In this Sustainable Industries article, they talk about another new research report which quantifies the impact on the bottom line of greener buildings.

This study from 2009 was a joint project between CBRE and the University of San Diego which focused on 154 buildings in ten widely dispersed geographic markets. All the buildings had earned an Energy Star label and ranked in the top 25th percentile of comparable Energy Star buildings in either 2008 or 2009.

Here is a summary of the most interesting findings, outside of the typical higher rent rolls, lower vacancy, and lower energy costs:

• Consistently the data proved that even a single point improvement in the Energy Star score equates to a 80 percent to 100 percent improvement in energy usage. In other words, an improvement from 50 to 80 in Energy Star score would result in about 25 percent reduction in energy usage and costs.

• Separately metered tenants average 21 percent lower utility costs compared with those occupying buildings with a consolidated meter – From my graduate school business professor, “That which gets measured, get’s done!”



• More than 55 percent of respondents experienced reduced employee sick days in “green” spaces over their previous locations, with an average reduction of 2.88 days. When extrapolated to employee compensation levels, the economic benefit translates to slightly more than $5 per square foot, a significant number.

• When expanded to general productivity, rather than just employee productivity, the improvement was 4.88 percent. Again, applying the self-reported compensation levels to this percentage, we can predict an additional economic benefit of nearly $20 per square foot for the typical occupant.

• Overall, the study indicates that occupants gain on average nearly $25 per square foot in economic benefit from a “green” space, or more than 85 percent of the average rental rate.

More evidence that investing in greening your property yields greater greenbacks in your pocket. For those of you who haven’t heard the story of our company name, the above sentence is the backbone of that story…

Green Squared provides comprehensive turnkey energy efficiency solutions to owners, operators and occupants of commercial properties of all types in a manner which accomplishes two very different, but very important “green” objectives: (i) “green”, as in environmental sustainability, and (ii) “green”, as in cost savings. That’s Green²; that’s Green Squared!