All posts in News

Abstract: A January 2012 online survey of 150 people conducted for The Sustainability Dashboard, a Web-based system that helps organizations measure and monitor their use of fuel, water, energy, etc., finds that 43 percent of facility managers and cleaning professionals would pay more for products made by a company that practices sustainability.* However, 28 percent of respondents indicated they would not pay more and 30 percent were “not sure.”

Source:  My Clean Link.com

A survey conducted for The Sustainability Dashboard, a Web-based system that helps organizations measure and monitor their use of fuel, water, energy, etc., finds that 43 percent of facility managers and cleaning professionals would pay more for products made by a company that practices sustainability.*

However, 28 percent of respondents indicated they would not pay more and 30 percent were “not sure.”

The survey was conducted online in January 2012.  Nearly 150 people participated in the survey.

When asked, how much more are you willing to spend for a product produced by a sustainable company, 90 percent answered five to ten percent.

The survey also asked if the respondents would need proof a company is practicing sustainability: seventy-eight percent responded yes; about ten percent would take the company’s “word for it;” and the rest were unsure.

“Transparency and credibility when it comes to sustainable issues are paramount today,” says Elizabeth Steward, marketing manager for Sustainability Dashboard Tools.  “No one wants another Greenwashing experience.”

Nevertheless, the respondents were divided on how this “proof” would be determined.  About 25 percent would accept the company’s published reports.  “But, 57 percent wanted [the reports from] independent, third-party organizations and not just the company’s word for it,” adds Steward.

Finally, the respondents were asked if operating a business or property in a more sustainable manner costs more, less, or about the same as operating in a conventional manner.

Forty-one percent were sure sustainability produced cost savings; 27 percent noted it costs more; and the rest were unsure or believed it was “cost neutral.”

“What we are finding is that cost savings is becoming a prime motivator for organizations operating in a sustainable manner,” says Steward.  “Instead of being on opposing sides, sustainable and cost savings are now on the same team.”

* For purposes of this survey, sustainable companies are defined as those that operate in a socially, environmentally, and economically responsible manner.

Abstract:  Before measuring your building’s energy use, break it down.  There are three energy uses to consider when assessing a building’s operations, writes David Jaber: active energy, maintenance energy, and energy for heating and cooling. Furthermore, while it’s vital to have the right monitoring tools, it’s also necessary to establish forecasting and analytic tools to turn that raw data into energy-saving policies, Jaber writes.

Source:  GreenBiz.com (8/10)

Not all energy is created equal. But it goes far beyond the renewable-vs-non-renewable sense that so many already consider.

There are really three kinds of energy:

1. Energy required for site activity, i.e. the purpose for which a business is in business;
2. Energy required for the maintenance of the building, 24-7, regardless of activity, and which makes up the baseline energy use — emergency lighting, stand-by water heaters; and
3. Heating and cooling to keep the buildings at a comfortable temperature.

You can also think of these energies in the context of dependence, for which there are also three categories: Energy is:

1. dependent on business activity,
2. dependent on nothing (i.e. it’s constant), and
3. dependent on weather (and insulation levels . . . and occupancy levels, potentially)

When we look for patterns in energy use, these different energy types become very relevant. If you’re trying to figure out what might be causing excessive energy use, you need to be able to isolate potential causes — whether it’s occupant activity, weather changes, or something else. Ideally, you would have these three energies metered differently.

For example, if all you have is the total energy use on one meter for a site, in the case of energy-intensive industries or facilities, you won’t be able to see any weather variations, since any weather-related energy use will be dwarfed by energy use in normal site activity.

But when you do have these energies isolated by meter, or when your building is dominated by one type of energy, you can then normalize energy use with what’s driving energy use: You can compare activity energy use to the level of activity, compare weather-based energy use to weather, and so on. And then you can see whether there’s a correlation.

If energy doesn’t correlate with its driver, you know you’ve got a problem.

Read the complete article at GreenBiz

Contact Information: Molly Hooven, 202-564-2313, 202-564-4355, hooven.molly@epa.gov

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense program announced today that irrigation controllers will soon be the first outdoor product eligible to earn the WaterSense label. The most efficient irrigation controllers, which operate like a thermostat for your sprinkler system by telling it when to turn on and off, may provide home and building owners the ability to save 110 billion gallons of water and roughly $410 million per year on utility bills.

“As much as half of the water we use on our landscapes goes to waste due to evaporation, wind, and improperly scheduled irrigation systems,” said Sheila Frace, Director of EPA’s Office of Water’s Municipal Support Division. “WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers are designed to do the thinking for you and apply water only when needed, to ensure a healthy landscape that doesn’t waste water.”

Residential outdoor watering in the United States accounts for more than 7 billion gallons of water each day, mainly for landscape irrigation. For many homeowners, the practice is “set it and forget it.” When watering schedules for irrigation system are set during the hottest and driest months and not adjusted when the weather changes, the result is overwatering for much of the year. WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers, which monitor watering needs based on local weather data, can use significantly less water by applying water only when plants need it – reducing annual water bills and offering convenience and peace-of-mind while keeping landscapes healthy.

Controllers with the WaterSense label could be available in spring 2012. Like all WaterSense labeled products, WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers must be independently certified to meet EPA’s criteria for water efficiency and performance.

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. Since the program’s inception in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save 125 billion gallons of water and more than $2 billion in water and energy bills. 

More information on WaterSense: http://www.epa.gov/watersense

Source: Travel Age West

TravelAge West speaks  with Richard Edwards, founder and CEO of Ecoism

In researching its cover story on Selling Green Travel, TravelAge West caught up with Richard Edwards, founder Ecoism, an organization that works with travel suppliers to help them develop a more socially responsible approach to travel marketing. Edwards shared a number of insights on developing sustainable program

What got you started on your path to Ecoism?

Over and over again, my first question to organizations has been, “What are your business goals?” When most people begin to consider a sustainability program, they don’t realize it has anything to do with business. They know they want to use it in their marketing, but they see it as separate, and possibly even as a cost of doing business.

There are many top quality marketing firms that focus on the tourism industry. There are also a number of organizations very familiar with helping companies and destinations with their sustainability programs. I didn’t see agencies or organizations that addressed marketing and business planning with sustainability as an integrated piece of the equation, which is where it is most effective in helping to achieve the economic and environmental goals the organization may have its eye on, as well as actually helping to drive revenue.

Economics and ecology meet at a point where sustainability is integrated into a business model that measures and achieves financial goals with sustainability as a contributing factor to that financial success. We see the void in the marketplace around practical, industry-focused and revenue driven sustainable tourism marketing, and ecoism is actively filling that need for travel companies and destinations.
The research we are seeing suggests that the next hurdle for travel suppliers  is finding messaging that effectively communicates their green policies to their clients. Would you agree with this? If not, what are some of the companies you work with doing to communicate green standards/policies.

Read the complete article at Travel Age West

Source: WiredPRNews.com

11/30/2011 // Riverdale, NJ, USA // Green Air Filters // Lynne Laake

(Air Filtration Update) – Energy efficiency — and the resulting savings — can be achieved in surprisingly easy ways. That’s something hospitals, manufacturers, schools, and other organizations that have switched from using ordinary light bulbs to compact florescent (CFL) bulbs know well. With just a small investment — the cost of the bulb itself — energy use is reduced and the bottom line improved. But what is less well known is that light bulbs are just the beginning. Even greater energy savings — again, with minimal upfront costs — can be achieved by switching to more sustainable, efficient low energy air filters.

If switching to CFL bulbs was a wise choice, then switching to a new generation of energy efficient air filters is a no-brainer. Consider, for example, that while the cost premium of a CFL bulb versus a traditional incandescent bulb is 8 times the price, the premium of a sustainable air filter — like the 5-Star Durafil 4V from Camfil Farr — is just 2 times the price of a less efficient filter.

Both a CFL bulb and an energy-efficient air filter more than recover their cost premium. A CFL bulb may cost 8 times more than a traditional light bulb but it lasts 10 times longer. For sustainable air filters, the equation is even more favorable, as a filter that costs twice as much as a less efficient product lasts three times longer.

Then there are the energy savings. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the annual energy savings per CFL bulb is $4.50. Meanwhile, the savings per sustainable air filter is $ 135+ (thus it takes roughly 30bCFL bulbs to achieve the energy savings of a single 5 Star air filter). How long does it take to install 30 light bulbs versus 1 air filter?

Factor that $135 savings by the 300 air filters used by the average hospital, and switching to low-energy air filters can save $ 40,500 a year in energy costs, with no capital expenses. The same hospital would have to replace almost 10,000 conventional bulbs with CFL bulbs to achieve the same savings.

Keep in mind, too, that unlike light bulbs — which contain mercury — disposing of used air filters presents no health and safety concerns. And because sustainable filters from manufacturers like Camfil Farr last far longer than more conventionally designed products, there are fewer of them to dispose of, in any event — further reducing their impact on the environment.

Hospitals, manufacturers, and other organizations have seen significant — and easily obtainable — benefits by switching to compact florescent bulbs. Moving to low-energy air filters is the logical next step: a simple, low-cost strategy to boost savings even more.

The world leader in air filtration systems, Camfil Farr provides clean air solutions for hospitals, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We provide the tools to achieve sustainability, maintain high air quality, and reduce airborne infections — all while lowering total cost of ownership. Camfil Farr customers go green without ever sacrificing performance. For more information on our green air filtration solutions, visit us online at http://airfilters.camfilfarr.us/, or call us toll-free at 888.599.6620.