Experts: Going Green Doesn't Have to Mean Solar Panels

A series of simple strategies could provide energy and financial savings to town government, as well as make the town more environmentally friendly, according to two environmental architecture experts.

The architects, who are not working on behalf of the town government, said the strategies could provide the same savings as the potential solar panels the council's public works committee is currently exploring. The library will be installing several solar panels in October. The strategies would also assist the town in obtaining points for the Sustainable Jersey program certification, which the council voted to enter last week.

Gina Baker, the director of sustainable design for the international architecture firm of Burt Hill in New York and a nationally recognized expert on green buildings, said the solar panels are expensive and take a while to return the money to town coffers. She said there are a series of steps she would recommend to Westfield if she were advising the town. The recommendations were made based on the size of the town's real estate portfolio.

Baker, who helped write the national LEED certification exams, would recommend the town seek to employ the LEED existing building standards, which would involve mainly changing operating procedures in town government.

"It's for sustainable operating and maintenance of buildings," she said. "It's not for construction or remodeling. It would be more profitable for the community given the size and number of buildings in their portfolio."

Baker said the town's first action should be to conduct an energy audit. Last week it was revealed that Mayor Andy Skibitsky has taken preliminary steps towards an energy audit, including discussing the issue with the Board of Education, which already conducted such an audit. Councilman Dave Haas is also pushing for an energy  audit.

Baker said an audit would allow the town to judge the baseline energy consumption and figure out what needs to be improved upon. She said she would recommend the audit be conducted over the course of several months in order to judge energy consumption in different weather conditions. The cost can be covered by the state's Board of Public Utilities with 75 percent of the cost being paid at the start and the remaining 25 percent coming if the town follows the audit's recommendations.

Baker, the vice chairwoman of the LEED credentialing committee of the U.S. Green Buildings Council, said the audit's recommendations could be relatively simple and focus on operational issues which could see a payback for the town within a few years. She said approximately 30-percent of the inefficiency problems in buildings are operational errors.

"It's how the owner operates the building," Baker said.

In addition to financial and environmental benefits, Baker said operational standards could provide a health benefit to municipal employees. She said inefficient energy usage causes health issues for employees which increases absenteeism and decreases productivity. She said she routinely advises clients to look at operational changes in order to address these issues.

David Gibson, the managing principal of DF Gibson Architects in New York and a metropolitan region expert on green public buildings, said he would give Westfield a few other simple steps on how to green the town's buildings. First he would recommend double checking the insulation in town buildings along with applying films to windows to reduce the energy offshoot.

Gibson, who has designed green school buildings throughout northern New Jersey and in New York, said he would recommend the town utilize bamboo wood for any new walls or flooring placed in town buildings. He said bamboo grows quicker than other woods and is more sustainable. He did say the town should not buy bamboo from China, as the shipping process cancels out any energy savings the wood provides. In addition, he recommends an analysis of the town's heating and cooling systems to make sure the systems are modern and utilize green technology.

Gibson has been working with several public and private clients in New York on upgrading the technology of their energy systems. In one case, Gibson's client will likely see excess energy from the new systems.

Gibson seconded Baker's call for an energy audit, saying it would help Westfield.

"Even seasoned people who do an audit can be surprised by the results," he said.

Gibson also recommends the town look into purchasing outside awnings for municipal windows to use during the summer months. He said the awnings can help keep sunlight and heat out in the summer months, reducing energy consumption for air conditioning. In addition he recommended the town keep all roofs a light color to reflect off heat. The roof of the municipal building on East Broad Street is a light gray in color, which Gibson approves of.

Baker said Skibitsky, Neylan, Haas and other town officials should explore these strategies as the first part of any plan to green the town's buildings.

"There are a lot of simple strategies that could be implemented," she said.