a foam insulator in order to keep the temperature above freezing as much as possible. You can typically find outdoor spicket coverings at your local hardware store, however they may be harder to come by in the week just before the freeze, so it’s best to keep these on-hand and bring them out only when necessary. Once temperatures increase again – likely to 50 degrees (F) or even 70 degrees (F) the next day in Texas – you can safely remove the coverings and store them in your garage where you’ll be able to find them the next time the temperature dips below freezing.

   If you cannot find foam covers, or they’re all sold out at the store – don’t fret! You can also use foam noodles, or even Styrofoam coolers as a replacement – just make sure to cover the entire faucet and/or opening and tape up any gaps/holes in the covering. If you cannot get ahold of any foam/Styrofoam, your last resort is to just use towels. Again, the main idea here is to keep the faucet completely covered and sealed so that you’re able to maintain the temperature as best as possible above freezing.

2. HIDE YOUR PLANTS! Similar to your outdoor faucets, if you’re interested in preserving your garden through a freeze you’ll likely want to cover up any outdoor plants, and bring any inside that are potted so that you can keep their temperatures well above freezing. Many plants don’t do well in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so you may need to keep them covered for longer than the duration of the freeze.

   Because I like to reuse materials as much as possible while maintaining a clean space, I love using old shower curtains for this purpose. You can also use tarps, or really any other type of plastic covering that will let light through, while keeping rain and/or frost out. Simply drape your plastic covering over the plant, and seal down the sides with rocks/sticks/etc. so that you’re able to create sort of a mini greenhouse where your plants can continue to thrive while maintaining their own heat from within.

   Of course, if you’ve had time to plan ahead for this you might even consider planting a freeze-tolerant garden so you don’t have to worry too much about covering it up in the case of a freeze, but if you just can’t help but plant gardenias (and who could blame you?!) , then you’ll want to keep this in mind during the winter months when the temperature can dip below 40 and stay there for days at a time.

3. HOPE FOR THE BEST, PREP FOR THE WORST: If you’ve lived in Texas for more than a year, or even if you’ve watched the news over the past few winters, you’re likely familiar with the reason behind this statement: when Texas freezes, the power will likely go out, and it’s better to be prepared for it than to try and address it after the fact. This means making sure you have the basics covered for surviving, so that you can shift your focus in these moments to thriving: candles, flashlights, and lanterns are accessible and easy to find; blankets are clean and plentiful; and you know how to stay warm safely, particularly if the roadways are frozen and dangerous.The Spruce has provided a pretty good list for how to keep warm if you don’t have heat, feel free to check it out here: https://www.thespruce.com/ways-to-keep-warm-without-turning-up-the-heat-1388206#:~:text=13%20Tips%20for%20Staying%20Warm%20Without%20Turning%20Up,8%20Reverse%20the%20Ceiling%20Fan%20…%20More%20items – and while some of these will not be applicable without power, there is still a lot of great information. For example, the importance of layering your clothing can not be overstated!

   A good rule of thumb is to use the loose-tight-loose layering rule: when adding layers, start with a fitted layer (like leggings or long johns), and then add a looser layer (think long-sleeved t-shirts and sweatpants), and then add one more fitted layer on top (this one may seem a little less comfy since you’re now stuffing yourself into something tighter than your previous layer, however the heat your body creates between layers can get trapped in the extra space, helping you build heat between layers like a mini-greenhouse effect for your body).

   Don’t forget about your fuzzy socks! It may even be helpful to stuff your pants into your socks, and then try to avoid all of your neighbors because you will look ridiculous – but you’ll be warm!

The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide

Finally, one thing I must mention here is that Carbon Monoxide is deadly. This was a major cause of death during Winter Storm Uri and because it’s colorless and odorless, it can be really difficult if not impossible to detect. So, don’t try and heat your home using your gas stove!

Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of burning gas, and the longer you utilize a gas-burning device, the more carbon monoxide enters the atmosphere. This is also why you should not sit in a running vehicle in an enclosed garage. While jumping in your car to heat up from time to time can be really helpful for keeping warm, make sure that your car is parked in a well-ventilated area when you do so that you don’t fall victim to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Stay Warm!

There are plenty of additional ways to keep warm if your power goes out, and luckily temperatures are expected to increase above freezing temperatures within a couple of days this time around, so my recommendation would be to wait it out at home if you are able to do so, and mitigate any unnecessary congestion on the roads so you don’t have to be bailed out later. However if you lose power and cannot hunker down, do what’s best for you! If you must go to a hotel nearby, or a friend’s house that’s connected to a hospital energy grid, then please do so. Just be safe out there, and most importantly, stay warm!

Happy New Year! We’re so excited for 2023 and we hope you are too! It’s been an exciting holiday season and I can safely say I’m grateful for the time I spent with friends and family this year, particularly since it’s been tricky to get together the past couple of years.

This year, my husband and I were able to travel to Seattle, WA to visit his family for the holidays and were greeted immediately by snowfall just as we arrived! We got very lucky since the snowstorm would later cause several delayed and cancelled flights, but thankfully we got there just in time to avoid the worst of the winter weather, and were able to spend a warm and wonderful holiday week together.

The kids and I decorated gingerbread houses and men and women, the adults played “White Elephant” which always leads to some happy shenanigans, and we all ate a lot of delicious food! Safe to say it was a warm and restorative week filled with laughter, and I hope that yours was too.

Christmas is a time for joy, for reflection, for gratitude and love. I want to thank every single person who works for and with SUNTEX for making such a remarkable impact on my life, and wish you all a very Happy Holiday season, and a Merry Christmas! I am grateful to you, and so happy that our paths crossed. Have a blessed day, and I hope to see you again next year. Enviando paz y amor a ti a a tus familias.

La Navidad es un tiempo de alegría, de reflexión, de gratitud y de amor. ¡Quiero agradecer a cada una de las personas que trabajan para y con SUNTEX por tener un impacto tan notable en mi vida, y les deseo a todos unas Felices Fiestas y una Feliz Navidad! Estoy agradecida contigo, y muy feliz de que nuestros caminos se hayan cruzado. Que tengas un bendecido día, y espero volver a verte el próximo año. Enviando paz y amor para ustedes y sus familias.

Welcome back everyone! On our previous blog post, we discussed the first two ways to quickly reduce your company’s carbon footprint—transitioning your company fleet from fossil fuel vehicles to electric vehicles and installing solar panels—today we will touch on two more ways that can quickly reduce your carbon footprint.

Like I mentioned in the previous post, getting to net zero will take everyone working together to achieve this goal. Once businesses—from small businesses to large corporations—start exhibiting these behaviors, it will be easier for their customers and competitors to follow suit.

Now, the third way to reduce your footprint is by repurposing existing office spaces. This is one of my favorites and we will dive further into this one in a future blog post.

3. Reuse Existing Office Spaces

 Most people never think about what goes into creating a building from the ground up, but a vast amount of energy goes into a building creation—from extracting and processing raw materials required for construction, to hauling and disposing waste from a job site—also known as “embodied energy.” This embodied energy is projected to make up 49% of the total carbon emissions of global new construction between now and 2050, according to Architecture 2030.

Adaptive reuse instead, focuses on taking a building that’s past its prime and renovating it for new purposes in line with current technological and social needs. If we want to make our cities more sustainable, adaptive reuse is one of the best strategies that we can implement. It also bridges the gap between the old and the new to create more unique and memorable spaces.

NYC – the historic Farley Post Office Building transformation into the new Moynihan Train Hall—a part of the Penn Station redevelopment

By choosing to adaptively reuse buildings, we are actively bypassing the cost of demolition and construction while extending the lifespan of already existing resources. A Deloitte blog post states that “compared with a new construction, adaptive reuse and restoration can be 16 percent cheaper in terms of construction costs and take 19 percent less execution time.”

Climate change has made adaptive reuse a more viable option, now more than ever before. It is also a compelling one in terms of business and finance too. On top of saving costs, there are also federal tax initiatives for creating sustainable and economically valuable alternatives to new construction thanks to the Tax Reform Act of 1976.

In a report on the global status of buildings and construction, The International Energy Agency found that the building and construction sector worldwide emitted 39% of all global carbon dioxide emission in 2019. On top of that, according to ArchDaily, it could still take anywhere from 10 to 80 years to zero out the carbon costs that come from construction even if choosing to build with energy efficient technology.

Carbon emissions are not the only thing that makes construction problematic; waste from a new build is also a massive issue. For example, when a 50,000-square-foot commercial building is torn down, about 4,000 tons of material end up in the landfill. Aside from that, demolishing a building wastes its initial investment, and a building can only be considered truly sustainable if it is in use long enough to justify the resources used for its creation.

“Retrofitting existing buildings to meet high-performance standards is the most effective strategy for reducing near- and mid-term carbon emissions, the most important step in limiting climate disruption.” – Kermit Baker, American Institute of Architects (AIA) Chief Economist

In 2014, the construction and demolition industry generated 534 million tons of debris, based on Dorma Kaba’s recent research; and a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report shows that building related construction and demolition debris accounted for 26% of all non-industrial waste generated in the United States.

“As more cities each year pledge to cut carbon emissions, adaptive reuse is an essential component of sustainable development. Creative solutions to renew the buildings we already have will make the difference in the fight against climate change.” – Frank Mahan, Design Principal, Adaptive Reuse Practice Leader at SOM, an innovative architectural firm.

It’s not that it doesn’t take energy and resources to restore an existing building — but rather, that it takes far less of both compared to constructing a new building and when we shift our thinking from “new is best,” to “reuse what’s left;” we are actively considering the environmental impacts associated with demolition and building anew. So, let’s put our hard hats on and tackle this together!

4. Bank Intentionally

When thinking of how to reduce your carbon footprint, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not who you bank with; especially when looking at climate solutions and environmental justice. Oddly enough, intentional banking is one of the easiest and most effective ways each of us can quickly create positive impact.

By banking intentionally, consumers can choose a bank that favors investing in renewable energies and socially responsible businesses over businesses that are destructive to the environment, like fossil fuel companies. These banks pledge their commitment to sustainability principles and align themselves with environmentally conscious customers and investors; helping them to fund a low-carbon future.

Banks play a major role in the American economy; each year trillions of dollars flow through them to fund the growth of various industries—whether that industry or company invests in fighting climate change or worsening climate change. Where banks decide to give their loans helps determine the direction of the economy, and to some extent, the future of our societies.

In 2020 alone, natural disasters accounted for about $210 billion in damages around the world. The challenges brought about by climate change and the pandemic have led to increased calls for banks to take a greater role in addressing where money is flowing to.

Climate change has been a top agenda for several banks. A growing number of financial institutions have realized that financing fossil fuels, and other projects that harm the environment, is bad for their long-term future. An Ernst & Young report found that in 2020, 52% of banks considered climate change as a key risk to their business within the next five years. Climate change development – such as the wildfires in Australia, winter storms in central Texas, the unprecedented London heatwaves, and the historical flooding in Pakistan – have created a sense of urgency that impact the growth or business and threaten company and client assets.

Consider looking into which banks finance fossil fuel companies and instead, banking with one that supports green financing, fights climate change and aligns with your own personal values. By doing this, you are ensuring that your deposits are being put towards building the tomorrow you want to live in.

There are a few groups of banks that have come together to help align customers and investors with banks and financial institutions that are working toward a sustainable future. One of these groups is The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV). The GABV is a network of independent banks using finance to deliver sustainable economic, social, and environmental development. You can find a bank that invests in fighting climate change and aligns with your personal values by visiting their website in the link above.

Another group that has come together to help the banking and financial sector is The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). The UNEP FI was created when six banks came together at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit with the same concerns regarding sustainability and the state of the global climate. There are now more than 450 financial institutions that are members of the UN’s largest partnership with the finance industry. In the past year, member banks have given 113 million customers access to financial services and advised over 15,000 companies on their climate strategies.

By choosing to bank with financial institutions and demanding that these institutions uphold environmental standards; you’re not only helping people and the planet, you’re also helping secure the future of financial stability. With their cooperation, banks can help to finance companies, projects, and loans that support a green economy and help reduce our carbon footprint. Their role should not be underestimated when working towards a more sustainable future.

Becoming more environmentally sustainable requires us to redesign our company’s business models and turn towards the adaptive reuse of buildings and learning to bank intentionally to forecast the future. These two ways of reducing our carbon footprint have shown that this decade is critical to the determination of the future of this planet and it’s in our hands to act now and provide a sustainable and responsible framework for other companies to follow.  The last part of this blog series will be posted Monday, so make sure to check back for the final tip on reducing your company’s ecological footprint.

Note: This article was written for SUNTEX by guest writer, Kari Norvell. Please reach out directly to SUNTEX if you have any questions regarding this article, or the blog post content.

Happy Equinox Day: The first day of Spring is Here! Technically, this year the first day of Spring occurred on 3/20/2022 – even though as we saw last year, it was on the twenty-first (https://suntexllc.com/spring-has-officially-sprung/). Why the difference? For that answer, I’ll turn the online version of the Farmer’s Almanac (check it out, here: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/spring-equinox-first-day-spring).

As the article within this link will attest, the first day of spring changes because…

“Essentially, our hours of daylight—the period of time each day between sunrise and sunset—have been growing slightly longer each day since the winter solstice in December, which is the shortest day of the year (at least in terms of light).

Even though we know that after December 21st, the days start getting steadily longer, we still see more darkness than light over the course of a day in those three months leading up to spring. The vernal equinox marks the turning point when daylight begins to win out over darkness.

At this moment, the direct rays of the Sun are shining down on the equator producing the effect of equal day and night (give or take a few minutes, see below).  After the vernal equinox, the direct rays of the Sun migrate north of the Equator (with hours of daylight steadily growing longer) until they finally arrive at the Tropic of the Cancer (latitude 23.5 degrees north)” (https://www.farmersalmanac.com/spring-equinox-first-day-spring).

Keep in mind that this specific set of facts about the Earth’s orbit around the sun apply to the Northern hemisphere – the Southern hemisphere would then, in turn (ha!), experience the same phenomenon of the days getting longer, following the autumn/winter equinoxes.

Though the Texas weather might fool us into believing that winter is not yet over, keep in mind that warmer days are just around the corner! I hope you have started planning and planting your spring garden, and made a plan to keep cool this summer, particularly as energy prices and demand start to climb. Should you have any questions about the energy efficiency in your home, feel free to give us a call today.

Either way, we hope you have a Happy Spring!

Happy First day of March! I’ll do my best to keep the marching puns to a minimum but unfortunately for you all, that does not mean none will occur.

While we will continue to celebrate Black American history all year long, there is a lot to celebrate in March as well! This month we celebrate Women’s Appreciation month as well as the first day of spring (Sunday, March 20^th), Saint Patrick’s Day and if you’re creative (or one of the writers at Spruce.com) – many more, check out a few others here: https://www.thespruce.com/special-days-and-observances-in-march-1448890.

Along with the holidays mentioned above, with the season officially changing in March from winter to spring, we’ll dig back into energy usage in the home and how that may change in the coming months. We’ll probably also get into a few DIY home and gardening projects, not to mention organic gardening tips; along ways to save money on home projects big and small. We’ve explored a few of these topics some in the past – feel free to browse them here:

Energy Usage: https://suntexllc.com/energy-usage-around-the-world/

DIY Home/Gardening Projects: https://suntexllc.com/home-gardens-and-cold-fronts/

Composting and Organic Gardening Tips: https://suntexllc.com/cheating-death/

However, this spring we’ll also start to get a little more detailed and pull in additional sources to better understand the subject matter pertaining to all things home improvement, particularly as they involve energy usage/storage and other energy and money-saving tips.

Happy Monday all! The day you’ve been waiting for – and possibly dreading – is here at last! I hope you’ve already made reservations, or plan to pick up a nice dinner on your way home – not to mention the traditional gifts of flowers or chocolates and balloons – because these treats will be going fast now that Valentines Day is upon us. What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day celebration or tradition? Feel free to share within the comments section, and whatever you do to celebrate we hope you have a wonderful day today!

Whether you plan to make reservations and go out to a fancy meal, or watch horror movies with your single friends, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! To spare you the heartache and despair of being caught unaware, consider this your first reminder to make plans now, send out invites, or grab some Encanto-themed kids Valentine’s Day cards from the store to send to friends and family, and get to planning. Your friends and family will be psyched to learn just how up-to-date you are with your Disney movies, and to learn how much you truly care about them.

However, Valentine’s Day isn’t the only celebration in mid-February worth mentioning – don’t forget about Leslie Knope’s greatest contribution to our world either: Galentine’s day is just around the corner as well!

Don’t know what this is? Just check out the following link below in which Park’s and Rec’s Leslie Knope tells all – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYv1zjBOMew.

While it’s not as fun as watching the episode to get a feel for yourself, here’s a direct quote regarding this event and what it entails:

“Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we just come and kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies.”

-Leslie Knope (https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/galentines-day-13th-february-parks-rec-b1801837.html).

While every weekend may feel like a girls’ weekend when you’re single, it’s important to celebrate those female friendships that have helped you through the tough times, made you laugh when you wanted to cry, and provided a healthy dose of silliness in this all-to-serious world. So don’t forget to book a spot for Sunday brunch this weekend, or host the ladies at your home on Sunday morning, and start preparing for the big day now! Even cynics can get into celebrating friendship at least once a year.

Whatever your plans for Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day entail, we do hope you have a wonderful celebration this weekend, and enjoy the rest of this short month as well. If you’ve got stories to share from past Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day events, or want to brainstorm what you’ll be doing this year, please feel free to share within the comments below. In the meantime, happy planning!

Resolutions, smesolutions; Who do you want to be this year?

With the new year arriving just after the winter solstice, and the days starting to lengthen, it’s a wonderful time to consider what you want your life to look like over the next year. Perhaps there’s not a whole lot you’d like to change – which is a fabulous place to be in!

Between the shorter, colder, winter days, and the global pandemic raging on for a third year now, it’s safe to say many of us thought life would be back to a more “normal” state by now. So if the thought of taking up another new DIY hobby is wearing you down, you’re not alone.

Perhaps you already read Lifehacks “20 Practical Ways to Improve Yourself Every Day” (here for reference of course: https://lifehacks.io/improve-yourself-every-day/), and you’ve already learned a new language and tried your hand at plenty of new skills. Perhaps you’ve already read every book on your bookshelf and have exhausted your library card checking out everything on your reading list. Maybe you’ve had plenty of time to escape into another dimension and build your Minecraft forts and construct pastures to raise animals and crops.

If so, please do share your tips with the rest of us in the comments section below! According to uabmedicine.org, less than 8% of people actually stick to their resolutions each year, even though my guess is that you still set one come January 1^st. Why then do we continue to set them?

I remember back in high school, senior year – queue old jokes, yes I can remember that far back – just before graduation, I had this gnawing feeling of dread thinking, “Okay, so what? What’s next?” Even the day of graduation – while there was good food, and friends saying heartfelt goodbyes, and family traveled in to celebrate this big achievement – it still somehow felt both underwhelming: “I worked for nearly 18 years, for this?!” and also overwhelming: “I have to become an adult now, childhood is over” all at once.

This right here, these moments in life where it seems as though you’re crushed by expectations and you’ve worked so hard to get to where you are already – this is why goal setting is so important. It keeps us moving, forward.

PositivePsychology.com states that, “Setting goals helps trigger new behaviors, helps guides your focus and helps you sustain that momentum in life. Goals also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery.”

The thing is, you may not need to be any different, and certainly you shouldn’t feel pressured to change anything about yourself just to ‘fit in’ or make more money, however goals can help you to focus, and to grow in ways you didn’t expect. Not to mention, it’s good for your mental health and accomplishing your goals can be very intrinsically rewarding.

Let’s use a popular example: Steve Jobs and Apple. Thanks to inc.com, we know that “Apple lost $867 million in 1996 and its market cap was under $3 billion. In 2011, Apple’s market cap was approximately $300 billion.” He could have retreated and said to himself, “I am the problem, I am unsuccessful, I can’t keep going,” however what he said instead was,

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

(Full link: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/steve-jobs-wanted-what-every-remarkably-successful-person-wants.html#:~:text=Jobs’%20goal%20when%20he%20re,(not%20coincidentally)%20made%20money).

As they say, ‘hindsight is 20/20,’ and we know today that Apple did not crumble but went on to be a billion-dollar tech giant that’s created millions of jobs and inspired similar products world-wide. The amazing thing is that Apple started out of a garage. If he can do it, why not you?

Even just last year, as I began writing this blog for SUNTEX and knew nothing about “Search Engine Optimization” or keywords – it seemed like an incredibly daunting task. My boss and founder of SUNTEX, Alejandra Mendoza, had tasked me with writing 3-4 blogs each week with the goal of improving our SEO (even though neither of us knew at the time what this really meant).

If you look back to my very first post (here for reference: https://suntexllc.com/new-year-new-look/) you might notice that it’s smaller (which wasn’t long enough to improve our SEO stats), had much less detail, and really no voice. It was a blog, sure, by definition, however I didn’t feel confident calling myself a “blog writer” at the time – the concept still felt foreign to me.

So I continued to work on it daily, listened to webinars, sought feedback, and read as much as I could about web design and improving your SEO.

Fast forward one year to now, and our website is on the front page of google, consistently ranks high in SEO ‘scores,’ and we’ve even been discovered by lots of new people either applying with the company to work for us, or homeowners searching for home upgrades and energy efficient solutions to save money on their energy bills. Id Est, by the end of the year, we had accomplished our goal of improving our online presence. The rewards have been innumerable, but it’s safe to say the most rewarding part is my own confidence in getting better at something I knew nothing about at the start.

So this year, as you head into the unknown, as we endure another year of what looks like Coronavirus variants and lockdowns to come, ask yourself who you want to be – what you want your life to look like, professionally, personally, spiritually – and start making the small goals to motivate yourself to get there. The world is waiting for your next move, take it.