» Green

As spring approaches, many cities and towns will celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day is a day that is set-aside for people to recognize the beauty of the Earth and to try to minimize the impact we have on it. Earth Day celebrations often include booths that have information about Earth friendly products, and services. Many booths will include information on how you can become more Green. Music is usually included in many Earth Day celebrations and of course there is always food. People gather together to show their respect for the planet we live and love on.

Being more Green is a very hot topic right now in the news and media. It seems that everyone from soda pop to soap to light bulbs to cars are getting the Green treatment. Jumping on the Green bandwagon shows that you are trying to be responsible in your treatment of the Earth. One industry that is getting on the Green train is the self storage industry. Property management companies that own self storage facilities are seeing Green. Some self storage sites that are owned by property management companies are looking over their existing sites to see where they can improve in the Green department. Here are some things that property management companies can do to help their self storage sites be a better place in this world.

• Putting lights on timers and motion sensor switches to avoid prolonged usage
• Using Earth friendly chemicals for melting ice and snow and fertilizing the grass
• Using Earth friendly pest control chemicals to knock down those pests
• Reduce office paper consumption
• Recycle office paper, and aluminum cans
• Collect rainwater or use reclaimed water for watering plants and grass in your green areas
• Plant more trees, grass and flowers around your property
• Switch to more energy efficient light bulbs
• Utilize rooftop space for solar panels
• Hiring property management companies that have a Green plan

These are just a few of the many things that property management companies can do for their properties. You do not have to be some long haired tree hugging type person to believe in doing what is right for the environment and the planet. Many people are seeing the impact that people have on the Earth and they want to stop it. Many property management companies have self storage sites that look barren and industrial. But what if property management companies wanted to build a self storage site that was full of greenery and laid out to be very pleasing to the eye? Some property management companies are trying to get away from the old industrial gray building style and going to the trendy, hip looking self storage site. These newer or refurbished self storage sites can easily fit on the outskirts of a neighborhood or nestled next to an elementary school. Property management companies do not have to be ugly to be functional. Functional can be hip and it can be Green.

So, in recognition of Earth Day, try to find property management companies that are doing their part to save the Earth. If we all can do a little it will turn out to be a lot. Jumping on the Green bandwagon is a way to feel good about what you are doing to save the planet we call Earth. Do your part!

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When that light bulb goes off you’ve got it, the most brilliant green design ever. If every American household changed a single light bulb to an Energy Star bulb, it would provide enough power to light more than 2.5 million homes, while saving consumers money. Energy Star qualified bulbs and fixtures use one third the energy of traditional models and last up to 10 times longer. Think of what we could save if every office, school, and secret shopping business changed a bulb also.  The less energy we use, the less energy electric utilities must generate, and less demand means fewer greenhouse gas emissions. If homeowners change just one bulb to an Energy Star qualified bulb they will prevent the release of more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

You can joke about how many property managers it takes to change a light bulb, but if all property managers and secret shopping businesses changed the light bulbs at their self storage facility to energy saving bulbs, just think of how much energy the self storage and secret shopping industry can save the United States. Implementing this bright idea will not only save money on utility bills, it also will reduce our dependence of foreign energy sources.
 
Energy Star already put into practice this green design idea in many communities around the country. They call it Change A Light, Change A World and its objective it to promote energy efficiency and conservation in America. The concept is so simple that it is as easy as changing a light bulb, literally.

Where to start with this green design? Start by changing all the light bulbs in your office, secret shopping business and showroom floor. The highest used fixtures in an office are usually above your head, but typically the break room lights, ceiling fan light, and bathroom lights are commonly used as well. Check the display cases and replace those bulbs as well if they are not energy efficient.

Many self storage and secret shopping businesses take pride in being safe and secure. But a huge part in security is having a well lighted facility. Now a storage property should not sacrifice security for a greater green design. However, they don’t have to. Replacing security lighting with energy star light bulbs will allow property managers to continue to promote security while saving energy at the same time. Replace the bulbs in each storage unit too; there are hundred of them, depending on the self storage property size. Secret shopping your competitors will let you know if they are interested in green design. Mention in advertising that your self storage and secret shopping facility is doing their part to help the environment.   

Now changing light bulbs all at once is expensive and wasteful. If an immediate change is out of the question then make it your green design plan to change the lighting to energy star bulbs when the existing bulbs burn out in your secret shopping and self storage business. See if your light bulb vender will swap your unused incandescent light bulbs for energy star light bulbs.

Green design doesn’t have to end at the self storage and secret shopping property. If property managers and secret shopping managers take a pledge to change the light bulbs in their homes to energy star, the campaign will expand to the neighborhoods. Environmental responsibility doesn’t end at the workplace. Taking care of the environment is a 24 hour job. The harder we work at it as a society, the greater the payoffs. 

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Recently many major retailers have announced green design plans to save on energy costs while at the same time helping to improve the environment. For good reason, going green seems to be more contagious than bad fashion trends, like baggy jeans and fuzzy snow boots. Whether their motive is for self interest or for altruist reasons, the environment wins either way, which is good.  

Many retailers are finding out that even small changes make huge differences in efficiency. One major retailer found out that if they took out the light bulbs in the break room vending machines at every location, they would save 1 million dollars a year. Kudos to them for thinking outside of the box and finding a simple energy solution. And that is what it takes sometimes to find simple solutions, thinking outside of the box. Just look around your office and notice what is using electricity. For instance, microwaves and coffee makers use constant power to keep the clocks running. But how many people rely on those clocks? Now, one microwave oven and coffee maker uses only milliamps to maintain the time. But if everyone in the self storage industry were to unplug them from the outlet when not in use, we would save mega wattage.

Other larger big house retailers have made it their goal to find major innovative renewable energy resources to run their business more efficiently. Experiments to cut wastes include studying everything from recycling cooking oil to testing wind power. Some retailers’ green design includes building new stores with skylights that bring in natural light. From this they can keep the light switch turned off and the heater on low during the day. Instead of skylights, some retailers are installing solar paneling on the roof. This takes them off the grid and keeps them independent from tradition fossil fuel energy resources. 

The self storage industry needs to join the car pool of other retailers with green design plans. Storage property managers can ask customers to bring back moving boxes and other packaging supplies to the self storage facility where they can be reused or recycled. Most self storage properties have vending machines with continuous lighting. Property managers should steel the idea removing the light bulbs. The beverage companies profit from businesses with vending machines on the business’s energy expense. Where do you think they plug in the machine at; it’s not at their own plant. Each individual self storage unit does not use much energy to power. However, that should not stop property managers from installing solar panels. It still follows the green design by cutting cost and helping the environment. On the other hand, climate control units use a great deal of energy to keep storage at a consistent temperature. If property managers can get them to run by solar power, it would make a world of a difference.

If the self storage industry doesn’t come up with a green design plan, then the government will and that is not always good. So far the government has let many industries search for solutions to improve the environment, but if we are not ahead of the game with a green design plan, it will be mandated.  

Written by Kurt Schellenberger

Storage Concierge is your premier Storage, Storage Unit, Car Storage, RV Storage, Furniture Storage, Boat Storage, Yacht Storage and Self Storage Finder.

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Here is a simple green design for self storage property managers and it can be defined by one word, reduce. Self storage businesses can often modify their current practices to reduce the amounts of waste generated by changing the building design, and use of materials or office products. Ask was it really necessary to print that document or making all of those copies? These questions are just the beginning of a superb green design.

With the use of computers, we can reduce office paper waste by implementing a formal policy to duplex all draft reports, and by making training manuals and personal information available electronically. Think before your print. If that piece of paper is going to end up in the garbage before the end of the business day, that document probably is not worth printing. If an electronic document is worth keeping, file it in a computer documents folder where you can go back and retrieve it. Most self storage businesses have back up network servers that will keep important documents safe.

Every office has workers complaining that it is too hot and too cold at the same time. What happens is that the thermostat goes up and down like a seesaw and causes the climate system to work overtime. It is very important to start a green design policy when it comes to the office climate control. Everyone will survive at 68 degrees in the winter and 74 degrees in the summer. Not only will this keep the energy bill under budget, it saves energy. If the heating or cooling system has trouble maintaining the desired temperature, have a technician check it out. Employees are unlikely to complain if they know it is the company’s green design policy to keep such temperatures consistent.

A self storage business can reduce landfill trash by using biodegradable products for events and meetings. Instead of purchasing Styrofoam cups and plates, and plastic utensils, when you are at the grocery store look for biodegradable material. Many food products for serving refreshments with are biodegradable. Biodegradable products include cups, plates, coffee stirrers, and tooth-picks. Keep them stored in the break room storage cabinet for the employees’ lunches.

One green design solution to reduce is reuse. There are many things around a self storage business that can be reused instead of being tossed in the trash. Instead of trashing leftover food from the event or meeting, bring it to a homeless shelter. Printed training manuals can be returned and reused for new employees to use. When it is time to replace office furniture, buy new furniture from a preowned office furniture store. Perhaps your most successful green design strategy will be in the waste reduction of packaging and moving supplies. Ask self storage customers to bring back boxes and moving materials instead of discarding the cardboard in the trash.

Storage customers have many reasons for self storage, but the most common reason is to get rid of the clutter that occupies their homes. Before you know it they decided to trash the clutter during the move to the storage unit. As a green minded property manager, have a list of charities and recommend one of them instead of the dumpster.

Written by Kurt Schellenberger

Storage Concierge is your premier Storage, Storage Unit, Car Storage, RV Storage, Furniture Storage, Boat Storage, Yacht Storage and Self Storage Finder.

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Several years ago when a certain tall robotic like politician warned Americans about global warming during his presidential campaign, most Americans laughed in doubt. Few of these nonbelievers still exist today, but overall if a person ignores to implemented a green design plan at their home or place of business, he or she is looked at as nuttier then a fruitcake. Because scientist have proved that the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, and deforestation, for over the past 200 years, has caused the concentrations of heat trapping greenhouse gases to increase significantly in our atmosphere. Somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse, these gases prevent heat from escaping into space. Though greenhouse gases are necessary to life on earth as we know it because they keep the planet’s surface warmer than it otherwise would be, concentrations of these gases continue to increase due to human error. As a result, the ice caps are shrinking, the sea levels are rising, and the weather patterns are going haywire.

The self storage industry has implemented voluntary and incentive base green design programs to help recover from and avoid environmental disaster. Some self storage businesses and self storage call centers have created a contest called Build It Green Design Challenge. Participant property managers are asked to submit an idea or design on how to make their self storage facility more environmentally green. It is a modest effort, but if every business in every industry challenged themselves with a green design program, the movement will become major league.

In this environmental friendly day of age, it is amazing that many local governments still do not have a recycling pick up program in the works. But that doesn’t mean property managers have to succumb to their town’s green design limitations. It is not against the law to put forth your own recycling bins on your self storage property for you and your customers. Collect bottles and cans and bring them yourself to a recycle facility. Some recycle facilities pay good money for aluminum cans. Use that money to improve another green design or give it to a local charity in the self storage business’s name.

With climate change and skyrocketing energy costs, it’s no wonder many manufactures are promoting energy efficient products. Stroll through any major home improvement retailer and you’re sure to find hundreds of Energy Star products. If you want your self storage business  to earn a star, it’s time to create a green design to make the business more energy efficient. Choice of materials and location, indoor air quality, water usage, and emissions all attribute energy efficiency.

If you are not doing your part to save the environment, it is not too late to join. There are many small green design steps you can take that add up to huge differences. Set up an energy target and stay under it; replace broken appliances such as microwaves, air conditioners, and dishwashers with Energy Star appliances; put in energy saving light bulbs and mechanical systems. But the best way to get started is to get educated and become aware of green design  programs.

Written by Kurt Schellenberger

Storage Concierge is your premier Storage, Storage Unit, Car Storage, RV Storage, Furniture Storage, Boat Storage, Yacht Storage and Self Storage Finder.

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You have read some other blogs about being Green and this blog is a reminder that StorageMart is having a Build It Green Design Challenge. What is the Build It Green Design Challenge? This is a call for submissions for designs that will help protect present and future areas of our Earth.

Categories for Entry include:

Energy Positive Designs/Structure
Gray Water Solutions
Sustainable Construction Materials
Urban In-Fill Strategies
Carbon Negative
Bottom Line Results
New Conveniences and Amenities
Wildlife/Natural Habitat-Friendly
Re-Used and Recycled Materials
Energy Positive

What can you do to make your self storage facility more Green? If every owner and property manager could make one change, it would mean a lot to the movement to be more environmentally aware. You can help the self storage industry become a leader in green construction and design. Making those small changes in you self storage property makes you aware about being more eco friendly; everyone can do his or her part to help the environment. 

Ideas like:
Solar panels
Vegetation grown on the roof for insulation
Reclaimed water
Composting areas for customers
Green building materials
Recycled materials for building
Wind mills for energy

Why you should submit your designs?

• The submissions remain your property so why not share
• Participants will receive free publicity for ideas and designs
• It’s a great chance to pass along your earth friendly ideas to the masses in the self storage industry
• Each category winner gets to promote his or her ideas for even more exposure

Are you ready to submit?

Send your 200-400 word summaries or description and the URL to Tron (see number below) and put green design in the subject field of your email. If you would like the official contest rules then call 866-639-1715 for information. Submissions remain the property of the designer, so share your ideas with us.

We have gathered an excellent judging group from various fields. From green furniture design to real estate to property management, but all these people have a desire to promote the well being of our planet and to make sure that the earth will sustain many, many generations to come. StorageMart recognizes the need to be pro active in this fight to save our planet from its own people. 

We have already been given the thumbs up from the self storage industry as a whole for this project. Why not join StorageMart and all of the other concerned property managers and property owners in being green in 2008? Let us show the rest of the world how great the self storage industry is by committing to a more environmentally friendly doctrine.

Storage Concierge is your premier Storage, Storage Unit, Car Storage, RV Storage, Furniture Storage, Boat Storage, Yacht Storage, Self Storage finder.
 

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Kermit the Frog has made a comeback, not as the lovable Muppet I remember him as, but as a spokesfrog for Green practices and energy efficient vehicles sporting a trendy green leaf icon.

But just what is all this hullabaloo about? Well, we don’t have to see statistics on global warming to know that gas efficiency is what we all want in our next vehicle. With the price of oil rising faster than the Earth’s temperature, it makes sense to relieve some of the strain on our pocketbook. So what about the other areas of our life?

Green building design is much like the idea behind energy efficient cars. The practice of increasing the efficiency of energy and water usage, eliminating waste and reducing the impact we have on our environment by improving building designs and construction.

StorageMart has taken the initiative to make the self storage industry a leader in low-impact construction and raise the bar for business owners to follow. StorageMart’s Build It Green Challenge will announce the Green Design concepts they’ve chosen among a pool of design entries later this year. It’s not too late to offer your contribution by sending your submissions today.

While I can’t say the rest of the clan of beloved childhood friends has a future in Green advertising, I remain hopeful that Miss Piggy can resume her role as a Hollywood Diva and find her niche in today’s global awareness.

Written by Sarah Little, TQAS Director

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Property managers and self storage owners are always looking for new ways to make money for their property. And while money is not everything, sometimes besides the money some managers and owners try to please the customer in addition to making the big bucks. Some ideas/services that self storage facilities put on site are; business centers, kid friendly play areas, car washes, selling moving and packing supplies, shipping centers, and PO boxes.

In the spirit of the New Year and more people thinking Green thoughts and idea I had for a self storage property was to offer a small piece of ground that would become a compost pile. Self storage tenants could provide the necessary matter to start the compost and as the pile aged, then the self storage tenants could use the compost in their own gardens and flower beds. Here in our town in Missouri, we have community gardens for those people that do not have the room at their residences to have a garden. These people can then apply for designated garden spaces throughout the city limits. So, I do not think the compost idea is that far out, let me know if you like it. Let us think more Green design ideas in 2008; it will not hurt the Earth to do so.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS agent.

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Is going Green on your mind for the start of the year? Here are some ways you can Go Green and help the environment.

• Check with your city about local recycling programs. Many are free or are included in your trash pickup.
• Buy a container to store your recycling materials in. You will find it very easy to recycle when you have the area and container to do it in.
• Use your shredded paper for storing away household items or sending packages to relatives.
• Look into recycling your old cell phones that are in the junk drawer or that the kids are playing with. Many cell phone stores have drop off areas that you can put your old cell phones in so they do not end up in the landfill.
• Turn you thermostat down (cooler) a few degrees in the winter and up (warmer) in the summer to reduce your heating and cooling consumption. 
• Look for Green products at your local store.
• Buy local produce and shop locally for items that you need. This helps the local economy and the local farmer.
• Walk or bike to your destinations or keep your vehicle running correctly and your tires inflated to the correct psi to help with fuel economy.

Of course there are many things you can do to Go Green. If everyone can do just a little bit, it will help. See what you can do this year to contribute to the Go Green campaign.

Written by Natalie Thomas, TQAS executive.

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