I was asked to answer a list of questions for a green business promotion that we are to be a part of so I thought that I would share my answers with you all as well.  How would your business answer these same questions?

Q. What are your environmental values and commitments?

As a builder and remodelor we make sure that we employ a holistic approach to building so that our clients homes are more energy efficient, healthy and comfortable.  One way that we are able to do this is through green certifications.  The majority of our projects are eligible for a green certification since we are able to offer ones that fit most situations.

Q. How are they stated, measured, and enforced?

All of the green certifications that we offer are 3rd party verified for quality control.

Q. How does your company express its environmental values and commitment to employees, customers, and others?

Not only do we have green job sites, but our sustainable message is also embedded into our website, client communication and public speaking.

Q. What efforts have been made to offer products/services with the environment in mind?

We have gone through our whole design build process and have made sure that all of the processes and products that we offer are environmentally friendly.  All of the products that we offer are either good for indoor air quality, good for the environment, or energy efficient.

Q. What efforts have been made to efficiently use resources, materials, and energy, as well as recycle and prevent pollution?

Since all of our projects are energy efficient, they help reduce the amount of pollution that was created in order to produce the energy used.  We also believe in cradle to cradle construction where many of the products that we use were either re purposed or can be used again.

Q. Do you do anything to reclaim your products or packaging at the end of their useful lives and/or do you encourage customers to recycle or reuse products?

Yes- we recycle on all of our job sites and we build in recycling bins into our clients houses to encourage them to not put as much material into the waste stream.

Q. Do you currently receive any state or federal tax rebates or other financial incentives for any of your environmental efforts (for example, clean energy tax credit, water heater rebate program, etc.)?  If yes, which ones?

All of our projects are eligible for federal and state tax incentives because of the green services that we provide.  For a full list of green incentives visit Why It Pays to Go Green.

Q. Are you certified by any environmental business organizations? If yes, which ones?

Southface Energy Institute, Building Performance Institute, United States Green Building Council

Q. Are you in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws?

Yes!

I love this new logo!

My friend- Carl Seville has created a new logo for his blog.  Not sure if it is representative of his opinion of what he thinks of the planet or if he is stating what we are currently doing to the planet.  I doubt that it is the later since he has been a driving force for green construction locally and nationally.

Check out his column at the green building curmudgeon

One of our friends was reading an article on Kudzu a few weeks ago about green jobs. At the end of the article there was a link to a great site that was a good example of a good green business. When he clicked on it- TheHootsGroup.com site showed up on his screen.

The article did have a pretty good thesis to it (not just because we got a plug). Basically, they point out that businesses that have green credentials should talk about them to give themselves more credibility. While I do believe that the truly green businesses (like us) should do this, but those who do not have a “dark green” story should try a little harder to green themselves us before they start to tout their green points.  If we are all green, then none of us are green.

Here is the original article from kudzu.com more…

All I can say is Wow! I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of design professionals last night on green design from IFDA and got to meet some great individuals at the same time.

One of them was Kass Wilson a faux finisher. I just went to her site looking for the faux finishes and all I saw was stone and wood. I zoomed in and all that I saw was stone and wood. That is how amazing the details was! What is great about faux finishing is that you can add life to an older piece by refinishing it! She uses all healthy finishes in the process as well so you have an amazing art piece that does not affect your indoor air quality.  Life cycle extension and IAQ are both green and blog worthy!

To see more of her work visit Kass Wilson / Wallstreat

I was eating at one of my favorite Italian lunch spots (toscano and sons) and decided to take a walk around the complex where they were located to say hi to the local shop owners and to see how they were doing.  One of the shops that I visited is called Verde Home.  “Verde” meaning “green” epitomizes their furniture collection.  What really caught my eye was not the organic fabrics or organic rugs, but it was the beautiful hand-crafted furniture.  Each piece that was hand crafted had a one of a kind look.  Kent Schneider (one of the co-owners) had a story that went along with each piece giving them even more character.  Most of the pieces can from reclaimed heart pine and other sustainably deconstructed pieces.  Here is a link to the page on their site that displays the hand crafted furniture.   Verde Home

An excerpt from Verde Home:

“At Verde Home we specialize in hardwood furniture made from certified sources and reclaimed materials. This reclaimed pine console made exclusively for Verde is a great example. Hand crafted in Atlanta from antique wooden beams, salvaged from the ongoing White Provisions renovation, this piece is a great example of what we call sustainable style.”

At a conference that I attended last week here in Atlanta(Southeastern Lifecycle Construction Conference), I was introduced to a formula for green business.  We like to drink tea in the South, however Green T.E.A. is what you need to have to be a good sustainable builder or business.

• T- Timing… To take advantage of going green you have to time it correctly.  If you want to get a green certification on a building, you need to start planning before you break ground.  Once the building is complete, it is a little too late.
• E- Experience… Please learn to walk before you run.  Building science is very complicated.  The more experience that you have the more options you can offer to your clients.  If you do not have this experience, please hire a consultant to help you out.   If you are wanting to get into the construction industry and do not have construction experience, the best thing for you to do is to see how you can use your current skills and experience rather then trying to learn a new trade.  If you are choosing a green builder, ask them to show you their green portfolio to see how much experience that they have.
• A- Attitude… If you want to green up your business or build a green house, you need to have a sustainable attitude.  Without passion and craftsmanship you will not fair as well on the green checklists.  If you really believe in the project or what you are building you will do much better because your mind and heart are in the right place.

I got this acronym from Mike Barcik of Southface.

You do not have to be a green business to be green.  If you offer regular (non-green) services, you still can be conservation minded in your office, home and how you do business with you clients.  I do like it when you see a green twist where we traditionally would see waste.  We just got a statement from the student loans that we are paying on and they are “going green” now.  So how does a financial institution “go green?”  Since postage rates are going up and all businesses are having to make administrative cuts, why not do them and market them as green.  This is not green washing.  Green washing would be to take a semi-green practice and act as if it were green when it is not completely sustainable.  However, if you find a way to do business more effectively, while making a positive impact on the environment, I would expect for you to brag a little if you have any marketing skills what so ever.

Here is a sample of an e-statement that we got.  They are saving money on printing and postage and reducing the environmental impact by not using fossil fuels to ship the statements to us.  What I love about it, is that it will actually cost us ink and paper to print it and they pulled this off by saying that they are green!  Most people would think- how noble of them while they just managed to pass some costs on to us.  Yes, I do recognize the reverse psychology, however I don’t mind this since overall we are having a net positive impact by reducing the overall energy that would have been put into mailing them to us.

Yes, I know that Winter just officially started so why I am talking about “Spring cleaning?”  We are spending much more time indoors right now and unfortunately it may not be in an environment that is that healthy.  As a Home Performance contractor we get to see quite a spectrum of sick houses out there.  Actually, since I am a bit more sensitive to the environments that I live in- most houses make me sick.  I have a bit congested tight now since I have been exposed to several sick environments within the last few days.

Since indoor air quality can be many times more polluted than the outdoor air we would like to give you a few tools to make a difference.  If you live in Atlanta, you are in luck.  There are more and more green cleaning services that are available for you to choose from.  One such company is A Peaceful Space.  We are fortunate enough to have them clean our office using non toxic cleaners.   Many of the chemicals that smell great, actually can do more harm than good because of the solvents that are in them.  These chemicals aka VOC’s should be avoided if possible.  There are cleaning agents that you can make yourself from non-toxic household items such as vinegar and baking soda.

Here are some green cleaning tips from A Peaceful Space: more…

“2009 is a  New Year”- This has been the phrase of the year for me so far.  Those who need to hear it welcome the words of encouragement.  Those who do not want to hear it make smart remarks in response to my positive outlook for 2009.  Funny thing is that it only got 1 day of news coverage so far.  I do think that it should still be making headlines.   It is the beginning of a revolution (not just one around the sun.)  There are many great things to look forward to and I am glad to be part of this positive movement.

Fortunately, I have found some like minded folk to join me this year.  I just got a e-newsletter today from our friends at the Ecobroker headquarters.  Their message was fairly optimistic especially as it pertains to green business.  The full article will be referenced below, but it says that the USGBC and other green entities are not seeing a slowdown during these economic times.

That is not what I am hearing from the mainstream media.  Correction- that is not what I hear as I quickly change the channels once the negativity starts to creep out of my TV.  (I do not see how any business owner, homeowner, or member of society can watch or read the news and still want to go to work or be motivated to do good or better.  I have seen bumper stickers that have read “Save a Life- Shoot you TV!”  I get it!  They were probably referring to brain numbing programming, however I see it as junk that is not contributing positively towards our current political and economic climate.  The only good news that I am hearing is in the green sector.)

What?  “Green is actually sustainable!”  I love the duality to that statement.  Basically, if you build a better house or building than you are still doing well when the market is not doing so well.  Some of my colleagues in the industry are asking me how we are doing.  I really feel guilty when I answer that we are doing ok given the tough economic times, especially when not all builders or renovators have work right now.  The fact is that people still need renovations and new houses, but now they are looking for either the cheapest price or the best quality.  We do not want to play the price game, so since we are willing to provide good quality at a fair price coupled with sustainable practices, our clients feel compelled to work with us.  I am not saying that it is easy for us, however I am willing to admit the fact that if we were not building green right now we would not have as much work.  We would not have as many employees.  Our clients would not be saving money on their energy bills.  Their houses would not be as comfortable.  You get the point.  There is no downside to a New Year.  Green is good.  2009 is going to be a great green year.

PS- let your friends know about this sustainable undercurrent that is not getting much press.  If that is too much for them to absorb- let them know that “2009 is a New Year.”  That message is universally accepted by most and frequently understood by a few.

Here is the original message that inspired this entry:

more…

Which football conference is FSC?  I know that the ACC and SEC is going to play each other in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in a few days.  Which conference gets to play the FSC?

If the FSC was a conference it would be one where everyone wins (No- I am not implying that everyone should always win.  Competition makes us all better.) FSC aka (Forest Stewardship Council) is a council that certifies wood as being sustainably harvested.  This means that forest are maintained to maximize a good yield over a long time versus clear cutting where all of the trees that are worth something are cut at once depleting land of good trees.

Early last year I was building a house called Ecolumina (you can visit it at www.ecolumina.org) that was going to be a LEED certified house.  One of the areas where I was going to get points was in the sustainable materials section.  I needed to find some FSC certified trim.  Around the same time a friend of mine introduced me to the folks at InsiDesign.  They had just gotten the word that all of their trim was FSC certifiable, so I put in an order for our project.

After we finished the house the parent company (Koetter Woodworks) for InsiDesign was kind was very generous and invited myself and Karen (from Waldenour) to come tour their facility in Indiana.  While we were there we found out that the order that we had placed for FSC certified was the first ever order that had been placed in the world!  I was just joking when I asked if we were going to get a plaque for being the first.  Well….. look what showed up at my doorstep just a few days ago (to the left).  This was handcrafted with wood from their forest.

Thanks InsiDesign to working with us and providing us with valuable resources to offer to our clients.

Happy New Year.

Here are some last minute green Christmas gift ideas from EcoEmporium here in ATL:

• To-Go Ware: Stainless Steel two tiered lunch box, bamboo utensil set
• English Retread Handbag & Messenger Bags: Recycled tractor trailer inner tube bags
• Naturstone: Non-toxic cookware in soapstone made to go from oven straight to table
• Men’s & Women’s Bamboo Lounge Wear: Boxers, pants, cami’s, night gowns, tanks
• Organic Dog Beds, Treats, and Toys
• Kids Environmental Message T-Shirts
• Natural, Handmade Pottery
• Recycled Newspaper Print Bags: Totes, cosmetic cases, and small purses
• Organic Baby Toys
• The Great Elephant Poo Journals and Stationary: Handmade from recycled elephant poo
• Ultimate Christmas Gift: Organic & All Natural Mattress from Green Sleep

For more information or other gifts ideas contact:

Alexis Veremakis
ecoEMPORIUM
404.875.5224
www.theecoEMPORIUM.com

Our friends at SouthEast Green have compiled a list of green vendors in the ATL area that have excellent green gift options for those of you who are still shopping.   Click on the logo below and support our local businesses.

There has been much talk about what the new administration is going to do for green business and the economy.  Here is an article that I picked up from Qualified Remodeler that gives green contractors a little hope in 2009.  There could be as much as $4 billion allocated for green improvements.

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A few years back a client of mine that we were doing some home performance work for told me that she was a green real estate agent, “the first in GA.”  I was intrigued.  She asked for us to come do an energy audit on her house and to give her pointers on how to make it greener.  Her name is Janet Gure and still practices green real estate.   She was also able to see a savings of over 20% on her energy bills as well through the improvements that she made to her house.  She was the first and many more agent in the area have gone through the same program to become more knowledgeable in green real estate.

Which leads is to the question- What is a EcoBroker?  It is a Real Estate agent that is trained in the ways of green building.  They go through a multiple day course that covers all of the basics of the green components in a house and teaches them how to market and sell green homes.

If you live in ATL, I believe that you are surrounded by some of the most talented EcoBrokers out there.    Harry Norman realtors dedicated time and resources to get over 100 of their agents trained in green Real Estate.  Jennifer Spivey, who was already green, is a local agent who takes time out to teach the EcoBroker class to her fellow brokers.  Burke Sisco, our “Eco Home Guy,” blogs about green building in Atlanta and promotes smart building.

These are just a few of the talented EcoBrokers that we get to work with in ATL.  We hosted an event at our office for one of their monthly meetings and the reception was very good.  They are positive even though home sales are down, because they have found a new niche in which they can be proud of.

To find an Ecobroker in your area visit www.ecobroker.com, or click on one resource links listed to the side of my blog for ones that we work with directly.

The Hoots Group is a proud Platinum level sponsor of the Ecobroker program because they are what the market needs right now.  An educated real estate agent is good for us all.  When they have green resources and tools at their disposal it is good for the environment, the consumer and the economy.  Ask you agent if they are green and if not, encourage them to go through this EcoBroker training.

I encourage you to pick from the existing brokers on the list since they have taken the initiate to go out get the training and promote green building in a market where no one is making a lot of money.  They are doing it for other reasons.  Support the early adopters for paving the way for the rest of us.

If you read Georgia Tech vs. Georgia Part I, you will be happy to hear the GA Tech is also working on green power as well.  UGA is doing great things with pine trees, while GA Tech is more focused on the sun.

In the wake of the presidential election lots of talk is coming to the surface about renewable energy.  In the post about GA, I talked about biomass technology.  In this post the focus will be on Solar technologies, specifically Photovoltaic (PV).  Our president elect has proposed that we stop the dependence on foreign oil once again and take out energy needs into our own hands.  By the year 2012, the US is aiming to produce 10% of it’s energy with renewable energy and by the year 2025, we are aiming for a 25% renewable energy portfolio.

GA is in a good position to benefit from this.  Last year a GA professor annoucened that he was going to take his research public and create solar cells here in GA.  The PV cells will be added to solar panels to create energy from the sun.  They have already begun production and have Billions of dollars of product in orders already.  This is good for GA and the US because it is being produced here in GA.

Here is a little about the company Suniva and it’s founder as found on their website:

“Suniva evolved from the work of Professor Ajeet Rohatgi of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s University Center of Excellence in Photovoltaics. A DoE Center of Excellence since 1992, UCEP has distinguished itself as the premier site for silicon PV research in the U.S.  Bringing a unique approach of uniting cell modeling, device design, process optimization and materials analysis and characterization, UCEP has consistently proven to be a valuable resource to government and industrial partners.  This competency has driven efforts of the Center to evolve from that of a purely academic research environment to one of being a hands-on industry resource focused on practical solutions for commercial processing of PV materials and devices.  This led to the formation of Suniva, which holds exclusive rights to over 32 granted and pending patents (from 20 patent families) of Dr. Rohatgi and UCEP.”

GO Jackets!  Go Solar!