Staff Writer
In the sustainability world where “green” has been the buzzword for some time, there’s a new movement underway.
“We’re moving toward more of a ‘high-performance’ building instead of simply a ‘green’ building,” said Ellen Leroy-Reed, U.S. Green Building Council North Florida president. “People and businesses are able to embrace it.”
Leroy-Reed helped close to 80 members of the Meninak Club of Jacksonville better embrace the concept Monday as she spoke of the industry, its local influence and how the business landscape is changing.
“It’s so much extended beyond our own four walls,” said Leroy-Reed, who also owns local firm Greener By Design Consulting.
It’s now a “people, profit, planet” three-part approach that Leroy-Reed advocates, which also combines the first three questions asked by business owners and homeowners she consults and her philosophy.
“How much is it going to cost? How will it help the environment? And, how will it affect the people in this space?, they ask,” said Leroy-Reed. “There needs to be a balance ... if we can get all three, then that’s the right idea.”
Now, the process doesn’t have to include just solutions within the structure itself, she said, as the industry has evolved. Things such as using recycled paper and inventory changes to greener ideas can help both the bottom line and environment.
The concept of “green jobs” has also been widely discussed in the past, she said, but now people are beginning to see things come together instead of just conceptuals resulting in more “boots on roofs.”
Education has been the key, as more contractors, builders, vendors and the like are themselves learning of available products and practices after the public inquires, a basic supply-and-demand principle that should also lower future costs.
The economic downturn has affected the new construction industry, which Leroy-Reed said has led to increased retrofitting and renovation of older homes and products with everything from home weatherization to solar-thermal hot water heaters.
In the span of a year, the number of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — a third-party certification for design, construction and operation of high-performance buildings — certified buildings and homes jumped from six to 19 — including five affordable homes — in Northeast Florida. In addition, the number of LEED accredited professionals jumped from around 160 to just more than 620 in the same time frame.
“Jacksonville is moving in the right direction,” she said, though she expects the pace of LEED structures to slow in the coming year.
While she advocates business owners, homeowners, anyone to pursue the high-performance, green process, if they are unable she has one important piece of advice.
“Do that one thing you can to make a difference,” she said. “Keep doing it ... then after a year, continue doing it and add something else.”
For new Meninak President Kent Lindsey, the message for the group was a spirited and educational one.
“She’s extremely passionate about what she does,” said Lindsey. “It’s a conversation we should all have and something we need to be aware of.”
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