Green Industry ECOnomics - LandcareNetwork.org

Leaner and greener
Solar panels on the 138,270-square-foot building generate 160 to 280 kilowatts
of power, which provides 20 to 25 percent of clean energy for the
building. Another energy-saving feature is the building’s rooftop-mounted,
evaporative-cooled, condensing unit that is 28 percent more energy efficient
than a traditional air-cooled condenser.
Natural daylight provides most daytime lighting in the lobby of the building,
while the adjacent 95,000-square-foot warehouse area features 162 daylightharvesting
units providing diffused, natural lighting in a single fixture that
also includes backup/night lights and motion and light sensors. Daylightharvesting
units provide 100 percent of that portion of the building’s daylight
needs.
Because of the combination of solar panels, light harvesting units, and energyefficient
components, the company expects to recover the extra $1.3 million
in construction costs (the total cost of the project was $15 million) within
five years.
The building also features a U.S. EPA Energy Star “cool roof,” manufactured
by Mannsville Corporation, high efficiency mechanical equipment, and userfriendly
interior finish materials that have low or no off-gassing from volatile
organic compounds. Campus-wide, the company recycles 90 percent of all
the water it uses in its product test room, and it’s now also recycling 28.86
tons of refuse monthly, reducing its landfill waste by 20 percent over the last
two years. The Committee learned that the company is now recycling twice
as much waste as it’s sending to landfills.
Chapter Summary:
1. Progressive companies, such as Hunter Industries, are looking
at and improving their internal sustainable initiatives for
waste reduction and cost savings.
2. A company’s effort to improve the green aspects of its building
and campus sends a positive message to the public and to the
industry.
3. When considering green projects with substantial capital
expenditures, do your homework and calculate a realistic ROI.
80 Green Industry ECOnomics