Community Service Can be Green, Too

Tempo Mechanical is a LEED^® for Homes Provider. Saunders says “That means we have people in the energy rating business who can perform inspections on homes.”

LEED for Homes Providers have three primary roles:

1. Marketing LEED to builders

2. Providing green home rating support services to builders

3. Training, coordinating, and overseeing LEED qualified inspectors and builder support staff.

Tempo Mechanical can do this because of its Texas Energy Solutions and U.S. Ecologic divisions. First, the Texas Energy Solutions division is broken into two businesses: The residential new construction business that does energy rating and green ratings for new homes and apartment buildings. The Energy Audit business, performs energy evaluations of existing homes.

Second, the U.S. Ecologic division which also has two parts. One performs green analysis and verification for new homes and buildings; the other does green analysis for existing homes and buildings.

Tempo Mechanical Services, along with its Texas Energy Solutions, and the skilled team at Kahn Mechanical, have been aiding the construction team for Habitat for Humanity in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Kahn says this team has a long-time relationship with Habitat and has improved the building envelope and mechanical efficiency of several hundred Habitat homes. Texas Energy Solutions ensures that each home obtains an Energy Star rating as well as qualifying for additional energy and green incentive programs.

The team also aids in cutting down waste material during home construction through Tempo Mechanical Services innovative pre-construction planning, which mirrors the planning efforts of the local Habitat for Humanity affiliates. All partners strive to minimize field waste and also try to purchase materials locally. The team is also committed to disposing and recycling locally. “Part of this initiative is simply the good economics of material cost and logistics.” Kahn explains. “To the extent that our environment is improved, we all win.”

The Habitat operational model is helpful for sustainable communities, as the purchasers of Habitat homes become the glue that helps make the neighborhoods sustainable. The ownership aspect and the sweat equity required to participate gives residents a huge stake in keeping the neighborhood healthy.

Keeping homes and neighborhoods healthy is also a mission for Benson Green. He feels part of his responsibility is met through good communication, which he does by sending out newsletters twice per year.

“The newsletter gives tips of what customers can do in their homes to make their everyday lives more green,” Green explains. He says that they've recently joined The Comfort Institute, and is looking forward to the help that it will provide in educating customers.

Reaping the Benefits

Contractors are finding that their green initiatives aren't going unnoticed by their customers. “I believe our customers are the best anywhere for the simple fact that they're educated and they care deeply about their community and their world.” Green explains, “Whether we groomed them or they groomed us; I hope it's a balance.”

Green notes that one of the best ways they acquire customers is by referrals. “Even though our sales are up over budget, I've spent less on my marketing because of the referrals. Our new customer numbers are up too.”

Steve Saunders is finding that the same is true of his business. “We're out there in a competitive business and we have no marketing and no advertising and our phones are ringing off the hook. We're in the same extraordinarily difficult business environment that everyone else is in, but because of our several year efforts on energy efficiency and being green, we have more opportunities than most. If we're smart and capitalize on those opportunities, we'll be one of the survivors.”