Small Business Workshop: What it Means to be a Green Small Business

October 14, 2008

Presented by:

I. Why should I go green?

Globally global warming National energy independence Local sustainable communities

But hey, Im preaching to the choir here

I. But shouldnt Big Business worry about this, not us?

Small Businesses represent 52% of all U.S. workers Youre the decision maker. An employee at a bigger firm has less of a say But hey, Im preaching to the choir here

I. So seriously, why should I go green?

Beyond helping the environment, going green can

Win you customers

A growing number of customers care about the impact companies have on the environment, and will reward companies with sustainable business models. The following is from a study by the Natural Marketing Institute:

Source: Natural Marketing Institute

I. So seriously, why should I go green?

Beyond helping the environment, going green can

Reduce employee absences

A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that 23% of office workers showed symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) that improved when away from the workplace. Another study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory showed that productivity losses associated with SBS cost U.S. businesses between $74 and $111 billion each year.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration

I. So seriously, why should I go green?

Beyond helping the environment, going green can

Recruit top talent

People work for more than just money. They want to feel involved in something bigger, in a mission to improve our world. The top up-and-coming talent cares more about the environment than previous generations. Do potential recruits see your company as a leader in environmental sustainability? Will you have the edge when it comes to attracting top talent?

I. So seriously, why should I go green?

Beyond helping the environment, going green can

Save you money

Many of the improvements your company will make will have a positive emotional impact on its people. They can also have a positive impact on your bottom line. Conserving resources can mean conserving money.

II. What is a Green Business?

What does it mean to go green? Help prevent global warming Create a healthy environment for employees Reduce our strain on natural resources Save money after all its green too Avoid eco-rhetoric. Set achievable goals, and do them

II. Beware Eco-Rhetoric

Also called greenwashing Customers are wary, will punish firms that are dishonest Examples:

III. OK great, how do I do it?

Start with the low-hanging fruit: Many items take little effort, and either cost nothing or save you money right off the bat Rent/Lease Energy Efficiency Healthy Offices Resource Use Water Efficiency
Telecommuting, Carpooling HVAC, Lighting, Peripheral controls Indoor plants, Cleaning supplies Reduce, reuse, recycle

Own Building
Lighting, HVAC, Cool roof, Renewable energy Cleaning supplies, Healthy lighting Address waste stream

Landscaping, plumbing fixtures Preferred parking

Transportation

III. Energy Efficiency

Why Its Important
32% of the nations electricity, or over 908 billion kilowatt-hours, goes towards lighting, heating, cooling, and providing other electrical needs for office buildings. That equals 804 million tons of carbon dioxide. And you thought cars were big polluters. It costs businesses $66 billion.

III. Energy Efficiency

Efficiency Turning Things Off
Digital Thermostat Use a programmable thermostat to make sure heating is turned down after hours. This can save around 10% a year on heating and cooling energy.1 That means ~$100/yr. and 3/4 of a ton of CO2 Motion Sensors in Conference Rooms Can save ~$100/yr. and 3/4 of a ton of CO2 each Lighting Policy An office of 20 people that leaves a quarter of its lights on at night can save ~$340 and 2 1/2 TONS of CO2 by turning these off Computers, printers, etc. Turn off computers, printers, etc where and when you can

$570, 4.5 tons CO2 saved

Source: 1. U.S. Department of Energy

III. Energy Efficiency

Efficiency Lighting

The future, LED lighting, is here

III. Energy Efficiency

Cool roofing
ENERGY STAR compliant roofing materials with high emissivity can reduce peak cooling demand by 1015%1 This also reduces urban heat islands. The heat island effect can raise temperatures 2-10 F in urban areas.2 For each degree the temperature rises above 70 in L.A., 3% more smog is created.2
Source: 1. Energystar.gov; 2. U.S. Green Building Council

III. Energy Efficiency

Tree shading
The shade from a mature tree correctly positioned to shade the building can reduce cooling costs by 20-40%. One of the benefits of deciduous trees (trees that lose their leaves in the autumn) is that they allow sunlight to reach and warm the building during winter. Could save $400 and 3 tons of CO2 per year Pasadena has rebates for $50 per shade tree

III. Energy Efficiency

Renewable Energy
California Solar Initiative Rebates depend on your utility, system size Rebates are bigger in the early years, will decline later Pasadena Water & Power offers $3.50/watt, $4/watt for non-profits Federal Tax Credit renewed two weeks ago

III. Healthy Offices

Why Its Important
Indoor air pollution is estimated to kill 11,400 people each year1 In the mid-1980s, the World Health Organization determined that as many as 30% of buildings worldwide have poor Indoor Air Quality, causing "sick building syndrome" symptoms2 For many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors1 Some examples of VOCs are formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, benzene and toluene all known or suspected carcinogens Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that has been linked to employees whose workspaces are not well lit

Source: 1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 2. World Health Organization

III. Healthy Offices

Indoor Air Quality - Indoor Plants
Remove VOCs Eliminate Sick Building Syndrome Brighten up your office Motivate Workers
Guide:

Lady Palm Boston Fern

Golden Pothos

Peace Lily

Removal of VOCs Ease of Growth and Maintenance Resistance to Insect Infestation Transpiration Rate

III. Healthy Offices

Indoor Air Quality - Cleaning Supplies

Green Seal Green Seal has lists of low VOC paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, etc. www.greenseal.org

Carpet & Rug Institute Look for Green Label and Green Label Plus for low VOC-emitting carpeting www.carpet-rug.com

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, World Health Organization

III. Healthy Offices

Healthy Lighting and Daylighting
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that has been linked to employees whose workspaces are not well lit Studies have demonstrated that productivity increases dramatically for building occupants working in daylit areas1 In addition, the stroboscopic effects of fluorescent tubes can cause eyestrain which can cause decreased productivity, headaches, and absenteeism Look for full spectrum lighting which contains all the colors. Try to avoid cool white fluorescent lighting.

Daylighting

LED tubes
Source: 1. U.S. Green Building Council

III. Resource Use

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Source reduction is the most important paper, packaging, etc Recycling Overall diversion can save hundreds of dollars by reducing waste pickups
 Why recycle? Puente Hills, the nations largest landfill, receives 13,200 tons of waste per day. It and other SoCal landfills are closing in 3-5 years.  Disposal costs may rise 10 times while recycling will cost roughly the same

III. Resource Use

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Around the Office
Printing, Marketing materials - FSC Certified Paperless Office 100% post-consumer recycled paper is now very comparable in price and quality to regular paper. Here are the benefits for the environment compared to virgin paper: 100% fewer trees used Emits 37% fewer greenhouse gases Uses 43% less energy Uses 46% less water Reduces solid waste up to 49%

III. Water Efficiency

Efficient Landscaping
California is in a drought Metropolitan Water District of SoCal offers significant rebates for efficient irrigation high efficiency spray nozzles and rotating spray nozzles Even better, use native plants that require modest or zero irrigation These also benefit by being non-invasive
California Native Plants Source: Theodore Payne Foundation

III. Water Efficiency

Water Fixtures in the Building
Metropolitan Water District and Pasadena Water & Power have rebates for water-efficient fixtures Up to $400 for waterfree urinals save up to 45,000 gallons per year per urinal1 $165 or more for High Efficiency Toilets (HETs). The average water savings for HETs is estimated to be 19,000 gallons per year when replacing an average, non-efficient toilet and 4,000 gallons per year when replacing a ULFT1

Source: 1. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

III. Transportation
Carpooling/Telecommuting
Energy Use in the U.S.1
73%

In a firm of 20 employees, if 20% of your employees telecommute/carpool rather than drive 20 miles to work just one day a week, you will save the following annually:

27%

ransportation

Other

Nearly 2 tons of CO2 181 gallons of gas (roughly $750) Nearly 200 pounds of carbon monoxide 12 pounds of nitrogen oxides Missed days associated w/ car accidents

Source: 1. U.S. Green Building Council

Presented by: Mark DAndrea, LEED AP Vice President

(626) 578-0678 mark@GoGreen-Solutions.com www.GoGreen-Solutions.com