Learn To Identify Green Many companies use the term Green as part of their product positioning. Consequently, there are scores of Green consumer and commercial products from which to choose. Unfortunately, manufacturers often take unfair advantage of this term to promote products that, in reality, are no Greener than the next. This puts the burden on specifiers to weed out false or dubious claims and identify products that are legitimate and best suited for their particular project.
What does make buildings and building products Green?
In the broadest sense, Green products meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the needs of future generations. Officially, the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive defines Green building as "the practice of 1) increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use energy, water, and materials, and 2) reducing building impacts on human health and the environment.6
Of course, there are no completely Green products - they all expend energy and resources while in use and create by-products and emissions during their manufacture, transport and eventual disposal. So relatively speaking, Green describes products that have less of an impact on the environment than alternatives.
It's important to distinguish between two primary types of products. First, Green building products are considered Green by virtue of their material makeup or manufacturing process. They are measured against established standards for durability, air quality and thermal comfort. The second category - performance-based Green products - is defined by their unique application or use and their ability to improve the environmental performance of a facility.
One of the most widely used resources by architects, engineers and contractors is the GreenSpec Directory, published by BuildingGreen, Inc., Brattleboro, VT. GreenSpec breaks out Green products into six main categories:
- Products that are made with salvaged, recycled or agricultural waste content.
- Products that conserve natural resources.
- Products that avoid toxic or other emissions.
- Products that reduce environmental impacts during construction, demolition or renovation.
- Products that save energy or water.
- Products that contribute to a safe, healthy indoor environment.
Understanding Why Green Products Are Specified
In a perfect world, developers and building owners would weigh environmental and economic considerations evenly at the outset of every project. Yet historically, buildings have been designed primarily to minimize design and construction expenditures - the so-called "first costs" of a facility. This approach relegates Green to little more than an afterthought.
Today, growing consumer awareness of environmental issues has forced these stakeholders to think and act differently when planning a building project. Much of this stems from a growing cohort called LOHAS [Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability]. LOHAS describes a $226 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services that appeal to people who value health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. In total, LOHAS represents about 30 percent of all U.S. adults, or 63 million consumers.7 It's hard to dismiss the collective will of a group this large. Not surprisingly, product manufacturers, developers and building owners have begun to embrace Green building as an inroad to the LOHAS community.
At Point to Point, we see Green markets no differently than any other. For starters, you don't have just one group of customers - you actually have three: Influencers, Channels and End Users [or ICE for short]. Each of these customers has different needs, different ways of talking and different ways of looking at your product.
Influencers
- Architects, Interior Designers and Specification Engineers: These professionals exert tremendous influence over which products get specified in a given project, and getting in at the spec level is essential. For them, Green products must be cost-effective, attractive, efficient and durable if they are to stand apart from traditional products.
- Developers: Developers will almost always seek to keep costs low. Therefore, a powerful Green marketing message will demonstrate the tangible effect your product has on lowering first and long-term costs.
- Builders: Builders need to understand that more and more home buyers and commercial tenants demand Green. Your message to them must articulate the clear benefits of Green. In turn, this helps them to position those benefits to their customers and drive sales.
- Remodelers: Products used in any renovation project should ideally be better than those they replace. Green marketing should position those products as more than just eco-friendly; it must prove how they look better, last longer, cost less and offer greater reliability.
Channels
- Distribution Shops: This is where the customer transacts. And its actions are often crucial in swaying the purchasing decisions of influencers and end users. To elicit action at the channel level, you must demonstrate real demand for Green products among consumers.
End Users
Facility and Purchasing Managers: People who oversee daily operations focus on keeping ongoing costs low and associates healthy. Green products offer a healthier living environment and substantial long-term cost savings over their traditional counterparts and often cost the same - or less - up front.
DIYers: People who make home improvements are concerned about upgrading their own standard of living, as well as increasing the resale value of their homes. DIYers will always look for long-lasting products that help to lower operating costs over time.
Initially, marketing executives must understand what drives various audiences within the building and interior design industry. From there, it's a matter of finding the right mix that creates an effective marketing "cocktail." Should you invest in a strategy that emphasizes Influencers? Do you consider strengthening your relationship with the Channel? Or is it best to create End Use demand for your product? Whatever approach you take, success is contingent on clearly articulating a product's core benefits from the perspectives of your specific audience.
Understanding How Green Products Are Specified
For manufacturers of building and interior design products, the quest for Green recognition begins with product and project certification. To certify a building as Green, architects, engineers and contractors must specify products that meet certain standards. The most widely used standards system is the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED™] system. LEED provides professional accreditation in Green building standards and certification of new buildings, existing structures, commercial interiors, and core and shell structures.
Products themselves cannot be LEED certified - LEED either lists specific Green requirements or defers to standards developed by other entities [see Appendix for a list of third-party certification organizations]. Still, Green products - from paint and HVAC equipment to lighting, flooring and roofing materials - are essential criteria that help a project to achieve certification.
Many architects, engineers and contractors say that Green and LEED characteristics are crucial factors in deciding which products to specify on projects. In fact, projects that conformed to LEED standards achieved 5 percent market share in just three years. Additionally, 80 million square feet of LEED-certified projects were built in 2002, and 130 million square feet of LEED-certified projects were built in 20038. New product certifications are also being developed to expand market opportunities in housing, laboratory, health care, hospitality, school and municipal building projects.
To measure a building using the LEED rating system, points are awarded for achievements in six categories: Sustainable Sites; Water Efficiency; Energy & Atmosphere; Materials & Resources; Indoor Environmental Quality; and Innovation & Design Process. Projects are then measured against these criteria, and certification levels are assigned based on total points achieved.
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As you can see, in cases of new construction, existing buildings and commercial interiors, LEED certification can be granted to projects that achieve just under half the total possible points in a given category.