Real Estate Journal — Green Buildings — March 25 - April 14, 2016 — 27B
www.marejournal.com
M id A tlantic
G reen B uildings
By Caroline Shelly, CID, LEED AP-BD+C, HF Planners Smalls steps to take to help a facility go green
N
ow a days corpora- tions are interested in putting their best foot
the work environment. These include working from home which results in a lower car-
and Carpet & Rug Institute. 2. Using energy efficient equipment. Look for the En-
4. Utilizing more natural lighting. One of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) strat- egies includes the access to more natural light for all em- ployees, a term known as Day- lighting. Daylighting creates a more productive environment that also gives a sense of wellbeing and better health benefits to the employee. This strategy usually means mov- ing the private offices from the exterior to interior of the space so more people per square foot can enjoy and benefit from the daylight. Other strategies beyond
your typical township recy- cling requirements include in- centives for carpooling, using public transportation, pur- chasing from local vendors, donating unwanted/unused items to the community, and using biodegradable plates and utensils. The long term goal for a company should resolve headaches associated with Going Green by integrat- ing solutions that have the greatest impact on improving the environment. Caroline Shelly, CID, LEED AP-BD+C is prin- cipal at HF Planners in Raritan NJ. n
forward by taking steps to prove they are environ- m e n t a l l y c ons c i ous , and thus re- ducing the amount o f greenhouse gases emit-
The long term goal for a company should resolve headaches associated with Going Green by integrating solutions that have the greatest impact on improving the environmen t.
ergy Star label on equip- ment from lighting to water fixtures. Energy Star can help companies commit to improving efficiency that saves money and is good for the environment. 3. Improving work envi- ronment efficiency. Various strategies exist to improve
bon footprint per employee; creating more collaborative spaces where employees are not hidden behind office walls; and integrating more of a home atmosphere in the work- place where controls exist to sensor use of the space and automatically turn off light- ing when no one is around.
Caroline Shelly
ted into the atmosphere. By doing so, they not only help improve the environment, but they also attract more employees. One of the items that help retain good employ- ees after pay and benefits is working for an environmen- tally conscientious company. However, with so much in- formation about creating a green program, headaches can result just trying to de- termine where to start, not to mention what would be the most visible to employees, and also easy to implement and maintain. It is important to first un- derstand what greenhouse gas emissions are and why we should be concerned. When greenhouse gases are trapped in the atmosphere they heat up and start warming the planet’s surface. As a result – weather changes, ocean levels rise, and food crops become more difficult to grow. Of all the U.S. greenhouse gas emis- sions, the majority are related to energy consumption, and most of those are carbon dioxide. Office buildings are responsible for 39 percent of greenhouse gas emissions (US Green Building Coun- cil). Since 1992 the EPA has worked with organizations to help them save money and reduce greenhouse gas emis- sions by making their build- ings and plants more energy efficient. Some steps to solve these headaches include: 1. Selecting Environmen- tally Responsible materi- als. Research manufacturers who develop products that incorporate environmentally responsible processes into their plants. More and more carpet manufactures, furni- ture companies, and wall- covering plants are develop- ing processes that are more environmentally friendly. These can be found with a certification from various testing companies like the Forest Stewardship Council
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