Green Trends in North Florida

I had the honor of presenting to Jacksonville's Meninak Club on Monday, February 1st, on the state of the 'green' union.  The topic was Green Trends in North Florida and the response was really satisfying.  The members asked great questions that revealed interest and critique.  Those are the best kinds of questions.
Included here are some insights that were shared during the presentation and some facts that are relevant to where we are in North Florida. 

First, did you know that we have (as of today) 623 LEED Accredited Professionals in Jacksonville alone?  This time last year, we were at about 160. 

We have 20 LEED Certified projects, including 5 affordable houses and 2 City of Jacksonville buildings that achieved GOLD.  Wow.  (and Go, City of Jax!)  This time last year, we had about 6 total.

Time did not permit sharing the following quotes, but I think it's important to point out that the perception in the area is still a bit conflicted.  When asked how green building would affect individual organizations, the responses were all over the chart. 

From an engineer:  "That segment [green building] of our revenue has continued to grow very steadily over the last several years and we aren't seeing any change in that.  So this is not new to us.  We expect it will continue to be an increasing percentage of our business over the next year.  However, with 'green building' submarkets, we are seeing a significant increase in energy and performance work and commissioning, which we think is reflective of tightening operational budgets and Owner's desires to spend less money on operations and utilities"

From a design professional:  "We are currently working on a LEED registered project and we hope that in 2010 more business owners will look to sustainable design when considering building or renovating space.  Our firm has always been focused on sustainable design practices so our goal is to educate clients about sustainability and introduce them to the concept of sustainable design."

From a university facilities professional:  "We believe building green to be more costly and more time consuming per unit than previous non green building activity.  So, new green buildings for us will simply consume more budget and more time than we are used to - it will be an adjustment"

Interestingly, the University quoted does not have any certified buildings to date, but they are highly receptive to learning more about how to incorporate sustainability on their campus projects while keeping within the budget and schedule.  The experience of my colleagues in the area (and myself) is that the costs and schedule can (and should) be controlled when the team has the following:  passion, education, and experience.  This is true of any project, both institutional and otherwise.  I was thrilled to have such an 'unvarnished truth' response from the university.  Those are door openeners, not closers.

Upcoming trends were also covered, many of which are nation-wide, some of which may be regionally-specific.  Here's my take:

• We will see a departure from using the phrase "green" and hearing more about "high performance" projects.  With more owners seeking out cost-saving strategies, the idea of high performance seems far more palatable.  And, with a savvy design and construction team, green strategies always find their place.

• With stimulus dollars making their way through the pipeline, more green jobs will present themselves.  The solar energy market needs boots on roofs.  Consultants that have expertise in sustainability are opening their own businesses and making a profit where larger, less-movable companies are still stuck doing business the same old way. Vendors and suppliers are setting their sights on R&D that will provide greener solutions and energy savings. 

• Retrofits and renovations are what's happening where new construction has stalled.  Anyone in construction already knows this is happening.  Weatherization programs funded by the government are getting homeowners talking about this, too.

• Renewable energy will become more mainstream as education, supply and cost align.  There still seems to be a disconnect between these three components which is halting the mainstream buying public from stepping into the renewable energy world.  Most people understand that solar thermal hot water heaters are a 'no-brainer', but why doesn't everyone have one?  As the level of understanding tightens up with costs (and the availability of qualified contractors to install.  Read:  green jobs) I expect there will be more renewable energy in the 'burbs.

• Consumers will drive supply and consequently drive decreased costs.  Duh.  I know.  Supply and Demand.  But, as consumers are asking for more recycled products or energy saving strategies, more suppliers are scrambling to meet their needs and want to be the most competitive with pricing.

• Social Responsibility Planning will become the next step beyong green building.  Once your building is green, what do you do with your supply chain, your philanthropy efforts and procurement?  Many firms are writing their CSR programs, especially small businesss which are best positioned to make some significant impact on a national scale.  It's great that the Fortune 5's are measuring their impact, but what would happen it the massive number of small businesses do the same? 

Lastly, how can we improve the quality of our environment TODAY  Instead of listing a bunch of things you can do that everyone seems to already know about (like CFLs, aerated faucets, and rain barrels), we discussed bigger-picture concepts:

• Remember that all decisions should be based on Triple Bottom Line decision-making that address People, Profit, Planet solutions.

• Voice your concerns and then seek out information.  You read an article about solar energy not being the solution?  A neighbor wants PV panels on their house but the HOA said 'no'?  Find someone that can help with information and knowledge.  There are so many organizations that make it their business to help you (like USGBC, Sierra Club, NRDC, Green Team)...  seek them out and get your questions answered.

• Write down your goals and create the benchmark for success.  You know that goals aren't real until they hit paper.  So, sit down with your team at the office, or your team at home, and create your plan for social responsibility.  Make it real and follow it throughout the year.  A year from now, you can celebrate your successes and plan for the next year's goals. 

• Lastly, and in my opinion, most importantly, start with "THE ONE THING".  It takes a while to establish a habit and the best way to do so is with one step.  Choose one sustainable practice and commit to it.  Do it diligently.  Say no to water bottles.  Bring reusable bags to the store every time.  Choose the ONE THING and make it a habit. 

Thanks again to our friends at Meninak for inviting the green building perspective and for all the tremendous work they do in our region.  I hope my action items were well-received as this is a group of 'action' people.  They will make things happen! 

Speaking of which, have you started your "ONE THING" yet?  Get to it!