Going green

For Home Savings Bank of Madison, the concept of "green" doesn't just apply to dollars. It's a philosophy of environmentally friendly standards the business incorporates in day-to-day operations.

The bank's East Washington Avenue branch is believed to be the first bank building in the state to be certified in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council. Its Stoughton office, built in 1977, was the first active solar bank office in Wisconsin.

President Jim Bradley said the bank's policies are green for a variety of reasons, including the big one: "It's the right thing to do."

"I think it takes all of us to make a significant difference," Bradley said, citing business, governmental leaders and concerned citizens.

As a community bank since 1895, Bradley said the local environment's quality is important to his company.

"I think Madison and Dane County have many qualities that make the area attractive," he said. As a local business, he sees part of Home Savings Bank's mission as protecting local assets.

And what's good for the business is good for employees, as well.

"I think employees -- especially good employees -- really value the opportunity to work for a business that is making a difference," Bradley said.

Increasingly, businesses are going green to save money, save face and, just possibly, save humanity.

The trend toward building and operating a business with environmentally friendly standards isn't expected to slow down. In fact, one expert in the field feels the dam is about to break.

"We're at a tipping point," said Thomas Eggert, a senior lecturer in UW-Madison's School of Business.

"Change starts with a couple of extreme risk-takers," he said. If those prosper, others will follow.

Eggert estimated that approximately 15 percent of businesses are at least thinking of going green. Some may do it to produce less waste, some are looking to get a jump on regulations they expect to come, some are listening to customers.

And, of course, some are doing it because it's the right thing to do.

"Five years ago, they weren't thinking about this stuff," said Eggert, a specialist in environmental policy who also works for the state Department of Natural Resources. Increasingly, companies have to at least face decisions about going green or not, or how far to go, he said.

"It's in their economic best interest to do these things," Eggert said. Despite some higher initial costs involved with green building, Eggert said the long-term payoff is beneficial. However, he noted that it's often hard for businesses to think beyond the next quarter.

That's why Eggert praises Bradley and business like Home Savings Bank for their approach to building and operations. Eggert said it is the business leaders who need to think holistically and systematically about best serving the world around them.

In a time when confidence in government trust and leadership seems to be low, Eggert believes the saviors of tomorrow will come not from public service but from the private sector.

He tells his business classes just that: "If you guys want to save the world, the private sector is where you need to be."

Rapidly moving trend

Although he doesn't feel business alone will save the environment, Tom Thayer, president and chief executive officer of Tri-North Builders of Fitchburg, agreed it has a significant role to play.

"It is the way we should build buildings," Thayer said of the green concept. "Everybody knows this is the right thing to do.

"More and more businesses are talking green, more and more are interested in it," he said. And although green building is not something that's going to happen overnight, Thayer said it's moving "rapidly" through the building world compared to other trends.

Tri-North's corporate headquarters built last year in a Fitchburg office park earned a certified gold LEED rating. Thayer said the company started looking at the green issue about three years ago and decided to get out in front of the trend. The general contracting firm also offers advice to its clients, many of whom are interested in green building but don't know a lot of specifics.

For instance, Thayer said he's known many business leaders who worried about the higher initial costs for some green standards. Thayer noted there also are benefits, such as the fact that when a business recycles construction waste it saves money on disposal because the company doesn't have to pay to have the waste taken away. Thayer estimated Tri-North saved about $16,000 on its headquarters using this practice.

He also noted that the longer life cycle of many environmentally friendly initiatives pay out in the long run. For example, he said the company's boiler/chiller system has a lifespan of 25 years at the shortest -- compared to a normal rooftop unit with an estimated seven-year lifespan -- and is 35-40 percent more efficient than the standard. At that rate, he said the payback is estimated at 10 years for something that might not even need to be replaced for 30 years.

Thayer agreed with Eggert that businesses often don't think enough about the long-term effects of their decisions. He feels too many people focus on the initial costs of building green, which can be 2-3 percent higher or up to 20-30 percent higher depending on the scope.

But the financial and environmental payoff makes such an investment worthwhile, Thayer said. So worthwhile, in fact, that Thayer advocates something he generally does not support.

"That's where I think government's got to step in," he said. Thayer believes some government regulation may be the only way to create a level playing field where businesses are encouraged and rewarded for building green.

Creates healthy atmosphere

Thayer and Bradley both feel their LEED projects are beneficial not just to the environment, but to the employees who use them every day.

"You have a much healthier building," Thayer said, owed in part to a better air filtration system and natural lighting. "I think if you came and spent time in our building, you would see it creates a healthy atmosphere."

Thayer said the headquarters could run almost all day without outside lighting, but, by code, some lights have to be on 24 hours a day, which he finds frustrating.

The payoff at Home Savings Bank's East Washington Street branch already is evident, Bradley said.

"I think there is a quality about the building," he said. "There's a much more holistic approach."

Both companies' green philosophies extend beyond their buildings and into their corporate organization, as evidenced on their Web sites and company materials. The word "green" is a common description in a variety of services for both.

Veridian Homes is another Madison-area builder that incorporates green elements in its own operations as well as the houses it builds.

"At Veridian, we strive on continuously seeking building processes that have a lesser impact on the environment," said David Simon, president of operations. Through an extensive recycling program, Simon said the company saves up to 2.75 tons of waste that would otherwise be sent to a landfill.

Simon encouraged others to jump in to the green movement.

"My advice for other builders or businesses that are interested in going green is to just get started today. There are a plethora of options and information available including local and national environmental and green organizations, government agencies and industry leaders," he said.

UW should be leader

UW-Baraboo/Sauk County has some big plans for thinking green. Campus Executive Officer and Dean, Thomas Pleger, hopes to raise money for a 98-student residence hall that would use recyclable materials, wind and photoelectric power and incorporate other green practices. Pleger said the governor has charged the UW System with moving toward sustainability with green projects.

Nestled in a rich environmental area in Sauk County, the Baraboo campus is ripe for a concentration on environmental issues.

"We want to do what's right in terms of being stewards," Pleger said. A university should be at the forefront of such movements, demonstrating the importance for students, he said. "We aren't looking at it primarily as a bottom-line investment."

The campus has other green plans, such as reducing car traffic, reducing groundwater runoff and increasing recycling. It's common for environmental topics to be integrated into classes, such as assistant professor of chemistry Tom Neal's emphasis on conservation of water.

Pleger, who also is an associate professor of anthropology and archeology, said such leadership is important on local, national and global levels.

"I see the future of humanity having to make decisions beyond local jurisdictions," he said. Pleger stressed the importance of both the private and public sectors in helping secure a healthier future.