Why green is good for developers and protecting the planet

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the non-profit organization that created the LEED Rating System, commercial and residential buildings consume 70% of all U.S. electricity, emit 48% of those nasty carbons, consume 40% of our raw materials and drink 12% of our dwindling potable water supply. Green buildings can save 30-50% energy, reduce carbons 35%, drink 40% less water and dump 70% less solid waste, with an average financial payback on the investment within 12-24 months. Most important, the general public has a huge appetite for green elements and design, creating value for developers out of the desire to conserve resources while protecting the planet. Nice. Say "green" nowadays to a developer and you're probably not only talking money. You're talking sustainable growth, environmentally low impact innovatively designed and economically feasible projects. One engineering company that has responded to the green wave is Maser Consulting P.A., headquartered in Red Bank N.J., with offices in Newburgh and West Nyack, N.Y. Maser is listening to the market and going "green" all the way, including having LEED accredited staff on board and alternative energy/green sector strategic partners ready to jump into projects. Maser Consulting understands that the regulatory agencies are setting a much higher bar regarding green site design. Until now, green elements in site design were just informal recommendations; now they are becoming formal regulations. Along these lines, Maser Consulting continues to develop innovative site designs, which may include such positive features as decentralized bio-wastewater disposal technology, utilization of alternative energy, increased community cohesion and user-friendly neighborhood design, increased open space and habitat areas, and the creative re-use of marginal properties and brownfields... Maser Consulting's recent successful experience in green design include: * Site design and civil engineering services at a large commercial brownfield redevelopment site for OneKey LLC in Poughkeepsie; * Geotechnical, environmental and site design services for PPL Renewable Energy, an international utility company, assisting them in the development of solar array projects, landfill methane gas retrieval projects and wind-farm development. Steve Gabrielle, PPL's business development manager, said, "We are very happy with Maser's work and plan to use them again on future alternative energy projects. We are always looking for opportunities and this field is taking off." * Geotechnical and site design for the Stoutridge Winery in Ulster County. Maser did the site planning for a natural wine cellar in a hillside. Stoutridge owner Steve Osborn said, "Maser helped me create an attractive winery layout, with a naturally cooled wine cellar, which has given me huge savings on my electric bill and lowered my winery's carbon footprint." * Innovative stormwater design, landscape architecture and site design for Clarkson University, in Potsdam N.Y., along the St. Lawrence River, creating a unique rainwater harvesting system on campus. This project is a candidate for LEED certification. * Full site design and planning board approval services for residential developer CJL Realty LLC's conservation subdivision project in Copake which created 14 oversized lots on 100 acres, ensuring a well landscaped and green community. Maser Consulting recognizes that not every job requires green design elements, but if the client wants them, if the new regulations require them, or if they offer an innovative and economically responsible solution to a site issue, they have the expertise to go there. Upcoming projects on Maser's calendar include design elements such as: "created wetlands" to assist an agri-business in ecologically disposing of its wastewater; more solar array and methane gas re-use projects; green landscape architecture in park and recreation projects; brownfield re-use engineering and site planning. So if you have a site or project that needs some attention, requiring innovative or traditional solutions, Maser Consulting is talking and doing "green," which is win-win for everyone. Harv Hilowitz is a business development representative for Maser Consulting, P.A., Newburgh, N.Y.