Green construction proves more than a fad at UBS

May 19, 2009 (Connecticut Post - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- UTX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Although, many people have become more environmentally aware, they still can do a better job, according to Charles Braunstein, president of the Energy and Sustainable Services Group for Hartford-based United Technologies Inc.

"In existing buildings, we want to look at what kinds of technical upgrades we can do," Brainstein said. UTC, owner of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and Pratt & Whitney, also owns Carrier heating and air conditioning, Otis Elevator and a fuel-cell unit.

Braunstein joined Margaret Carey, president of MCEnergy, and Wilton architect Steven Winters at UBS in Stamford in a panel discussion Thursday on green commercial construction held by SoundWaters, a Stamford-based organization focused on the preservation of Long Island Sound.

Businesses should examine where their buildings can be retrofitted for better efficiency to save money and reduce their carbon footprint, Braunstein said.

"Just because space temperature and humidity control are excellent, it does not mean the HVAC systems are as efficient as they can be," he said at the event attended by about 170 people.

But developers will pursue green construction if it helps their bottom line, said Carey, whose Katonah, N.Y.-based company serves as an energy information and procurement consultant.

"The only way people are going to do the right thing is if the economics work," she said.

However, a more robust economy, higher energy costs, an increase in green-energy

legislation and President Barack Obama's stimulus plan, which has earmarked billions of dollars for green initiatives, should cause heightened interest, Carey said.

The green movement has changed trends in architecture because owners of commercial properties are insisting on environmentally friendly designs, said Winters, president of Steven Winters Associates.

"If you're an architect, you can't get a job without green qualifications," he said. "There are more green certifications than there are stimulus dollars."

The overall green building market, residential and commercial, is likely to increase from $96 billion to $140 billion by 2013, and 10 percent of new construction is expected to be green, according to the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, D.C.

Several in attendance said they found the discussion to be informative on how businesses can reduce their carbon footprints through green building.

"It's encouraging to see that a lot more thought is being given to this problem we all face today," said Virgil de la Cruz, an audience member who uses solar panels on his Stamford home.

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