NBA Team Leads the Way in Green for Portland and Sports Industry
GreenTech TV spoke with Sarah Mensah, CMO of the Trail Blazers and Justin Zeulner, Director of Property Management of AEG Facilities/Rose Quarter. In Part 1, we discussed the organization’s green genesis and how they play a green role in the community.
In this week’s Part 2, we focus on achieving LEED Gold Certification for the Rose Garden arena and the process to green their operations and employee awareness.
Gold LEED Certification
Q_Andy:
Green retrofits can be challenging. But in January, 2010 the Rose Garden arena received LEED gold certification. What steps were taken to make the arena a greener building?
A_Justin:
Our original intention was to simply move the green dial on the Rose Garden forward with no expectations to be Gold Certified. But when we saw the building’s green potential, LEED certification became a serious goal.
In August of 2008, we embarked on a series of sustainability assessments. To help us move forward, we selected Green Building Services, a leader in green build consulting. They did a comprehensive analysis and also completed a carbon footprint analysis, a scope three analysis which included evaluations of guest and team travel, as well as a review of the green level of our products and services and other scope 3 assessments. And energy audits were essential to the analysis.
We discovered some good news. The building had a solid foundation based on green considerations implemented in the 1995 original structure. For example, state-of-the-art lighting controls and automation systems were used.
To gain LEED certification, we modified a number of areas including purchasing 100% of our power under the Blue Sky renewable energy credit program from our energy provider Pacific Power. The Trail Blazers are the largest consumer involved with this program and the funds are used to support renewable energy projects, investments in renewable energy, education, among other things.
We also embarked on a number of other green changes.
Greening the Operation for LEED
Q_Karen:
I imagine that making your operations greener is one of those initiatives. You’ve completed major improvements to your recycling efforts. And your recycling receptacles are an important success.
A_Justin:
That’s true. We couldn’t find the right receptacle solution that met all our needs. So after considerable research we decided to design and manage the manufacturing of our own custom recycling receptacles. They are made of 100% post-industrial waste which we are very excited about. There are 300 placed throughout the arena complex, in our office complex, and on the campus.
Q_Karen:
What a great story of determination and a “can-do” attitude. What needs led you to develop you own solution?
A_Justin:
For one, we wanted to sort to multiple streams – compost, glass, comingled and to the landfill. The footprint was a big consideration and the receptacles needed to aesthetically look good. Plus cost was a consideration. We really couldn’t find anything for less than $1,500 each and with 300 units, it gets expensive.
Our diversion rate is about 63%. When I mention that figure to my colleagues in our industry, their jaws drop. We get that percentage because after every event our cleaning staff walk through the arena seating bowl and isolate all recyclables, including the compostable materials. Educating the staff has also contributed to achieving the 63% diversion rate.
Green Sourcing
Q_Andy:
Your food program also has a green component.
A_Justin:
Right. 50% of all of our food and beverage products come from local sources. And a little less than 70% of that is all considered local or organic. We have an environmentally preferred purchasing policy for food and beverage, durable goods, and all of our electronics.
The LEED process made us think about life cycle assessment on all products that we bring into our facility.
One of the latest hurdles has to do with renting some of our buildings to other companies or concert promoters who bring their own supplies into our spaces. So in addition to looking at our own internal purchasing procedures and programs we’re also working for greener approaches upstream, both vertically and horizontally, to help inspire fundamental green supply chain changes industry-wide.
Challenges to Achieve LEED Status
Q_Andy:
What challenges did you face when deciding how and what changes to pursue?
A_Justin:
I think the biggest challenge is time. In some cases the analysis isn’t easy. It took us a long time to really trace the green status of the products we were purchasing. And looking at all of our consumption and waste is a massive effort. If you think about all the different departments and companies under our umbrella, including the Trail Blazers, our food and beverage company, and our management company; each is responsible for how their operations and purchases impact the environment.
One important thing to share is that this effort expanded our commitment well beyond the LEED certification goal. It became just one element of several green initiatives that we’re actively working on today.
Q_Andy:
Any other challenges?
A_Justin:
Another big challenge is engaging a wide range of employees to support a common set of green policies and procedures. An extensive amount of training and communication is required is make the strategy succeed.
And finally…. it’s very easy to think, we’re here, we’re done, we’ve held the meeting, so check it off. But it takes a lot more than that. There has to be continual follow up.
What’s Next for the Trail Blazers' Green Buildings?
Q_Karen:
Now that you’ve achieved Gold Certification, does that satisfy your green goals for the arena?
A_Justin:
LEED certification standards became a guide for us to develop our own policies, procedures and programs. It gave us a roadmap. And now it has energized us to do even more. We are looking at making improvements that will lead to platinum certification - like using solar photovoltaic or thermal.
We’re also thinking about improving water conservation. The arena was fairly water efficient in 1995 but fixtures, plumbing, and irrigation have changed drastically so we’re evaluating the new technologies. And we’re thinking about storm water and grey water use. We’d like to be a real showcase for the community with just water conservation alone.
We do have other energy efficiency measures that we are considering with some directed to the practice facility and the office complex
Payback Considerations
Q_Karen:
What kind of payback do you need to say “yes” to green improvements?
A_Justin:
Anything with a two-year or less payback makes fiscal sense. When it comes to longer payback, if the change supports the organization’s core vision and mission, then the organization is often very supportive. Everyone is in alignment about giving importance to reducing our environmental footprint. We see it as building an important relationship with the community.
I’ll give you an example. We are currently assessing solar, and considering a 250kw project. We are estimating a possible 25-35 year payback. Although, from a purely dollars point of view, it doesn’t appear to make business sense, it does when you start to consider other business factors. The impact on solidifying our fan base and our community is good business when they see solar panels as demonstrated proof of our environmental efforts. We believe that it will inspire their support of our team and it also helps solidifies our community leadership role for Portland as Green City, USA.
Q_Karen:
Right, I agree. Reducing environmental and carbon footprints can be a reputation builder and there’s financial value in that.
A_Justin:
Yes, beside the intrinsic value of reputation there is also business development value for us. It extends to some of our business partnerships and could be an income stream through sponsorships and sales agreements with companies in our area that want to deliver sustainability messaging.
And given our innovation in the green recycling receptacles, we’re actually considering selling the receptacles to other venues that have similar needs – so again being and thinking green may have business development spin-off value for us.
Employee Participation
Q_Karen:
How do your employees support the programs?
A_Sarah:
Getting everyone who works at the Trail Blazers to opt into consuming less is on-going. We realize that people’s participation will be different. Not everyone is going to use the bus or bike to work, but everyone can do something. So, we are expanding popular programs and working to reward employees for green steward behavior.
We have a green team who were instrumental in inspiring senior management to pursue the LEED gold certification. This very grassroots group, within the soul of our organization, transformed our mission and our vision to be green community leaders.
Take Aways
Q_Andy:
Any final thoughts?
A_Justin:
The Trail Blazers’ greatest asset is the ability to connect people, especially in our region, to the idea of sustainability and that living more sustainably can be fun, can be exciting, and can have a lot of energy behind it.
I know that others in our industry are excited about what the Trail Blazers is doing and they are developing similar green efforts.
We’re also working with our public agencies here in Seattle and Portland. We believe that we can be a catalyst for change. I really think this is where the journey gets really interesting.