Promote Your Business by Going "Green"

Using "Green" Initiatives to Grow Your Business

With a growing population in the United States and throughout the world, global warming and other environmental issues are becoming a real concern for businesses and individuals looking to create a healthier environment.  With the rise in awareness and concern for the environment, many companies and individuals are looking for more sustainable living solutions and learning how to decrease their personal and business's carbon footprint on the earth.  Simply cutting off the lights, using less water, converting to newer energy saving light bulbs, and other simple methods of lowering energy usage, though helpful, are just not cutting it for some businesses and homeowners.  Businesses tend to use a lot more energy then individuals, leading to many business owners looking for other ways to reduce carbon emissions and decrease the carbon footprint their business has on the environment.  However, when looking to go "green" with their buildings and store fronts, many business owners are confronting the same problems that homeowners do, which is the cost of making "green" improvements to their buildings and offices.  Although "green" building products have dramatically dropped in price due to better research and development of products, more competition in the industry, and the availability of "green" building products, yet "green" building products are still more costly then conventional building products.  What we intend to tell you in this article, is some of the ways that company's are using their "green" initiatives to help promote their business to help offset initial cost of investment, in addition to having a lot lower utility cost.

As more and more people are becoming more conscious of the environmental issues we as a culture have encountered, it only makes sense that more and more of your customers are going to have more environmental friendly attitudes when seeking out products and services.  Major corporations like WalMart, Lowe's, Home Depot, and other major retailers have caught on to this trend, and are taking their businesses toward being "greener" and more environmental friendly.  Big box retailers have large buildings and consume large amounts of electricity, water, and other natural resources.  Not only do they consume a large amount of natural resources, a poor economy is also making it more and more important to be able to differentiate your company from the competition anyway you can.  Smaller businesses have also caught on to the trend of taking their business "green", and are looking for ways to reduce their impact on the environment as well.  Clients and potential customers to these businesses are taking note of these "green" initiatives, and is often the deciding factor in making their choice between competitors with similar services and products.  Here are some of the ways some of the businesses we work with are implementing "green" initiatives into their business and buildings.

•  Motion Sensored Lighting in restrooms and other less frequented rooms.
• Motion Sensored Pluming fixtures.
• More Energy Efficient Insulation systems like Spray Foam Insulation and Rock Wool Insulation.
• Energy Efficient Roofing Systems like White TPO or PVC Roofs, Metal Roofing, Cool Tile Roofs, Spray Foam Roofs and other more energy efficient roofing systems.
• Solar Energy and other renewable energy sources.
• Using Hybrid Vehicles and other automobiles with better gas mileage in their vehicle fleets used by employees. 
• Energy Monitoring Systems to help target wasted energy consumption.
• Installing Energy Star rated appliances and electronics for business use.
• And many other ways of reducing energy consumption as they become available.

As you can see their are many ways that businesses can reduce energy consumption, and lower the carbon footprint their company has on the environment  and land.  At Myrtle Beach Services & Construction Company of Myrtle Beach, SC, we have seen an increase in the number of estimates and jobs that we are doing for small businesses and large national chain businesses, with many just looking to lower their utility bills, thus reducing overhead expenses for their business, in addition to being concerned about the carbon footprint their company is leaving on the environment.  Power companies and other utility services are also offering tax credits and other incentives for businesses that are taking a proactive approach to lowering energy consumption, and reducing their carbon footprints on the environment as well.  Though not all areas of the country has utility companies that offer incentives to their commercial customers for reducing energy consumption, its still another benefit a lot of businesses are seeing for making a move toward a greener business. Even though reducing the money companies have to pay in utility cost and overhead expenses, many companies are seeing their businesses improve through gaining more customers by promoting their "green" initiative in their marketing and advertising campaigns. Through feedback from our commercial clients, we have seen many small businesses grow market share in their industry, simply because customers want to use a business that is concerned about the environment as much as they are. 

As a construction company that specializes in the "green" building industry, we can testify that most of our client base are homeowners, that are concerned about their impact on the environment.  So it only makes sense that when shopping for goods or services, these customer are going to take note of the companies that are making an effort to decrease the impact their business has on the environment, in addition to companies that are trying to make the world a better place to live in.  We have seen many of our small business owners and commercial clients thrive in a weak economy from promoting their "green" initiatives in their marketing and advertising campaigns, by letting their customers know that their business is concerned about the environment.  Being creative and inspiring is one of the keys to successful promotion of your business, so including "green" initiatives is just another way that companies can improve their advertising and marketing strategies.  Here are some of the ways that some of our commercial clients are using their "green" initiatives to promote their businesses in marketing and advertising campaigns.

• Posting your "green" improvements on Social Media Networking sites, indicating the advantages and reductions in carbon emissions that your business is receiving from going "green".
• Indicating in print ads that your company just went "green" to help improve the environment, and can offer a more competitive price to customers, from a reduction in overhead cost related to energy savings from "green" initiatives.
• Making press releases in the media, that your company is going "green" to help reduce their carbon footprint on the local community and creating a more long term sustainable approach to doing business.
• Being able to add your business to special sections on utility company websites, listing service websites, and other websites that have special marketing sections for companies participating in "green" business initiatives.
• Using "green" initiatives as a sales tool when telling customers about your product or service in face to face selling of products and services.  Sometimes just mentioning your company is about more than just making profits can sell a customer on your business or service.
• Keeping foot traffic when making improvements or expanding your business through construction of more office space or retail space. By telling your customers that your improving the environment when remodeling or improving your building, can help take some of the stress and loss of foot traffic that construction processes can often bring.

As you can see their are a lot of ways you can use "green" building initiatives to promote your business, and with a slow economy in the US at the moment, any little competitive advantage a business owner can get in the market is valuable.  Maintenance, improvements, and repairs on your office building or store front is simply one of the cost of doing business; so why not use "green" building products when making these improvements.  Not only will you be improving long term sustainability of your business through lower utility cost, you'll also let your customers know that your business is as concerned about the environment just as much as they are.  In conclusion, we hope that we have been informative in letting our readers and customers know about some of the hidden benefits that making "green" improvement to your business can be beneficial, and in the end your helping to improve the environment for everyone.  If your a business owner in the North Carolina and South Carolina area looking to take your company "green", then give us a call today.  We specialize in "green" construction so we have a competitive advantage in helping to take a business into a "green" initiative program.  Thanks for reading and stay tuned to our blog for more product reviews and uses of "green" building products in the home and business.

Myrtle Beach Services & Construction Company
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: 706-951-0158
http://www.scroofingcontractors.com

Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |

Electric Utility Rates Increasing In North Carolina & South Carolina

Utility Rate Increases In North Carolina & South Carolina

How Homeowners and Businesses Can Lower Utility Usage

As most homeowners and business owners in North Carolina and South Carolina are probably aware, many of the electric companies are raising their utility rates to consumers.  Duke Power, Santee Cooper, and other major electricity providers in the Carolina's are already in discussion with state lawmakers about the rate increases, citing the cost of doing business and making the move to more renewable energy sources as the need for rate increases.  Most people in the Carolina's will agree that the power companies should be looking for greener and more environmentally friendly ways of generating electricity, however it comes at an economically challenging time for most Carolinians.  Duke Power recently agreed with South Carolina lawmakers about a 7% rate increase to consumers of their power in South Carolina.  See the link below for more information.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20111130/ARTICLES/112011018?tc=ar

As you can read from this article it seems almost inevitable that the power companies will succeed in getting some kind of rate increase, so that means power bills for most homeowners are going to rise.  The purpose of this blog post is to educate homeowners and business owners on how they can fight the rate increases with a more energy efficient home, leading to less power consumption from the major sources of electricity usage.  What we will discuss in this blog post is the appliances and biggest users of electricity in your home, ways to cut down on electricity usage of these appliances, and long term sustainable home improvements that will lower utility usage in the home.

First lets start with the biggest villains of power consumption in your home.  Number one is your HVAC system, especially if you have an electric furnace or heat pump. Homeowners with gas powered furnaces may not have to worry about electricity bills in the winter, however we all know in the Carolina's that our A/C's run a lot more then our heaters.  Gas prices are also on the rise and fluctuate with the markets, so even homeowners with gas furnaces and appliances may also see a rise in their utility bills.  Heating and Air Conditioning is one expense that homeowners really don't want to cut out, and is vital to healthy living in extreme temperatures.  New HVAC systems have helped to cut down on the energy usage required to power them, however if your home isn't insulated properly then your not seeing the maximum savings that new technology in the HVAC world has to offer.  Heating and cooling cost make up anywhere from 60% to 80% of utility bills for most home and business owners, so it plays a major factor in what your utility bills are going to be.  Simply cutting the temperature of the thermostat up or down will not make up for the increases in utility prices that the power companies are seeking.

The next major consumer of electricity in your home or business is your kitchen and home appliances. Even if you don't fix a lot of meals at home, wash your clothes at the laundromat, most homeowners have a refrigerator and it will run all day, and this is an appliance that is hard to lower energy usage unless you buy a newer model refrigerator that has a higher energy star rating.  Even after purchasing a new refrigerator, it is still going to run all day to operate correctly.  The hot water heater also requires a lot of energy to heat water to the desired temperatures for a healthy temperature needed for washing and bathing.  Again newer models of hot water heaters require less energy, however the bigger your family or office is, the more your going to use this appliances in your home or business. Washers and dryers also use a lot of energy as well, however homeowners can somewhat use these appliances less by wearing clothes for longer periods, using towels more than once, etc. Stoves, ovens, microwaves and other cooking appliances require electricity as well, but generally their uses are limited to cooking times only.  Regardless of what you have in your home or business, your going to be using one of these appliances during the day.

Another major consumer of electricity in the home or business are your electronic devices. In the rapidly growing technological age, most homeowners and businesses have numerous devices that need power to function, or to charge battery operated devices.  Obviously the more devices a homeowner or business has, the more power usage their going to need to make these devices functional.  A lot of electronic devices also require the use of cable or wifi capabilities to function correctly, requiring another device that uses power to push the signal to all the gadgets that require a signal.  So obviously the more devices you have, the more electricity your are going to consume in your home or business.  These devices can be limited on their uses, however a lot of professionals are dependent upon these devices for their job, so it may not be a sustainable solution to power off these devices in order to save money on a utility bill.  The savings from unplugging or limiting uses on these devices are minimal at best, however every little bit helps when trying to save money in economically challenging times.

Last but not least, lighting inside and outside your home or business also consume signifigant amounts of electricity.  Most people don't like sitting in the dark at night, so its almost inevitable to see some energy consumption directly related to lighting in your home or office.  A lot of homeowners also like to leave outdoor lighting on throughout the night for security reasons, in addition to aesthetically pleasing lighting devices that improve the appearance of your home or building.  The reason we have listed lighting as the lowest consumer of power in your home is because it can be easily regulated, in addition to most people sleeping at night limiting the amount of required usage as well.  There are also some creative ways some homeowners have gone to, that can eliminate the use of lighting at all, such as opening blinds during the day for sunlight, using candles at night, installing sky lights, and also using new energy saving light bulbs that require less wattage to put off sufficient light for the home.  Even businesses have gone to including skylights and energy saving lighting systems to help reduce the amount of lighting needed to operate a business, so in our opinion this is one of the easiest ways to save on electricity without making significant improvement to the home or building.

By now, you can see that once all these appliances, electronics, and lighting devices are put together into one power bill, there are numerous ways that homeowners and business owners can reduce their power bills.  Cutting back on using electronics, energy star rated appliances, recycling clothing use, etc. can all help to lower a power bill, however these changes are minimal in comparison to more long term sustainable improvements homeowners and businesses can make to drastically cut their power bills.  What we want to discuss now are new technological advances in insulation, hot water heating, solar power, and other long term sustainable improvements that pay homeowners and businesses back over the long run in the form of energy savings.  Even though it is free to keep a light off, this really isn't very enjoyable, and still does not protect the homeowner or business against another rate increase from the power company in the future.  What we intend to do is list ways to improve the home or businesses sustainability plan, against rising energy cost in the long term.  As with any long term investment it is going to require a little bit of capital up front to see energy savings over the long run. 

One of the best ways homeowners and business owners can improve the long term sustainability of lowering utility cost, is by re-insulating their homes with a more durable product then fiberglass insulation.  The life span of fiberglass insulation and a lower rated r-value also makes it an inferior product to some of the new insulation products on the market.  Therefore it would only make sense to use a more sustainable insulation product to see better results over the long term, and thanks to the growth in popularity the prices of these products have fallen drastically in price in the last few years.  Spray foam insulation, wall foam insulation, crawl space encapsulation, and rock wool insulation are the highest rated insulation products on the market right now.  Spray foam manufacturers guarantee 33% savings or more after installation, giving the pay back for initial cost of installing, a quick return on investment. Other foam insulation products have high returns on investment as well, making it the most sustainable improvement a homeowner or business owner can make in regards to lowering energy consumption.  Being lifetime products, it eliminates the cost of re-insulating again in 10-15 years as required with fiberglass to maintain the r-value ratings of the products.  Retro Solutions Construction offers these products to our customers and we have received top rated feedback from customers, especially with our customers in older structures, seeing savings over 50% in some cases.  These higher rated insulation products are also a more practical investment for homeowners and building owners across the board, as even new home and buildings will see a dramatic decrease in energy usage with these products versus traditional fiberglass insulation.  Therefore, you can see why we think re-insulating the home or business is the number one way to improve sustainability against rising energy cost. 

Some other ways that homeowners and businesses are improving long term sustainable energy savings is through the installation of new windows, energy efficient roofing, solar powered hot water heaters, buying energy star rated appliances, using home energy monitoring systems, and changing light bulbs to the new energy efficient models.  Even though changing light bulbs may seem like a cheap way to improve energy efficiency in the home, most homeowners still don't replace a light bulb until the old one burns out.  This is why we have listed these solutions secondary in our list, in addition to grouping them together.  The major problem we see with our customers looking to save money on energy bills, is that they really not looking to replace a roof 5 years into a 30 year warranty to see a lower rated energy savings plan versus the energy saving they will see when using higher r-rated, more sustainable insulation products.  Just as with the light bulbs, customers simply don't want to replace these items that are still functional until the timing is right.  This makes sense as re-roofing a home or building can be very costly even with traditional shingles, and it doesn't make much sense to replace a roof until you have achieved maximum return on investment on what is already installed.  However if you are at the end of the lifespan of any of these products, we recommend replacing them with a more sustainable product like the items listed above. 

In conclusion, improving long term, sustainable energy savings is the right way to go when making a home improvement.  Not only are you fighting back against rate increases being made by utility providers, your also making a difference in saving the environment by decreasing your carbon footprint.  The improvements we have listed in this blog post also have been eligible for some big tax credits to homeowners and business owners in the past, so make sure to check into seeing what the government, and power companies in your area are offering to make the switch to these more sustainable living products.  You may be surprised how little some of these improvements cost after tax credits and energy savings are calculated into the initial cost of installation.  Business owners are also using going green as a way to market their company and improve their brand among enviromentally concerned customers as well. As always, we hope this blog post has been informative to our readers, and if your live in North Carolina or South Carolina looking into making one of these energy saving improvements we welcome you to give us a call for a free home or business energy audit and estimate.  Thanks for reading and be sure to check in for new blog post on energy saving product reviews, tax credit information, and other useful information in helping to improve the environment and long term sustainability.

Myrtle Beach Services & Construction Company
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: 706-951-0158
http://www.scroofingcontractors.com

Energy Efficient Roofing Systems | Spray Foam Insulation | Wall Foam Insulation | Crawl Space Encapsulations | Solar Energy Powered Hot Water Heaters | Solar Energy | Energy Monitoring | Standing Seam Metal Roofs | Tile Roofs | Slate Roofs | Historic Home Retrofits |