Running a Green Self-Storage Facility

by Elizabeth Sanchez Did you know legislation recently passed in the District of Colombia that mandates self-storage buildings be 25 percent more energy efficient by 2010? It's true. The Clean and Affordable Energy Act will require all privately-owned commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet to be evaluated and benchmarked annually with the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star rating system beginning in 2010. ith President Barack Obama signaling that environmental issues are a key concern for his administration, it's likely that additional energy-related bills will make their way through the House of Representatives to the Senate and onto Obama's desk that could affect your facility in the near-term. Savvy self-storage facilities are eying opportunities to go green before it becomes law. From green building materials to energy audits and from recycling to marketing initiatives, the self-storage industry is beginning to green itself in hopes it will pay off with financial savings and customer goodwill. "Not only are consumers interested in green products and companies, our survey shows that nearly half of them will pay at least five percent more for them," says Stuart Larkins, senior vice president of search at DoubleClick Performics, an Internet search tracking company. "We also found that a majority of online consumers would recommend an environmentally-conscious company to friends and family." W The Quest for Energy Efficiency One way to reduce your utilities expenditure would be to contact a professional energy auditor to perform an energy audit. An energy audit will determine how a building performs and will also analyze the mechanical systems for optimization as well as offer solutions for greater energy efficiency. "A key component of the energy audit is surveying the building for air leaks and minimal insulation. The greatest loss of heating and cooling derives from a leaky building," says Mike Mroz, president of Green Energy Improvements, an energy auditing company in Scotch Plains, NJ. "Almost all buildings need to be air sealed unless it was thought of during the construction process. This optimization is new to the industry, so approximately 95 percent of buildings can benefit from it." Foam insulation is a beneficial product that can be applied in many places. One great place to apply it is on the roof. It adds extra insulation to the building; it is a superior UV reflector due to its natural light color, and leak proof, according to Mroz. And it even reduces the ambient temperature extremes which can cause damage due to thermal expansion and contraction. All of these factors extend the life of a building, increase sustainability, and assist in reducing costly maintenance and repairs. "One of the most common discoveries is roof leaks. Most buildings have a flat roof and leaks are always a problem. With an infrared camera you can discover these leaks before they cause severe damage," Mroz says. "As energy auditors, we are able to pinpoint the leaks which make for accurate repairs. Creating a `greener' building means properly improving it to make it more sustainable, less costly, and extending the life of the materials." Once a building is sealed properly and insulated well, companies like Green Energy Improvements can optimize the heating and cooling system. Efficiency and design are the top priorities. After air sealing the building, you can reduce the size and load of the equipment through design and also extend the life of the equipment. Of course, lighting is also an important factor.

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