Green Build Bulletin | November, 2006
Welcome
Welcome to the premiere issue of the "Green Build Bulletin" from Yudelson Associates. You are receiving this introductory edition as a courtesy; however, this is an "opt in" newsletter, so if you want to get future issues, you MUST use the box to the left or on our website and subscribe yourself. Otherwise, we will not send you the next issue!
On an approximately monthly basis, this newsletter will provide 'news you can use' to grow the business of green building. This newsletter, and our consulting practice, serves architects, engineers, builders, building owners, developers, homebuilders, facility managers, government agencies, universities and colleges, product manufacturers, and those in finance, insurance, real estate and anyone else involved in the green building industry.
Jerry Yudelson, PE, MS, MBA, LEED AP
President
Yudelson Associates
Don't Miss Greenbuild 2006
Once again, I am chairing the Greenbuild steering committee for the upcoming show, "Taking Green Building to a Higher Elevation" in Denver, November 15-17. We're expecting 12,000 people and have more than 750 exhibit booths already allocated. Check it out at www.greenbuildexpo.com. Even if you just come to Denver for a day on November 15 and 16 to walk the trade show floor, you'll be well rewarded. This is the one conference and expo people in the green building industry feel is a "must see" each year. Next year's show in Los Angeles, in October, promises to be even bigger, so make your plans now! (And if you're planning to submit a presentation proposal, be aware than December 22nd is the deadline for the call for papers. This is far earlier than in past years!)
Free Resource: The GIST Toolkit
Yudelson Associates has developed a special expertise in higher education for sustainability programming and planning. In 2006, we introduced the GIST Toolkit to higher education at the first annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The GIST Toolkit is a family of methods and methodologies that help colleges and universities Gain Impact and Save Time in sustainability efforts. Please contact us for further information and to see how you might use this advanced sustainability planning tool in your institution, or click here to download our free white paper which outlines the GIST Toolkit (PDF 600KB).
Insider Tip for Marketing Green Buildings
Psychographic Segmentation
In my book, "The Insider's Guide to Marketing Green Buildings," I go into great detail on psychographic segmentation of green building markets. This approach segments green building markets into those buyers who are "innovators," "early adopters," "early majority," and so on, according to their propensity to adopt new technologies. This is a field of study that has 50 years of history behind it. Right now, in the commercial sector, we are still in the first 3% of adopters of new ideas, or the "innovator" group. This group tends to represent entrepreneurs who make up their own mind about new technologies such as green buildings, and want to be the "first kid on the block" with a new toy. They are not terribly risk-averse, but do want a full presentation of costs and benefits before making a "go/no-go" decision.
In the institutional sector, on the other hand, we are clearly in the "early adopter" phase of the "diffusion curve." These people tend to want to see first what others have done and to weigh costs more carefully; however, they don't want to wait too long to get a "first in town" project going. They tend to be influenced by what's going on around them, so site visits to successful green projects, along with case studies of your work in national and regional magazines tend to be good ways to influence them. They often have to make decisions by committee, so your ability to present your projects well, with testimonials and all the facts on project costs, can also be influential.
When you know your buyer's psychological biases, you will be more successful in marketing green buildings!
The Best of Our Blog
Thunder along the Potomac
The change in control of the House and Senate to the Democrats bodes well for renewable energy and green building advocates.
Epidemic of Obesity?
As a nation, America is threatened by an “epidemic of obesity,” in which people are 10 pounds heavier today than 10 years ago. What are the implications of this trend for green building design?
Green Real Estate Rocks!
Both Vulcan Real Estate (Seattle) and Corporate Office Properties Trust (Maryland) committed to doing LEED Silver on their office and mixed-use projects, recently reported only a 0.5% first-cost increase for green measures, indicating that costs for developing green buildings are going down, as individual developers get more experience with green projects.
In The News
Rainwater harvesting
Best Practices In Sustainability. Jerry Yudelson answers questions on rainwater harvesting systems and approaches for Buildings Magazine.
12 reasons why the green home market is ready to surge
Compelling reasons why green is the way to go in the homebuilding sector.
Yudelson selected as GSA National Peer Professional
Yudelson Associates announced that its founder and principal, Jerry Yudelson, PE, LEED AP, has been appointed to the National Registry of Peer Professionals by the Office of the Chief Architect of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
