The terms “going green” and “green building” are buzzwords in the energy sector. This is defined as opting for a sustainable and renewable way of living by focusing on reducing, reusing and recycling. Renewable and sustainable forms of energy such as solar, wind, hydro and geo-thermal have taken the construction industry by storm.
Green design is about balancing high-quality construction and low environmental impact. It is a process combined with materials to maximize efficiency, durability and savings. Going green with your facility can be expensive, but it’s an investment in future savings that will pay you back over time. However, many building owners cannot begin to afford the expensive equipment associated with green design such as solar panels, new HVAC and geothermal technologies and green building materials. We’ve got good news! You have many of the tools you need to implement green practices and to start creating a sustainable building today. The problem is, your potential savings are being wasted on inefficient practices. Here’s how to create sustainability using funds you already have.
Reuse: to use again especially in a different way or after reclaiming or reprocessing
The first and least expensive step is to ensure that the facility equipment currently running your building is operating at its best potential. While ripping and replacing old equipment with new, highly efficient products is the upfront solution to creating a greener facility, your organization can be more sustainable by taking care of and adding life to your existing equipment. In fact, reusing is a fundamental concept in the practice of sustainability. Regular maintenance and programming that optimizes when and how your equipment is used can rejuvenate and lengthen the life-cycle of old equipment.
Reduce: to make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size.
Evaluating existing equipment, taking inventory and making value judgements while weighing a cost-benefit analysis, reduces waste. This process paints a big picture of your building’s assets and needs which helps you prioritize the items you actually need to replace. You save money by replacing only what you really need to and identifying what could be working better. These residual funds can be used to train and educate facilities staff on efficiently running existing equipment which further reduces waste.
Recycling: converting waste into reusable material
The triple bottom line, an accounting framework that goes beyond traditional measures of profits and return on investment to include environmental and social dimensions, is a vital tool in measuring sustainability goals. Organizations that focus not only on profitability, but also social, human and environmental capital are essentially recycling their resources. Allocating funds towards a more efficient building by reducing waste and reusing existing equipment converts the money wasted on emergency maintenance and equipment inefficiency to savings that can be used to invest in the triple bottom line.
The money, energy and resources saved by reducing, reusing, and recycling your current facility equipment will compound as your building begins working at its maximum potential efficiency. This will allow you to save funds for larger green building investments such as LED lighting, building automation controls and highly efficient HVAC equipment.
You can afford to “go green.” Create sustainability using funds you already have.
