Green tips for business

The Building Tree in Nelson is a business with a green focus; owner Paula Kiss shared some tips

Laptops and plants are all part of Paula Kiss's green office. — Paula Kiss photo

Paula Kiss, owner of The Building Tree in Nelson, had a chat with Kootenay Business to discuss green business tips. Kiss has been in the green building industry since 2007, when she started looking for work on green projects. Having had a tough time finding cohesion in this industry, she decided to start up her own eco-friendly company to offer green building products and services.

Kiss said that greening a business comes down to good business practices. Greening is not a new concept, she said.

“It is just making things run smoothly, efficiently and comfortably,” said Kiss. “That is green, and that is good business.”

Kiss said that the best way to green your business is to figure out how to waste less. She used her own business as an example.

“I have a beautiful office, and putting people in this setting enables them to be healthier and happier and they tend to waste less,” said Kiss. “I have real plants, and this creates a healthy environment. Beauty is sometimes left off the green scale.”

Keep your clean green

Kiss said she has a chemical-free office and doesn't use strong solvents and cleaners. Her recycling centre is set up in a very convenient location, and she uses only laptop computers,

“I use laptops, which are more efficient and less materials go into them,” said Kiss. “I make sure they are updated—rather than replacing hardware—and I keep them in good running order.”

Kiss said that the heavy metals and toxins present in new hardware have real environmental repercussions.

She said that wherever she can, she helps with the thermal envelope. For example, she puts caps on her skylights in the winter and closes her doors in the heat of summer.

“There is no sense in letting heat in only to cool it down with air conditioning,” said Kiss.

Material choice when buiding or renovating is something that a person may not give a lot of thought to, but this can be important.

“In my renovations I used residential-grade and local materials, as well as a lot of reclaimed materials,” said Kiss. “Commercial materials are treated and have lower indoor air-quality standards.”

Shed some light

Lighting can make a real difference when it comes to efficiency, Kiss said. She uses task lights instead of flooding the whole office with lights. This also creates a more pleasant ambient atmosphere. Kiss uses T5 strip lighting and compact fluorescents; she said skylights are great too.

"You can use radiant heat barriers on the skylights," she added, "which can really help with heating in winter."

When you paint indoors, Kiss said, you should be looking for paint that provides optimal indoor air quality. These paints are green seal certified and address interior health. 

She said parking presents its own environmental and economic impacts.

“It comes out of a business's bottom line," said Kiss, suggesting that companies might consider rewarding those who do not drive.

It's just good business sense

Kiss believes that designing a building that is highly functional and not wasteful from the outset will ensure the building's longevity.

“Being green, because of what defines it, ensures you end up with higher quality products,” said Kiss. “It is a myth that it is more expensive. Being green makes sense.”

Kiss said her future plans for The Building Tree may involve providing more sales online and increased consulting services.