green retrofitting 101
TRANSCRIPT
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Green Retrofitting 101
The green building label is not reserved for only new buildings; it is just as plausible to turn the millions of existing buildings into environmentally friendly structures. Green buildings are proven to reduce water and energy use and costs, create greater worker productivity and satisfaction, improve brand image, and better community relations.
Renovations to a building include improving energy efficiency, improving the heating and cooling system, creating a more sustainable site, improving water efficiency, installing renewable energy, and using eco-friendly materials. There are many projects that can be completed on a smaller budget, while others require a larger commitment.
Even though there tends to be a high upfront cost, there are substantial incentives that make these costs worth it.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Green Retrofitting 101
This presentation provides a summary of the white paper Green Retrofitting 101, which is an overview of green building, renovations and taking the necessary steps toward working in a sustainable environment.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Green Retrofitting 101
The white paper provides you with the resources needed to get started and walks you through:
The appeal of green buildings
The challenge of retrofitting
The retrofitting process
LEED
Incentives for green retrofitting
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
The Appeal of Green Buildings
Green buildings offer their owners and tenants a number of bottom-line benefits, including reductions in water and energy use and costs, opportunities with respect to tax credits and other regulatory incentives, greater employee productivity and satisfaction, improved brand image, and better community relations.
Like what you see? You can do this too! Find out how here!
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Challenges
Doug Gatlin of the Green Building Council accurately portrays retrofitting as “having to make the most of what you’ve got.” Most buildings cannot go through a gut rehab, but there are basic actions that tenants can take to greatly improve a building’s green status.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Challenges
The retrofitting process can be troublesome if you are leasing a building, or surrounded by other tenants who are not on board with retrofitting.
You will have to ensure that everyone understands the importance of retrofitting in today’s business world in order to obtain widespread approval and participation.
Download, “Green Retrofitting 101” to learn more.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Before You Retrofit
Considerations:
Obtain a green audit: This will tell you what needs to be done, as well as put a price tag on these fixes.
Establish retrofitting goals: How intricate will your retrofit be? What are your motivations?
Contact a contractor: What can be done on your own? What areas need professional help?
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Before You Retrofit
Significant research must be done when seeking out a contractor. Do not just hire the first name you come across in the phone book! Contact those in your network to figure out who you can trust to take your retrofitting journey with you!
Learn more about choosing a contractor by downloading the full white paper here!
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
The Process
The first step in the process of retrofitting, after an audit is conducted, is to confront your energy efficiency. This can be broken down into four categories:
•Consider the types of
lighting you are using,
as well as placement,
design, and color
•Switch to CFLs
•Utilize natural light
• Install lighting sensors
Lighting
•A very strict
certification to earn
•Saves both your wallet
and the environment
•Products range from
refrigerators, copiers,
and air systems, to
lighting fixtures
Energy Star
•Contact an insulation
expert for an audit
•Use a thermal scanner
•Consider using
cellulose or spray
foam instead of
fiberglass
•Caulking and weather
stripping will prevent
drafts
Insulation
•Find a window
contractor who will
know what windows
will work best in your
building
•Windows lose heat via
conduction, radiation,
convection, and drafts
Windows
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
The Process
Asses your overall heating and cooling system
Monitor annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE)
A condensing unit is 10% more efficient than a furnace and can have a lifespan of 15-25 years
Look for Energy Star rated air conditioners
Consider a passive solar design
Learn more about energy conservation here! A passive solar design uses a structures windows, walls,
and floors to collect, store, and distribute heat.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
The Process
After assessing energy and heating/cooling efficiency, take a look at your water efficiency. Check all pipes, appliances, and irrigation systems. Try installing water-conserving indoor plumbing including toilets, sinks, and showers.
Gray water systems are also a great way to recycle water within your building and its surrounding environment!
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
The Process
Create a sustainable site
Install rain barrels
Plant only native plants
Install efficient sprinklers
Use renewable energy
This should only be considered after energy efficiency has been assessed
Invest in a Closed Loop Solar Water Heater
Solar PV cells can be efficient even if you don’t live in California!
For a larger business, wind turbines are an option
Consider a geothermal heat pump
In an indirect design the liquid pumped through the solar thermal collectors is an antifreeze, and then is circulated through
coils in the water tank to heat the surrounding water.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
The Process
One of the last issues to confront when retrofitting your building is to assess materials and resources. It is important to find out where the materials you use on a daily basis come from:
Who is your supplier?
What is their bottom line?
Support local economy and buy from nearby suppliers!
Also, reuse materials to reduce waste from going to a landfill.
Learn how to green up the outside of your office as well, literally!
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
What About LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a certification program for buildings wishing to green up. LEED is a rigorous certification to obtain, broken down into categories and points. Various point levels will earn you basic, silver level, gold level, and platinum level certification.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
What About LEED?
LEED categories include:
Sustainable Site
Water Efficiency
Energy and Atmosphere
Materials and Resources
Indoor Environmental Quality
Innovation and Operations
Regional Priority
Learn about other great programs to help you
retrofit your building in Sustainability
Certifications and Standards … another
great SSC white paper!
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
What About LEED?
•Established and well-respected
program
•Provides specific direction for
companies who desire to decrease
their buildings’ impacts
•Makes green building accessible to
a much broader audience
•Offers recognition for your work
Pros
•Incredibly detailed
•Time consuming
•Can add extra expenses
•Requires an LEED consultant
•This certification is certainly not
for everyone since the same
energy savings and reduced
carbon dioxide emissions can be
achieved without going through
the certification program.
Cons
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Incentives
There are a substantial amount of financial incentives currently available that can make a green retrofit much more financially reasonable. Most of the incentives are in the renewable energy or energy efficiency areas.
One example: The commercial building tax deduction in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides a tax deduction of $1.80 per square foot; eligible buildings must save at least 50 % of projected energy costs and buildings with lesser annual energy savings are eligible for a partial deduction of $0.60 per square foot. A major federal renewable energy incentive in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides a 30% tax credit or federal grant for the equivalent amount of money.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Incentives
This act is part of the government stimulus package, which provides significant economic incentives to develop a greener economy.
There are also many other government grant , tax credits, and loan programs that are currently out there or are in the process of being developed.
There are many state incentives as well, but they differ from state to state, so you’ll have to research your state further.
For more information on stimulus money, check out
How Small Business Can Take Advantage of
Stimulus Money in the Energy Sector.
And don’t forget to check out DSIRE to find out your
state incentives!
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Incentives
An example of state incentives in Pennsylvania is the Alternate Energy Investment Fund which provides $650 million for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The funding for programs such as the Alternate Energy Investment Fund and others will not last forever and will eventually run out. Evidence strongly suggests that green retrofitting projects should be completed sooner than later in order to receive economic incentives because retrofits will become more common and the incentives will disappear.
Download, “Green Retrofitting 101” to learn more.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Looking Ahead
Work does not stop after the completion of a green retrofit; many sustainable practices that don’t involve the actual infrastructure of a building can also contribute to a greener building or workplace.
It is important to continue to work with employees or tenants to uphold sustainable practices.
www.sustainabilityconsulting.comCopyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.
Looking Ahead
After you have retrofitted your building, it is important to encourage employees to act with sustainability in mind. Turn off lights, recycle, carpool, develop a green team, etc. Do whatever it takes to keep your team thinking green, even long after the last CFL light bulb is installed!
A great place to start on the road to retrofitting your business is through research, and we have started this step for you right here in Green Retrofitting 101!
Download the complimentary white paper in it’s entirety by visiting the SSC website today:
Green Retrofitting 101
What are your thoughts? Join the conversation on twitter @jenniferwoofter!
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