4 Easy Steps for Your Business/Home to Get Started Going Green

Are you looking to go green? It can be difficult to get started in the green direction. Here are 4 easy steps to help map out your journey and get the most out of your sustainability initiatives.

1. Find out how green you are right now.

If you are planning to improve upon or begin your sustainability practices, you need to know where you stand currently. Portfolio Manager, a free benchmarking service provided by EnergyStar and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was created for individuals or companies to evaluate their home/facility’s energy performance. The Portfolio Manager program integrates project costs and potential savings to offer a comprehensive view of  how efficient your building is operating.

2. Failing to plan, is planning to fail.

Identify what goals you want to accomplish. Going green can typically be broken down into three  motivations:

Sustainability

To become more sustainable means developing efficient, long-term practices and purchasing behaviors that allow for highly productive home or working environments. The driver of this motivator is usually return on investment and quality.

Energy Efficiency

The main goal here is obvious. Energy costs are increasing all over the U.S. and homeowners/companies are need to look for alternatives to decrease high utility bills.

Marketing

Organizations are always looking for new ways to market their company in a more effective way than their competitors. The statement that you are “going green” can be a lucrative a message in many industries if portrayed correctly and could result in the retention and creation of numerous environmentally-conscious customers. For instance, numerous “top green companies” rankings are appearing at the national level from accredited newspapers and publications. Also, LEED-certification is a national standard that is becoming widely recognizable. Another example, Kuuala, an eco-friendly product supplier offers a directory and “stamp of approval” to market and recognize sustainable organizations.

3. Find out what is feasible.

There are many green solutions out there but, it is important to choose the right one. Don’t make the mistake of purchasing something that is green without doing your homework. For example, if energy efficiency is your green goal, before you purchase calculate a return on investment (or the time period when you should expect to see your initial purchase payoff). This type of evaluation is quite simple and can give you a relatively accurate outlook as to when your investment should payoff and if it feasible. Whomever you are buying your product from should be able to easily calculate a payback period with you. If you are a large organization or need various authorizations for “green” initiatives, be sure to incorporate your sustainability plans with capital improvement scheduling.

e-mail info@kuuala.com to find out when your solution will payoff

4. Do a test.

You don’t have to do a huge overhaul and change everything immediately. Choose a room, a floor, or a section and monitor the effectiveness of your plan. This will allow you to learn and experience first-hand the benefits of your green initiatives. Also, it will allow you to see what works and what doesn’t and make improvements.

Keep in mind, these are just the initial steps and it may be helpful to receive some green consulting services once you have identified what goals you want to accomplish. If you need help, here is a great organize that will offer you some free advice and guide you towards sustainable solutions that are custom to your needs.

Currently, there is a shift towards sustainability practices but, before you jump on the bandwagon, just make sure you know which direction you want to go.

sources: ( www.kuuala.com and www.USGBC.org and www.helioenergysolutions.com)