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Simple Green – What is a green building?

Simply stated “Green” practices are sustainable… and sustainability is the satisfaction of basic economic and social needs now and in the future without undermining the natural resource base and environmental quality on which life depends. 

How does a Green facility operate?  Let’s break it down by sectors: Energy conservation, material resource conservation, and healthy buildings.  Here are some suggestions that are cost effective and sustainable.

Energy Conservation:  Do an energy audit of your physical building. There are numerous Government programs and subsidies that are cost effective. Simple fixes might be programmable thermostats, weather-stripping/caulking windows and doors or re-wrapping ductwork that reduce operating time of HVAC equipment saving energy and reducing maintenance costs.

Material Resource Conservation:  Contact your local waste/recycling company to conduct a waste recycling audit and propose a program to divert waste from the landfill. Purchasing materials with minimal packaging can help reduce waste bills. Purchase products made with recycled content like carpet made from recycled plastics. Order materials manufactured as close to home as possible is also helpful.

Healthy Buildings:  Use washable air filters that are more effective and re-usable. When redecorating or installing improvements insist on using low VOC compounds in paint, sealants and adhesives.  Again purchasing building materials of recycled content are more available today and should not cost more. Request that your builder/remodeler use a licensed recycling company to remove and recycle the construction and demolition debris. Make certain your janitorial company is using green cleaning products. When remodeling take advantage of building angles that promote natural light. Low voltage lighting and CFC and LED lights can be big energy savers as well and reduce heat collection in occupied areas thereby reducing AC costs.

For more information and tips on how to make your building or office a little more “green”, log into the NAIOP Southern Nevada web page, and click on Sustainable Development under the Resources tab. Or type this link into your browser: http://www.naiopnv.org/sd/.  NAIOP also has a Sustainability discussion forum on LinkedIn at: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3001854