Page 208 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

186 CHAPTER 6

costs are passed on to tenants) would have paid much higher prices in real dollars.
Control of costs for our tenants is a factor in our being able to retain tenants and reduce
turnover, is part of fiduciary responsibility and, ultimately, saves everyone money.
Though the numbers vary depending on lease rates, commissions, tenant improve-
ments, downtime, etc., the incremental cost of losing a tenant is estimated to be six
times the cost of retaining that tenant.
One sure thing about energy costs is that they are unlikely to decrease. Looking for
ways to increase our conservation of energy remains the best strategy for avoiding
higher expenses. One obvious way we have reduced electricity consumption is through
our lighting choices. Low-mercury, high-efficiency fluorescent tubes (25 watts instead
of 32 watts) were installed in all light fixtures, replacing less efficient fluorescent tubes
at a cost of $7,060. The high-efficiency tubes use less electricity and produce less heat,
thus reducing the amount of energy required for indoor cooling in warm weather and
providing additional controllability for occupants. Photocell light sensors automati-
cally turn off the exterior and lobby lights during daylight hours. Motion detectors turn
on the lights in halls, common areas, and restrooms, further conserving electricity when
no one is present. All light bulbs are recycled. Energy-efficient vending machines were
installed in the break room. These vending machines don’t have the promotional light-
ing of standard drink machines and operate similarly to a refrigerator, keeping snacks
and drinks cold but using less electricity than conventional vending machines.

RECYCLING

Building occupants are encouraged to recycle, and many do. Our comprehensive recy-
cling program includes metals, plastics, glass, batteries, paper, cell phones, cardboard,
newspapers, toner cartridges, and light bulbs. The money earned by selling the recy-
clables is put toward an ice cream social and holiday events for our tenant partners.
Recycling towers, with separate bin compartments for glass, plastic, and aluminum,
are provided to each tenant and in the common break rooms. These bins are emptied
daily by the cleaning crew. Recyclables are collected and stored on-site. When the vol-
ume we’ve collected justifies the trip, they are recycled at a local facility a few miles
away by our building engineer. Office paper for recycling is collected on each floor
and gathered in a central location. An outside vendor picks up the paper when called.
The vendor sells the paper and doesn’t charge us for the service.
The storage bins cost approximately $900. The recycling towers provided to the
tenants were an additional $1,500 for a total initial investment of $2,400. Each week,
on average, the building engineer spends and hour and a half collecting and trans-
porting recyclables. Time allocation and mileage reimbursement are estimated at
$2,860 per year.

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

We have a low-impact cleaning policy that includes the use of low-impact cleaning
equipment. An outside vendor, our cleaning contractor, handles all of the cleaning for
the building. Our contract with the cleaning firm outlines what gets done on a daily