“There are three very good reasons to align your business with green,” Rushing says. “The first is the most important: it's good for the planet. Regardless of your beliefs regarding global warming, greenhouse gases, and other threats to the planet, it's clear that society must make changes in energy usage to create a sustainable world for future generations.”

The second reason, according to Rushing, is economic. More efficient, greener products often offer greater revenue opportunities. Even if the options are equal in price and margin, the green component may serve to make your option more attractive to a potential customer.

The third reason for a contractor to be green is marketability. “If you're on the bandwagon, and market yourself effectively, you will see advantages,” Rushing says.

Smart Technology, Smart Business

“We firmly believe that HVAC contractors who don't embrace innovative green technologies run the risk of not growing, or losing business in the future. The U.S. government will continue to insist on higher levels of energy-efficient products, and with the increased awareness of green and energy efficiency among homeowners and the building community, there is no going back.”

That's the word from William Rau, senior vice president and general manager, Mitsubishi Electric HVAC Advanced Products Division. Mitsubishi has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United Nations for sustainable development practices and contributions to protecting the global environment.

“In fact, we're recognized as one of the top five companies in the world for our sustainable environmental policy,” Rau says. “Our Environmental Vision 2021 establishes a goal to reduce our global CO₂ emissions by 30% and continue to develop and train personnel who feel, think, and act for the environment.”

Rau says Mitsubishi Electric HVAC's environmental mandates include:

• Lifecycle environmental impact
• Recycling end-of-life product
• Preventing global warming
• Product design for the environment
• Green procurement
• Managing chemical substances
• Managing wastes
• Eco-logistics and reduced packaging.

“Also, we measure our environmental commitment through our established environmental management system, which includes training, accounting, audits and risk management,” Rau says.

Mitsubishi Electric has ISO 9001 certification and environmental management system standard ISO 14001 certification.

According to Rau, it's vital that contractors understand the new technologies which have made, and will continue to make, HVAC systems the most energy-efficient in history. “Mitsubishi Electric HVAC has long been committed to the importance of education and training for contractors so they truly understand the innovation and intelligence that is now commonplace in state-of-the art HVAC systems,” he says.

Each of the company's CITY MULTI^® systems incorporates VRFZ technology, which is an intelligent, fully customizable solution for providing comfort conditioning inside a building. And, Mitsubishi Electric's Mr. Slim^® systems employ Inverter technology to provide the precise amount of refrigerant needed to cool and heat an indoor environment.

“Since we first launched this technology, the industry's acceptance of intelligent HVAC — from building owners, architects, HVAC engineers and contractors — has been unprecedented,” Rau says. “This tells us the HVAC industry is ready for energy-efficient technology. An ‘intelligent’ HVAC system standard is what contractors can expect to see in the future.”

Rau concludes that just as the tools we use in our everyday business are smarter, so too are the mechanical systems being installed in buildings and homes. “Smart comfort control and smart building interface systems are no longer simply ‘nice to have,’ they are required to sustain our environment,” Rau says. “Mitsubishi Electric HVAC is pleased to be a part of this exciting time in the HVAC industry. We look forward to continuing to contribute the most energy-effective HVAC systems possible in the most environmentally sensitive method possible.”

Editor's note: Visit contractingbusiness.com to read the first three parts of our Green Giants series from our December, January, and February issues. Just click on the issue icons found at the bottom of our home page.

If you have a Green Giant story to share, we want to hear about it: mweil@penton.com; tmciver@penton.com; or khoban@penton.com