The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce is proving its commitment to safeguard the environment by being an eco-friendly company that encourages others to follow suit.
The chamber has made several steps toward going green, including the recent installation of nine Solatubes in its office building and the establishment of a new Sustainability Committee. The chamber also recycles, prints the Carlsbad Business Journal with soy ink and utilizes an electric limiter that moderates the power going to the system by only sending electricity to outlets that are being used.
The Solatubes, which capture sunlight on the rooftop and redirect it down a reflective tube into the building's interior spaces, were installed last month. The Solatubes allowed the chamber to turn off electric, fluorescent lights in areas that are now illuminated with natural, white light.
“The areas with Solatubes are so bright that I almost need sunglasses,” joked Ted Owen, president and CEO of the chamber. “Our staff keeps trying to turn the lights off when they leave rooms, but they aren't even on.”
The nine Solatubes cost more than $10,000, including installation. By the end of 2009, a total of 30 Solatubes will be installed in the chamber building, which Owen estimated will reduce the electricity bill by 70 percent.
Chamber members John Hanley, CEO of Solatube Global Marketing Inc., and Carlton Lund, co-owner of The Lund Team Real Estate Corp., donated the costs for the materials and installation.
“Everyone will work even harder now,” Hanley said. “It has actually been proven in studies that natural light increases work productivity by at least 20 percent.”
Located in Carlsbad, Solatube Global Marketing sells, markets and distributes Solatubes to Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. The Lund Team, which is headquartered in Bressi Ranch, has 11 Solatubes, low-flush toilets, recycled carpeting and a number of other environmentally friendly features in its office building.
As CFO of the chamber, Lund said the Solatubes will make it easier to balance the chamber's budget because the electricity bill will be considerably smaller. Besides the financial benefit, he said installing Solatubes is simply the right thing for businesses to do.
“I think you need to be green in your business and your home so we can sustain life as we know it today for future generations,” Lund said.
The chamber's Sustainability Committee, which met for the first time June 13, is developing a variety of environmentally friendly, educational programs for local businesses. The committee already is well-received by the community; dozens of people packed into a chamber meeting room for its first session.
“Acknowledging a changing world, the Sustainability Committee seeks to find and promote the appropriate balance between the economic, environmental and social aspects of the community to ensure sustainability for current and future generations,” said Andrea Korogi, the chamber's director of small business development and staff liaison to the committee.
The committee is developing a Green Certificate that will be issued by the chamber to local businesses that meet specific requirements. The committee also is planning a Green Summit for early 2009 where businesses can learn more about how they can be eco-friendly.
Also proving its commitment to the environment, the chamber gave out awards for the first time to businesses that are stewards of the environment at its Annual Business Awards Dinner earlier this year.
The Green Technology Advocate Award was given to The Lund Team, which went to great lengths to ensure its new headquarters in Bressi Ranch would be an eco-friendly project. The Environmental Spirit Award was given to Poseidon Resources Corp. for its efforts to build a desalination plant in Carlsbad that will provide the region with a reliable source of drinking water.
The chamber has made several steps toward going green, including the recent installation of nine Solatubes in its office building and the establishment of a new Sustainability Committee. The chamber also recycles, prints the Carlsbad Business Journal with soy ink and utilizes an electric limiter that moderates the power going to the system by only sending electricity to outlets that are being used.
The Solatubes, which capture sunlight on the rooftop and redirect it down a reflective tube into the building's interior spaces, were installed last month. The Solatubes allowed the chamber to turn off electric, fluorescent lights in areas that are now illuminated with natural, white light.
“The areas with Solatubes are so bright that I almost need sunglasses,” joked Ted Owen, president and CEO of the chamber. “Our staff keeps trying to turn the lights off when they leave rooms, but they aren't even on.”
The nine Solatubes cost more than $10,000, including installation. By the end of 2009, a total of 30 Solatubes will be installed in the chamber building, which Owen estimated will reduce the electricity bill by 70 percent.
Chamber members John Hanley, CEO of Solatube Global Marketing Inc., and Carlton Lund, co-owner of The Lund Team Real Estate Corp., donated the costs for the materials and installation.
“Everyone will work even harder now,” Hanley said. “It has actually been proven in studies that natural light increases work productivity by at least 20 percent.”
Located in Carlsbad, Solatube Global Marketing sells, markets and distributes Solatubes to Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. The Lund Team, which is headquartered in Bressi Ranch, has 11 Solatubes, low-flush toilets, recycled carpeting and a number of other environmentally friendly features in its office building.
As CFO of the chamber, Lund said the Solatubes will make it easier to balance the chamber's budget because the electricity bill will be considerably smaller. Besides the financial benefit, he said installing Solatubes is simply the right thing for businesses to do.
“I think you need to be green in your business and your home so we can sustain life as we know it today for future generations,” Lund said.
The chamber's Sustainability Committee, which met for the first time June 13, is developing a variety of environmentally friendly, educational programs for local businesses. The committee already is well-received by the community; dozens of people packed into a chamber meeting room for its first session.
“Acknowledging a changing world, the Sustainability Committee seeks to find and promote the appropriate balance between the economic, environmental and social aspects of the community to ensure sustainability for current and future generations,” said Andrea Korogi, the chamber's director of small business development and staff liaison to the committee.
The committee is developing a Green Certificate that will be issued by the chamber to local businesses that meet specific requirements. The committee also is planning a Green Summit for early 2009 where businesses can learn more about how they can be eco-friendly.
Also proving its commitment to the environment, the chamber gave out awards for the first time to businesses that are stewards of the environment at its Annual Business Awards Dinner earlier this year.
The Green Technology Advocate Award was given to The Lund Team, which went to great lengths to ensure its new headquarters in Bressi Ranch would be an eco-friendly project. The Environmental Spirit Award was given to Poseidon Resources Corp. for its efforts to build a desalination plant in Carlsbad that will provide the region with a reliable source of drinking water.