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  • Technological Solutions Create Business Value While Lessening Environmental Impact

    November 05, 2012 1:37 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)



    Written By Natalie Kirchner


    Saunders Construction Inc., the leading construction company based out of Centennial, CO, has recently taken a big step towards sustainable construction with the implementation of a paperless jobsite. Eliminating paper, a sheer staple in a typical construction project, was made possible by introducing Apple iPads to the Saunders crew. This initiative was executed on the construction site of the new DaVita headquarters in Denver. This pursued initiative developed from the belief that in addition to building physically sustainable buildings, leaders in the construction industry should also incorporate “green philosophy” throughout the building process itself.


    Before the iPads, all participating project personnel carried around four sets of paper renderings during each project (either 36”x48” or 18”x24” paper), adding up to a couple hundred pages per person, per project.  When any sort of change was made on paper, each worker would replace a page in his/her bookletundefineda process that Graham Coddington, Saunders’ Senior Preconstruction Manager, describes as “time-consuming, wasteful, and not always well organized.”  Saunders recognized the inefficient and unsustainable nature of their system and sought a solution undefined tablet computers.


    The DaVita jobsite became the testing ground for the iPads to ensure that this initiative ran smoothly and could ultimately be implemented in all future projects. The implementation began in the pre-construction phase. All necessary programs (such as Computer Aided Design [CAD], etc) turned out to be fully functional and accessible on the iPads. Trial and error with different software programs occurred until the perfect fit was found for file sharing. Success was found with SugarSync, allowing everyone to access and share files on-the-go at any given time.


    In describing the process, Coddington notes the company’s initial fear that their initiative would lack support or traction at the job site. It turned out that while many site workers were open to the idea of using iPads, some of the veteran builders were not thrilled with this proposed change; many questioned the reliance on fragile iPads at a rugged construction site.  In response to this obstacle, an educational process in which project engineers taught field crews how to fully utilize their new devices was enacted. Another overturned obstacle involved finding innovative ways for the builders to physically carry the iPads around a siteundefinedfor instance, figuring out how to attach iPads to the bodies of employees when they need both hands to work.


    Coddington says that most people involved in the process soon became self-proficient with the new devices and grew to prefer the new iPads to carrying around four sets of huge paper bundles all day. To date, over 100 iPads have been purchased and implemented at Saunders. An estimated 73 trees are now saved per single large-scale project with this initiative. Additionally, over $10,000 is saved for the company per single large-scale project due to decreased paper, courier, and manpower costs; this doesn’t include the supplementary undocumented savings due to a reduction in re-work and decreased use of office supplies such as sticky notes, staples, pens, and so on.


    Saunders hopes to incorporate 3D-modeling and continual updates to the system in the ongoing future. Despite a few transitory obstacles, the new system has been great for Saunders so far—and it will only get better, according to Coddington. While technology can have sustainable limitations, Saunders has implemented a system that utilizes resources efficiently and sustainably; in turn, the benefits of this initiative certainly outweigh the drawbacks for both the environment and the company itself. Saunders Construction, Inc. now looks forward to incorporating additional technology into future projects and strongly advocates others in the field to follow in their footsteps, as it will help evolve the industry in the manner that it should. 

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  • ProtoTest: Sustainable Business Evokes “Deeper Meaning”

    September 11, 2012 10:08 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    Written by Natalie Kirchner

    ProtoTest, a Denver-based IT staffing firm and CORE member, has been named a Certified B Corporation upon their recent completion of a B Impact Assessment with the help of a CORE Catalyst team.

    To become a B-Corp Certified, a company must score at least 80 points out of 200 on the demanding B Impact Assessment. As a Certified B Corporation, ProtoTest joins 600 other innovative US companies in a quest to redefine success in business towards solutions for social and environmental problems as well as profitability. Combined with a wide array of sustainability initiatives, this accomplishment exemplifies the company’s commitment to sustainable business.

    Pete Dignan, founder and president of ProtoTest and the driving force behind the company’s sustainability efforts, attributes his motivation in establishing his company as a sustainable and responsible business to one notion: it gives deeper meaning to the company’s work. “As human beings we are meaning-makers, and most of us crave meaningful work,” Dignan explains.

    CORE Catalyst project provides Colorado companies with an opportunity to understand their sustainability baseline by undergoing a Greenhouse Gas inventory and the B Impact Assessment with the help of MBA students. Student teams identify areas of strength and weakness of sustainability within the company and make recommendations for improvement.

    To Dignan and his employees, the clear take-away from the process is the exceptionally “comprehensive” nature of sustainable business. As Dignan notes, people tend to think about sustainability solely in terms of carbon footprint or water useundefinedinstead of social sustainability metrics such as comparing lowest pay with both the highest pay within the company and the livable wage in the area or transparently listing the company’s largest suppliers.

    To Dignan, the idea that these business touch-points should be managed more sustainably was the most surprising and insightful aspect of the assessment process.

    An enthusiastic team of ProtoTest employees has taken on a number of sustainability initiatives, including:

    (1) Encouraging telework when possible to minimize carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from commutes;

    (2) ProtoTest office re-location to a LEED and Energy Star Certified building in central Denver;

    (3) An active single-stream recycling program to reduce land-filled waste;

    (4) Enactment of a sustainable procurement policy to give preference to local suppliers;

    (5) Membership in the Responsible Purchasing Network;

    (6) Extraordinary community financial support through donating 10% of pre-tax net profits to local non-profits;

    (7) Providing financial and volunteer support in a number of ways; and

    (8) CORE membership and active CORE-Board participation by Dignan.

    The office relocation, accomplished in August 2012, is projected to reduce ProtoTest’s office-related carbon footprint by an average of 25-30%. The company further anticipates a ~13% reduction in its commuters’ carbon footprint, partly through increased mass transit use incentivized by free RTD Eco-Passes.

    Dignan and his ProtoTest team plan to implement some of the Catalyst team recommendations in the near future; specifically, (1) Establishment of a sustainability advisory board including employee, supplier, and client representation; and (2) Publication of an annual sustainability report to provide greater transparency. Greenhouse gas and waste reduction goals are likely in the future, but ProtoTest will conduct more research before setting specific targets.

    Hardik Savalia of B-Lab worked with Dignan on the B Impact Assessment and is impressed with the progress that ProtoTest has already made. The various operational changes have already resulted in a 37-point increase in the B Impact Assessment score - a feat that “is rare…and is a sign of their intent to use their enterprise to address social problems,” Savalia says.

    By operating ProtoTest as a more sustainable business, Dignan has better integrated operations with his company’s mission - “We bring people together to do meaningful work.” The Catalyst project resulted in a more formalized triple-bottom-line approach and bring ProtoTest into an elite group of only ~20 Colorado businesses that have achieved B Corp Certification to date.

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  • Create Change, From Any Position

    August 27, 2012 10:17 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Written  by Lauren Quillian


    Some may think the only way to implement sustainability initiatives at a major company is to be hired as the sustainability officer. Maria Luna, the procurement specialist at Nuss Professional Services Group, thinks differently. After receiving her Certificate in Sustainability Implementation and Leadership from the University of Denver, she implemented a sustainable procurement initiative, changing the way Nuss does business. Any individual employee at any company can make and create positive sustainable changes - all it takes is a different approach!

    For the last two years, Maria has procured the goods and services necessary for Nuss to complete their business mission of providing quality professional services to clients across several key areas including accounting, administrative support, information technology, human resources, and safety and compliance. Prior to Maria’s initiative, the company had a few ad-hoc sustainability measures in place. For instance, Nuss encouraged employee health through the Simply Well program and provided recycling bins. However, sustainability did not enter into the processes or performance metrics.

    Maria was convinced a sustainability approach was needed. With the resources, confidence, and knowledge from the Sustainability Leadership Course, Maria took the lead in driving sustainability with the Sustainable Procurement Initiative. Turns out, her position in procurement is actually perfectly suited to lead the charge: She interfaces with internal departments as well as external vendors, so she can engage staff across the company and take a leadership role in the business community.

    The sustainable procurement initiative expands the purchasing criteria from price and quality to include considerations for employees and the environment. For instance, they now try to buy locally and consider the vendor commitment to environmental and social issues. Maria created and distributed a new procurement check-list, detailing the new criteria for procurement decisions.

    While the major advantage of this initiative is that it required no upfront capital costs to implement, the sustainable purchasing initiative also decreases inventory space and improves work-flow efficiency, saving the company time and money. Maria says the process isn’t really that different, it’s just a different approach.

    Further, Maria’s initiative has inspired others to consider how they can affect change, improving communication and collaboration across departments, a key value of Nuss. As Maria puts it, “procurement is a spring board for efficiency, but other departments have been equally excited to implement sustainable practices.” Other departments now consider what they can do in their jobs, often coming to Maria for advice. In particular, the facilities department has taken particular interest in ways to save energy or use alternative sources.

    The next step for Maria will be to develop a scorecard to continually evaluate the results of this initiative as well as the continual progress of purchasing and sustainability efforts across the company. Drawing from the DU course resources, Maria is prepared to work toward this next step.

    As the premier resource for sustainability at her company, Maria has leveraged her role in procurement into the informal sustainability officer at Nuss, thus, creating change in the professional services industry. Anyone can create positive change. Where can you make a difference?

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  • Boyer’s Coffee: Simple Changes Lead to Big Benefits

    July 10, 2012 1:37 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    Written by Natalie Kirchner, CORE Intern

    Boyer’s Coffee president and CEO Jim McManus knew it was time to shift towards
    sustainability when his company’s biggest customer, Wal-Mart, decided to take on big
    sustainability initiatives themselves--one being “to sell products that sustain people and the
    environment.” Boyer’s Coffee has taken on a goal to reduce their carbon footprint to zero
    by 2021 by eliminating waste, creating more efficient processes, and incorporating new
    technologies when appropriate. Boyer’s innovative quest to re-brand their bags and re-purpose
    any excess film from the old bags has proved highly successful for both the company and the
    environment.

    Prior to any sustainable efforts, Boyer’s Coffee produced packaging bags that contained 11
    different plastic films. This method of production was expensive, inefficient, and guaranteed
    shelves filled with abundant excess inventory.

    After consulting with Renewable Choice Energy, Jim learned that while his company was
    fairly energy efficient, it was responsible for sending a lot of waste to the landfill--not only an
    unsustainable process, but a costly one as well. In response to this news, Jim created a Green
    Team and sought help from Boulder-based ClearGreen Advisors to identify priorities and create
    a sustainability action plan for the company.

    In addition to replacing single-use boxes with durable reusable boxes for transporting coffee to
    customers and re-vamping the entire store with repurposed materials, Boyer’s designed new bags
    to package their coffee--ones that better represented the essence of Colorado and sustainability,
    and require only 4 plastic films versus the 11 films that the old bags required. Jim explains that
    the key behind this initiative was simplicity, as it’s “easier from the production standpoint, cost-
    saving, and more sustainable.”

    As a result of these changes in film manufacturing waste and labor, Jim says Boyer’s has seen
    a 30% increase in savings. Over 15 tons of waste material has been repurposed and kept from a
    landfill, and now zero film waste heads to the landfills. This initiative has reduced film inventory
    by ~$250,000, and another estimated $300,000 will be saved by repurposing coffee film over the
    next 3 years.

    This re-branding and film re-purposing effort has undoubtedly fulfilled the three requirements
    that Jim and his Green Team deemed obligatory for any new company initiative: “It must benefit
    the consumer, it must benefit Boyer’s Coffee, it must benefit the environment.” Boyer’s is eager
    to pursue future sustainable initiatives abiding to this mission over the next 9 years so they can
    reach their anticipated zero-carbon-footprint.

    Boyer’s communicates to the public about their initiatives in their "Going Green" page, a simple
    webpage dedicated to the company’s sustainable efforts. Easy to arrange by the company and
    easy to access by the public, this display exemplifies the practical nature of Boyer’s Coffee.

    Just as Jim claims, the key in Boyer’s success is simplicity--simple changes have led to big
    financial benefits for this Colorado coffee company and big benefits for the environment.
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  • KEW Realty: A Neighborhood Retail Center’s Green Transformation

    July 10, 2012 1:28 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Edited by Natalie Kirchner

    In 2000, KEW Realty, a local commercial real estate company that aims at creating value
    through the acquisition, development, and renovation of commercial properties, acquired the
    110,000 square-foot neighborhood retail center know as Plaza at Westminster.

    Ten years later, facing a challenging economy and having learned about a potential mixed-use
    development initiative at the site of Westminster Mall, KEW’s President and CEO, David Spira,
    decided it was time to further his company’s commitment to environmental responsibility by
    beginning a similar transition at his own property just adjacent to the Mall site. With intentions
    to promote healthier workspaces and sustainable business practices while ultimately saving
    money for tenants and protecting the environment, KEW put together the “Green Team.” This
    team of employees, architects, contractors and others helped oversee Spira’s vision to make
    the former Plaza at Westminster, now aptly named Solaire Shoppes, a revived and unique
    community destination with an emphasis on “being green.”

    “We chose the new name ‘Solaire Shoppes’ and tagline ‘Brilliant Possibilities’ because it
    expresses the enthusiasm we feel for this project; we are pleased to take part in the protection
    of our environment through renovation and conservation, and we hope that the community will
    share our excitement about this project,” says Spira.

    The “transformation” began as a 101 kiloWatt (kW) photovoltaic (PV) system was installed
    on the rooftop of the buildings at Solaire Shoppes. At 426 panels, this PV system is one of
    the largest installations for solar power at a neighborhood retail strip center in Colorado. The
    power created by the solar array generates approximately 140,000 kW hours of clean electrical
    energy each year. This system will produce enough power to offset nearly 100% of the energy
    consumed by the property’s exterior lighting requirements and other common electric needs. The
    electric meters will run “backwards,” accumulating a credit during the summer when lighting
    requirements are less than the system’s production. In April of 2012, kWh usage was half of what it was in April of 2011 and in May of 2012, kWh usage was just 40% of what it had been in May of 2011. Likewise, savings in energy costs from April 2011 to April 2012 was 55%, and over 70% from May of 2011 to May of 2012. These savings in energy and cost will be passed through directly to Solaire Shoppes’ retailers.

    The second phase of the transformation was renovation, which began in the Fall of 2011. KEW
    focused their efforts on making quality green renovations--“recycling the buildings” with
    improvements in appearance, performance, functionality and efficiency of the shopping center.
    $2 million worth of renovations were implemented in total. In addition to the PV system, some
    of the eco-friendly design elements at Solaire Shoppes are as follows: a new recycled parking lot,
    xeriscape landscaping, recycling containers, a 30-foot wind turbine, and a LED light retrofit that
    cuts electricity consumption by 73% annually. Contractors for the transformation implemented
    several green-building practices such as using recycled and more durable products, minimizing
    waste produced, and using local materials.

    In additional to the eco-friendly design elements, this extensive renovation features a new façade
    with stone work, stucco and new paint colors, decorative lighting, new monument signage,
    enhanced visibility and street appeal, improved ADA access, bike racks, decorative paving, and
    an inviting pedestrian-friendly entrance.

    While LEED-certified buildings are becoming more prominent and older retail businesses
    are being revived in Westminster and the Denver Metro area, KEW Realty is rightfully proud
    to be at the forefront of this green retro-fit at Solaire Shoppes. They’ve created a whole new
    neighborhood retail centerundefinedboth a niche for green retailers and businesses that embrace
    sustainability and gathering place for the community.
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  • Air Pear Cuts Energy Costs with Thermal Destratification

    June 15, 2012 11:11 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)



    Edited by Lauren Quillian

    While sustainability can sound challenging and exciting, the real work of sustainability professionals often takes place in the everyday details. In the energy realm, sustainability often comes down to heating, ventilation and air conditioning: the HVAC. How do you keep both employees and customers comfortable while minimizing energy use? And keep costs down while you’re at it?

    CORE member Airius LLC in Longmont, Colo. helps companies solve this problem with its Air Pear Thermal Equalizer® destratification fan system.

    What is the Air Pear Thermal Equalizer? “The Air Pear is an energy efficient turbine-shaped fan designed to continuously move a direct, quiet column of air from the ceiling to the floor to achieve destratification,” explains Christian Avedon, sales engineer for Avedon.

    The Air Pear system uses multiple units mounted near the ceiling to capture and circulate the hotter air trapped there. There are six different models that can accommodate nearly any working environment and ceiling heights from 8 to 100 feet. The Air Pear’s patented stator technology maximizes airflow with minimum power to equalize temperature from floor to ceiling.

    In an Air Pear controlled environment, the facility will have no more than 0 to 3º F difference in temperature from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. In addition to reducing the run time of heating and cooling systems to save energy costs, the results are increased comfort and improved processes. Air Pear systems are designed and manufactured here in Colorado at the 165,000- square-foot Airius Longmont plant.

    Air Pear’s customers across the U.S. and in Europe and Canada range from grocery stores and large retailers, schools, gyms and rec centers to government and Defense facilities and many types of manufacturing, warehouse and distribution facilities. Unlike more expensive sustainable business initiatives, the low upfront costs of Air Pear system mean companies capture return on investment in 12 to 30 months. For example, one client paid $20,295 to install the Air Pear system. With a 31% reduction in gas consumption, the company recuperated that cost in 16 months and now saves about $14,087 per year.

    The real success here is that this simple product improves environmental impact and financial performance at the same time. Through this unique technology, Airius helps a variety of companies keep both employees and customers comfortable by maximizing efficiency of energy systems rather than requiring a large investment. It is an exciting opportunity for a Colorado- based company to take the lead in sustainability design.
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  • Downing Street Garage: One small company`s journey to implementing EMS, and saving money and reducing footprint along the way

    May 04, 2012 3:10 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    Written by Lauren Quillian

    Speaking with co-owners Rebecca and Doug at Downing Street Garage (DSG), a sense of excitement fills the air; their passion for operating the company with integrity is emanating from their bloodstream into the surrounding community.  This contagious enthusiasm for good business at the leadership level leads to a business and staff engaged in sustainability. This combination of leadership and engagement has made their most recent sustainability initiative, an Environmental Management System (EMS), a tremendous success.

    Early adopters

    While not originally inspired by “sustainability” as we know it today, Doug’s no-shortcut work ethic and Rebecca’s knack for cultivating honest relationships created a business culture that has been looking for new ways to do right for the community and environment from the beginning.  For example, Downing Street Garage was an early adopter of oil filter recycling over 15 years ago. At that time, used filters had to be drained prior to pick up, so Doug set an old hamburger grill on top of a 5-gallon bucket to drain the filters. As it turns out, they were ahead of the curve - today, most every garage recycles oil filters, only now it no longer requires a hamburger grill!  

    But these kind of small acts of sustainability weren’t enough.  In 2008, Rebecca set her sites on something more systematic: an Environmental Management System.

    Journey Towards Environmental Management System

    For many companies, an EMS sounds like a great idea, but the price tag can be prohibitive, ranging from $3,000-$13,000 just for the consultant.  Thanks to Rebecca’s voluntary leadership in the sustainable business community, the City of Denver approached her with the idea of setting up Downing Street Garage as a beta site for small business EMS development.  It was a great partnership; the City of Denver gained a template for small business EMS implementation to support the city’s mission to expand sustainable business and Downing Street Garage gained support and mentorships for EMS development at no cost.  

    With financing taken care of, Rebecca worked extensively with Paul Schmiechen, EMS Manager for the City and County of Denver (CCD) and Janet Burgesser, Program Manager for Certifiably Green Denver (also CCD) to create the EMS. It was “a lot of work, but a lot of fun.”  The most challenging part of the process was wrapping her own head around what creating an EMS really meant. Without any significant experience, she found Paul and Janet to be perfect mentors who helped her through the entire process.  The city provided a workbook with an outline and exercises to customize an EMS to the specific business.  Slowly, the parts started coming into place on how the EMS would work for Downing Street Garage.

    The next step, employee engagement, is where Downing Street Garage uniquely embraces sustainability to its fullest. Engaging employees is one aspect of sustainability that always seems easier said than done, but Rebecca seems to have a unique ability to spread her knowledge and enthusiasm.    Taking advantage of their weekly staff meetings, Rebecca integrated sustainability into the meeting agenda. Every week, the entire staff would take 20-30 minutes to discuss Downing Street Garage’s Aspects and Impacts and rank them according to environmental, social and financial criteria.   Over a period of about two months’ time, they would cover all the topics.  

    For example, the staff determined that proper wastewater management was a high-ranking issue for the company.  Poor management of run-off water from engine cleaning poses a high financial risk in the form of a city fine as well as a high community risk in the form of neighborhood reputation.  After the discussion, the staff was highly aware of the importance of catching wastewater in the sand trap rather than letting it go to the curb and into the storm water drain. 

    Every environmental issue received this degree of staff analysis, and any item that ranked highly in environmental, social or financial severity was put into the annual plan.  The process inevitably took a lot more time as every employee weighed in on every issue, but ultimately this meant that everyone personally contributed to the 2010 and 2011 targets.

    Successes & Savings

    In 2010, Downing Street Garage completed the EMS and received the Gold Level Recognition from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Environmental Leadership Program.  With the information and experience provided by Rebecca, the City of Denver put together a template that other businesses can use to create an EMS of their own. The template includes considerations for each step of the process, which companies can adapt to their individual business and industry.  For example, it flags the importance of an environmental policy and gives instructions for how to write one according to ISO 14001 requirements.

    For Downing Street Garage, the EMS development has already led to the successful implementation of several sustainability measures.  For example, in the EMS, DSG set the goal of replacing a minimum of 4 lighting fixtures with improved T8 bulbs.  By early 2011, they spent $900 to retrofit every single light fixture in the building, achieving an annual cost savings of $700.  This means they re-cooped the cost of the retrofit in a little over a year, and the continual savings go to the bottom line year after year. 

    Another great example of the EMS success was a goal set by a staff technician.  This technician noticed that they were washing car windows with a spray-can window cleaner.  Not only did employees use a lot of cleaner, they also spent a lot of time making sure the cans got recycled. With one behavioral change: rinsing car windows with water before applying the glass cleaner, the company spent 30% less on glass cleaner with 30% fewer cans needing to be recycled.

    While the EMS was a great success in promoting DSG to the Gold Level of the Environmental Leadership Program and creating cost-savings, progress remains.  In the next couple years, Rebecca and her team will focus on developing metrics and measurement techniques to track progress.  For example, Rebecca recently estimated that they are saving about $1000 per year on their energy bills by using a high efficiency waste oil furnace that burns used oil.  

    Overall, the EMS has helped Downing Street Garage live by their sustainability business model, which supports financial, environmental, and social success.  “We need profits to stay in business, but we also want to give back to the community that supports us and be good stewards of the environment. This creates a beneficial cycle for everyone and achieves a true ‘triple bottom line’ business model.”

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  • juwi Wind: DU Sustainability Leadership Course

    February 07, 2012 5:05 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    Written by Lauren Quillian 

    How do you make your company more sustainable?  In search of the answer to this question, Adam Irwin, business development manager at juwi Wind, participated in the first ever Denver University Sustainability Leadership course.   

    Alongside 22 other business leaders, Adam learned how to integrate his company into the broader corporate sustainability movement through concrete and actionable strategies.  Ironically, one of the biggest challenges for Adam was not that his company did not believe in sustainability, but exactly because it does.  Thus, the sustainability course helped Adam answer the more difficult question: How do you convince a company founded on renewable energy development that there is a value-add to investing internally in sustainability?  
    Incorporating lessons from the esteemed professor, Hunter Lovins, Adam walked away from the course with the beginnings of a “Lean, Mean, and Green Plan” for juwi Wind’s Boulder office.  Adam has designed the plan to a) build on the company’s sustainability background, b) prove the financial value of sustainability investments, and c) build organic support from colleagues.

    Corporate background
    The juwi Group was founded in 1996 by two German farmers who erected wind turbines on their family land.   The owners firmly believe in renewable energy as a path to a sustainable future and have made the juwi Group a global leader in wind and solar energy.  In 15 years, the company has grown to 1,700 employees across 5 continents.

    Adam could boast a long list of impressive sustainability actions at the company’s headquarters in Wörrstadt, Germany:  the building produces more energy than it consumes, and the company charters buses for employee commuting and builds human capital through a team-oriented and transparent work environment.  Adam is increasingly focused on promoting similar sustainability efforts in juwi Wind’s Boulder office.  

    Given the juwi Group corporate history in renewable energy, Adam is not starting from scratch.  But how does juwi Wind go from being a renewable energy company to a sustainably-managed company developing projects that deploy renewable technology? And why?  

    Proving the Financial Value
    With a greater awareness of sustainable business practices, Adam’s plan will build a business case for sustainability that institutionalizes sustainability as a means to enhance profit.  Through a simple opportunity cost analysis, Adam hopes to realize a 20% savings in budgeted overhead expenditures in the first year.  The foregone overhead expense represents money to invest in the company’s front-line operations, which creates a multiplier effect on profits.  Beyond financial metrics, Adam believes that the implementation of sustainability initiatives will improve profits through improvements in Human Resources metrics, such as reduced turn-over and easier hiring.  Adam stressed the importance of starting with small, quantifiable, and achievable performance indicators.   By achieving these goals, corporate executives will see the value in investing in the plan and a greener business model.  Once its value is proven, the plan can begin to incorporate indicators that are more difficult to quantify.

    Getting Buy-in
    The Leadership Course provided Adam with the foundation for an actionable sustainability plan and the goal of getting buy-in from below and above.  Adam is now designing a simple, business-oriented sustainability plan that he hopes will empower his colleagues and show that sustainability promotes, rather than detracts from, the business model.  

    His 20 Boulder colleagues are also genuinely interested in his new knowledge and have been receptive to learning more.  Adam has also shared his new vision for juwi Wind:  “The growing awareness surrounding sustainability is quickly changing the way utilities and their customers use and understand energy.   As a renewable energy solutions provider, we see our company becoming an increasingly important component of other companies’ sustainability plans.  Therefore, we have a doubly-vested interest in sustainability, both in terms of how it can improve our financial success, and how we can help customers achieve their sustainability objectives.”

    The DU Sustainability Leadership Course provided Adam with a toolbox to bring sustainability to his office.  Adam says, in addition to the plan, the most valuable part of the course was learning how sustainability is viewed by the broader business community, and how participating in that community provides a way to improve internal operations and grow business.  Adam thinks this course will be valuable to everyone, but particularly valuable to people in the manufacturing, transportation, logistics, extraction, and logistics industries, as well any company with international operations.    

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  • Brendle Group Building Wins Green Design Award: Project Shows Cost-effective, Deep Green Renovation is Replicable for Other Businesses

    November 11, 2011 1:45 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
    Fort Collins-based engineering and sustainability consulting firm, Brendle Group, has been awarded the City of Fort Collins 2011 Urban Design Award in the Green Design category. The award, which recognizes outstanding green building design and renovation projects, showcases Brendle Group’s successful and innovative deep green renovation of its new headquarters at 212 West Mulberry in Fort Collins.

    Brendle Group partnered with commercial project developer Everitt-MacMillan in 2010 to acquire and renovate the award-winning building, which was initially constructed in 1985 and was the first known commercial building in Colorado to utilize solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. With support from the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority and several project partners including general contractor Dohn Construction and designer Sherman Design, the project breathes new life and innovations into the building, incorporating multiple renewable energy technologies, lighting and energy efficiency upgrades, improvements to the mechanical systems, and salvaged and recycled materials.  Project architect Greg Fisher commented, “Working with Brendle Group and their commitment to the project and to sustainability was a truly meaningful experience. No concept was too big or too small to be considered in the search for optimizing quality and minimizing negative environmental impact.”

    The building, which is also in the process of being certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, represents a key aspect of green building, focusing on building re-use instead of new construction.  Modeled to be 70 percent more energy efficient than a typical office building in the region, the renovated building is outperforming expectations, with over 75 percent greater energy efficiency. It showcases three commercially available solar PV solutions tied together in parallel with a single inverter, creating a PV “mini-lab” that allows for data collection, research, and streaming of real-time energy production to a display in the building’s lobby.  The building’s solar energy production – which is averaging nearly 30% of total electricity consumption – helps offset its electricity costs, while an energy management system allows for energy loads to be remotely turned off during times of peak energy use, which could result in significant cost savings if applied elsewhere in Fort Collins and beyond.

    Overall, says Brendle Group President Judy Dorsey, the project is a cost-effective model for how other small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from deep green renovation and design projects. “Although we’ve been consulting in the green building field for 15 years, the chance to be our own customer has given us a unique perspective and more applied experience to help other businesses reach their green building goals”, says Dorsey. “On a modest budget and short schedule, we proved that deep green can be done and isn’t cost prohibitive for small businesses.” The company has already hosted building tours for nearly 500 individuals including representatives from international cleantech organizations, federal agencies, the green building community, the education sector, and others to show how the project can be replicated.  

    For more information about the project, visit www.brendlegroup.com/ourhome.
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  • Canopy Airport Parking: Renewable Energy Adds Value

    October 31, 2011 5:09 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The first things you see upon arriving at Canopy Airport Parking are the gleaming solar panels and spinning wind turbines (provided there’s a breeze).  One of over 400 parking facilities nationwide owned by ProPark, Canopy is a flagship green parking structure for the company.  A few years ago, ProPark CEO John Schmid, decided to rethink our concept of a parking garage to lessen these structures’ impact on the environment.  

    Skeeter Buck is the Sustainability Manager for Canopy Airport Parking and you can tell she loves her job.  A combination of renewable energy, geothermal heat exchange and LED lighting, Canopy Airport Parking is an overarching sustainability project that is expected to reduce facility energy costs by 70% annually.  The Canopy Parking design proposal costs a mere $42,183 as compared to a baseline building that averages about $132K.   

    Canopy’s most effective measure to reduce energy is their LED lighting system.  Every light in the building and the parking structures is LED, a technology that is 70% more efficient than conventional lighting.  This is a significant cost savings to any facility that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week like Canopy does.

    Further, Canopy’s Innovative approach to heating and cooling takes advantage of that age-old Colorado saying:  “If you don’t like the weather, wait around 20 minutes!”  Canopy’s geothermal heat exchange system combats these frequent and dramatic swings in temperature in the Rocky Mountain region by taking advantage of the consistent temperature of the earth.  If you dig down deep enough below the frost line, you reach a zone where the rock and soil maintains a steady temperature of 58 degrees.  At Canopy, long tubes of liquid run from inside the building out to the surrounding ground and back again into the building.  The heating and cooling are then based off of the 58 degree temperature rather than whatever the outside temp might be.  

    This requires less energy to heat office space in the winter, and to cool the same space in the summer. Since parts of Canopy’s office staff are present around the clock, seven days a week, more efficient heating and cooling has an exponential impact.

    Finally, some energy cost reduction has been achieved through wind and solar initiatives.  Eight small wind turbines generate up to 7200 kilowatts per year thanks to the Colorado wind.  This adds up to about $600 worth of electricity per year.  Five large solar panels located near the entrance take a bigger bite out of Canopy’s energy costs.  These panels generate about $2,000 worth of electricity a year (24,000 kw/yr). Combined, Canopy is able to save approximately $2,600 on energy costs per year through use of renewable energy.  

    Although the initial investment of each renewable energy component was significant, Skeeter and her coworkers believe the return on investment includes more than just energy cost savings.  Being the greenest parking facility for the airport and in the county differentiates them from all the other parking lots in the area, attracting sustainability-minded customers.  

    Additionally, these sustainability initiatives create value-add for Canopy Airport by building new relationships and creating new market opportunities. For instance, Canopy has developed a unique set of relationships with renewable energy organizations in the state and attracted new visitors to the facility through environmental educational programs for elementary to graduate students.  The focus on sustainability has lead Canopy to install 6 “Juice Bar” Electric Vehicle recharging stations.  As some of the fastest in the nation, these charging stations present an opportunity to participate in the electric vehicle marketplace.

    With all of these features in place, Canopy Airport Parking is truly a showcase of green business.  Due to the management skills of Skeeter and the help of Greenscape Capital Group in Vancouver, B.C, John Schmid’s vision has come to fruition.  Skeeter and Canopy Airport Parking will be happy to show you how the renewable energy sources, geothermal systems, and electric vehicle charging stations are achieving cost savings and decreasing environmental impact.
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