by Kim Kilpatrick
June 20, 2011 6:06 PM
One of the most popular colors in the self storage industry today is the color green. The self storage industry is one that has been on an upswing due to many of the complications that the current state of the economy has created; it’s definitely making some green (money that is). With a look to benefitting the environment and lowering costs over the long haul (and saving some green) many self storage facilities are doing what they can to “go green.”
A study done back in 2009 by the Siemens and McGraw Hill Construction company showed how the importance of becoming environmentally friendly in the future. They found that one third of the business leaders they spoke with not only saw their company going green, but saw it becoming a leader when it comes to environmental initiatives.
The study went on to back up many of the perceived financial benefits of going green when it comes to building construction. Not only is the value of the building higher and your eventual return on investment more, but you can get away with charging a little more for rent and tenants like knowing there involved with something environmentally sound.
The Green movement has resulted in a number of publications creating their own version of an award to present to self storage facilities for their “green” efforts.
In the end, it is all about money. As nice as it may seem to think that companies would do these things solely to benefit the environment, the real reason is there bottom line. Green initiatives may cost money in the short term; converting from traditional methods of doing things to more environmentally sound ones is not cheap. However, the saving that will be accrued over time in utilities alone will more than make up for it.
Going green is a great way to attract new tenants as well. People like to think that by patronizing a self storage facility that benefits the environment that they too are doing their part. Getting recognized for green initiatives via some award is just like getting free advertising.
"It has become clear that customers want to do patronize green facilities and businesses. Adopting green practices can appear to be expensive, and getting an official certification can also be time consuming, so we designed this program to make it easy for self storage operators to focus on the areas with the greatest impact. Done the right way, practicing sustainability can lower operating costs, attract customers, and help the local community," one self storage company executive has said.
So when it comes down to it, going green can not only save you some green, but it can make you some green as well.
Sources Used:
“Greener Pastures: Considering Environmental Self-Storage.” Inside Self Storage; 17 June 2011.
“Self Storage Company Looking to Make the World a Better Place by Going Green.” Self Storage Industry News; 04 November 2010.