Allen Inlow
IAPMO Senior Director

Good Onya, Green!

Green is good, right? Certainly it has a good connotation when that green is on money coming our way; not so good when something we have to pay, like taxes, takes “more green than I have!” I have a friend who always exclaims in admiration, as we drive past the local Ferrari auto dealership, “It takes long green to own one of those!”

As it relates to construction codes, the word green usually refers to energy conservation, water conservation or the use of natural alternative energy sources.  But the same kind of paradoxical questions are arising even in green construction. Now we are hearing people say, “Green is good, conservation is always good, but it is expensive and economic times are tough.” Then they go on to state, “The green improvements may just have to wait for another time or another project.” My thought is that it is just not that simple; it is best to take another educated look.

Water and energy both have continuing costs that will live for the duration of the structure under consideration. Will the savings from green equipment, materials and installation methods offset any additional costs to the project? They usually do over a reasonable, and surprisingly short in some cases, timeframe. The smart architects, engineers, designers and contractors will add this evaluation to their routine and report the findings to the project owners. I believe they will find the majority of owners will be receptive to the information, appreciative of receiving it as a value added service, and give it serious consideration, which will be good for business and do the world a little good as well.

In my opinion, it is relatively easy to find the plumbing and HVAC mechanical provisions to consider. All anyone has to do is review the IAPMO Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement, consider the applications recommended and apply them to the project. With the HVAC system representing about 35 percent of the energy used in the structure and the energy embedded in water on top of that, it is relatively easy to find changes that will pay for themselves in any structure. Please try it — you just might like it! Want practice? Try it on your shop. You’ll find things to improve and both your shop and your staff will be better for the effort.

Code Wars Going Green

I’ve heard that one organization is literally hiring lobbyists to work in state capitals to insure that their new green construction provisions are adopted to the exclusion of everyone else, as if their new document cornered the market on green provisions. Obviously, if this is allowed to happen, it would not only exclude the very first green document published in the industry, the IAPMO Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement, it will eliminate consideration of any provisions by anyone else, including ASHRAE, NFPA — literally all standards organizations. This is not in any community’s or state’s best interests, and if the rumors are true, it would be much better for this organization to turn its lobbyists’ talents boosting the green provisions of all organizations and their use.

Should they refuse to do this, which I expect them to do, then it will be incumbent upon all of us to inform the politicians that if they listen to these lobbyists they will be creating a green monopoly for this organization and that will not be in the best interests of their citizens.

I am positive there will be much more on this later in the year!