Page 35 - midJersey Business - April 2015

BEING GREEN, SAVING GREEN

EXPERTS SHARE HOW BUSINESSES CAN KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT TOP OF MIND

MIDJERSEY BUSINESS ASKED A SERIES OF AREA EXPERTS ABOUT WHAT
olar installations afford
NEW JERSEY BUSINESSES CAN DO TO RUN THEIR COMPANY IN A MORE
the business owner the

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY (OR RESPONSIBLE) MANNER, AND IF POSSIBLE,
Scapability of substan-
tially reducing their electric
SAVE MONEY AT THE SAME E
T
I
M
E
.
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K
W
T
THEY HAD TO SAY:
T
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.
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E
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H
A
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K
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W
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costs. This can be accom-
plished with no capital outlay,

capital participation whereby they
f a business has a physical plant,
a
operations that will protect or further
a
d
o
n
n
d
derive a return in excess of just the electric savings,
environmental responsibility will
p
p
t
r
tect the environment, including that:
r
o
o

or through self-inancing further enhancing the return
Icenter upon:
rate and value proposition. Additionally, there are
1
Non-sustainable business travel,

signiicant energy-eficiency programs and protocols a
1
logistics, and supply-chain arrange-
Making sure before the business
business can implement, including lighting, combined
s
)
)
a
a
r
r
e
ments are minimized;
purchases or leases that the site(s
e

heat and power, demand response, intuitive thermo-
s
2
clean, and if they are not, that the b
b
s
Sustainable fuel for processes and
u
u
s
s
i
i
n
n
e
e
s
s

stat, and frequency modulation software or equipment.
is not responsible for any remediation of previ-
products is chosen;
ously discharged pollutants and is indemniied
3
Recycling and reuse of products and compo-
—Ryan A. Marrone, Esq.,
Outside Counsel,
by the seller and preferably, the past polluters,
nents is maximized, and the waste stream
against any remediation costs, whether on the
and paper storage (going paperless, etc.) and
Onyx Renewable Partners, L.P.
site(s) or off-site (pollution migrates);
product packaging is minimized;
24
That the highest level of LEED-certiied buildings is
Environmental values are incorporated into

planned and obtained for new construction;
cost-beneit analyses;
35
A benchmarking process is implemented to
That the proper level of environmental investiga-
nergy eficiency is the
cornerstone of any
gauge progress toward goals;
tion is done prior to entering into any purchases or
Any operations or manufacturing processes that
leases of property;
6
Esustainability strategy.
occur at the site presently are using the best
4
That an annual or more frequent environmental
Yet, almost all buildings are
available pollution control technology for intake
audit of the site, the operations and processes,
using more energy than they
and process water and air, and all permits
and the discharges is performed;
need. Since you can’t improve
and approvals are in place from local, state,
5
That speciic people are assigned to both safety
what you don’t measure, the irst
regional, and federal agencies for discharges to
and environmental compliance and reporting so
step down the path to a reduced carbon footprint and
ground or surface water, or into the air; and
there is a clear chain of command with respect to
increased proitability through energy savings is to
Reporting to agencies is current and shows con-
operations, permits, compliance, and decisions
7
assess your building’s energy performance. Complet-
ing an Energy Benchmark using the EPA’s Energy Star
tinual compliance. In the event of noncompli-
relating thereto.
ance, the appropriate agency should be notiied
guidelines is a quick and easy way to accomplish
this. With the EPA’s 1-100 Energy Star score, you can
immediately to reduce the imposition of ines.
If a business has no or a minimal physical plant, or that
site is another person’s or irm’s responsibility, such as
receive a normalized, “apples-to-apples” comparison
—Janine G. Bauer, Esq., an environ-
of your building’s energy performance against similar
mental law attorney with Szaferman,
leased space from a landlord, environmental responsi-
bility will center upon internal and external processes
buildings nationwide. This independent benchmark
Lakind, Blumstein, & Blader, P.C.
tells you how eficient your building is today and esti-

mates the magnitude of the potential energy savings
that can be expected. If you have a low score, then

it’s time to do a monitoring assessment or energy
ompliance alone beneits the company by eliminating the risk of ines or pen-
alty. Many businesses have established compliance plans targeting worker
audit to see where you may be wasting energy.
The good news is you’ve identiied the magnitude
Cright-to-know, waste management, or even stormwater quality protection.
However, they often fail to live up to those plans or the plans set such lofty goals
of the problem and have the potential to save your
organization money (while reducing greenhouse
that compliance is too hard to achieve. It is imperative for businesses to follow
these plans and update them periodically to ensure they set realistic goals and they
gas emissions). After completing the benchmark,
companies like Sander Mechanical Service will then
properly relect ongoing changes in business practices, personnel, and regulations. Of-
ten, small steps can go a long way in saving money, such as evaluating alternatives to chemical usage, focus-
help businesses lay out a plan for improvement.
ing on waste minimization, or improving the pre-discharge quality of air and water from operating equipment.
—Robert W. Vessie, Director of
Business Development,
—Robert L. Zelley, P.G., LSRP, Senior Principal, Director
of Environmental Services, Maser Consulting
Sander Mechanical Service
april 2015
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