Building Sustainability Into Your Business

Probably more than a few controls distributors rolled their eyes the first few times they heard the word "sustainability" as it relates to their businesses. Someone may have said to them, "Hey, sustainable building practices are really hot right now" or "If you don't incorporate sustainability into your business, you're really missing out."

Forgive the eye rollers. For who among HVACR distributors has not seen buzzwords come and go? But what if you, as a controls distributor, have been in the sustainability business all these years and didn't even know it? After all, sustainability is about using resources more effectively, minimizing the negative impact on the environment and making people more comfortable where they live and work. Isn't that the purpose of HVACR controls and systems?

Controls distributors that can successfully link sustainability back to building controls will separate themselves from their competitors, according to Paul Neustadt, president and owner of Downers Grove, IL-based Neuco Inc. and chair of HARDI's Controls Council. "I used to think that sustainability was kind of a tree-hugger thing, but after looking into it and doing some research, I think it can be an opportunity for growth for controls distributors," he says. "We're talking about building automation controls that control both the conditioning of the space as well as the lighting of the space."

The concept of sustainability as it relates to HVACR controls and systems has been around since the inception of the first building automation system, or energy management system (EMS), says Scott Cross, owner and CEO of Temperature Control Systems in Dallas and vice chair of the Controls Council. "The whole premise of the original EMS system was to have control and monitoring capabilities of a building from a centralized location and have better control and scheduling both for comfort and energy management," he says. Concepts such as sustainability often begin as buzzwords to grab attention, Cross says. While "only time will tell if it will gain traction," he believes that the sustainability message is indeed part of the building world today. It will continue to grow as the focus on energy savings and efficiency becomes a regular part of the conversation about how we manage buildings. Neustadt agrees with this assessment. "Sustainability is a topic that is not going to go away," he says. "It's becoming more and more relevant."

So what is driving sustainability in the controls business today? Many of the same considerations that drive other parts of the HVACR business: efficiency, energy savings and overall cost savings for the building owner.

"In a simple way, common sense and fiscal responsibility are the drivers of sustainable buildings," Neustadt says. "There are some simple things like having lights go off when no one is in the room that save energy and money for the building owner. There's also a growing awareness that our natural resources are not limitless and we need to be better stewards of what we have and how we use them."

Cross says he'll discuss the concepts of sustainability when working with some customers, but it's usually part of a larger discussion about the customers' needs. There often are many goals a customer seeks to achieve, and sustainability is only part of this strategy. "We do not use it exclusively with customers," he adds.

Neustadt and Cross say architects often are the primary drivers in influencing sustainable building practices, but facility owners are becoming increasingly aware of how these concepts can benefit them in many different ways — from the cost-savings to the marketing of their buildings to tenants. Neustadt says more facility owners are better educated in this area and are voicing their opinions about how controls can be best used to ensure sustainable practices.

Distributors can be key influencers with architects, engineers and facility owners when it comes to promoting the use of sustainable building practices in either new construction or retrofit projects. When distributors can speak with confidence about how controls and systems are critical to sustainable building practices, customers will rely on them for their knowledge.

"Studies have shown that people like to deal with companies that are leading in categories like sustainable building and LEED," Neustadt says. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. An internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, it verifies that a building was designed and built using strategies to improve environmental performance.