Padosa.com Website Community for Aspiring Green Business Owners

Posted by Andree Iffrig Jul 17, 2009

Buildings are a major source of demand for energy and materials that produce greenhouse gases (GHG). Responsible for using a lion’s share of energy generation in the US and Canada, the cost of erecting and operating buildings far outweighs any other sector of the economy.

According to Architecture2030, buildings account for some 40 percent of energy use and GHG emissions in the US. Slowing the growth rate of emissions and then reversing it over the next ten years will require fast action and global cooperation.

Larger businesses, anxious to appear to be responsible corporate citizens, are adopting sustainable measures for lowering their energy inputs and nasty greenhouse gas emissions. Smaller businesses have been slower to adopt sustainability measures, viewing such measures as both expensive and not core to the business.

In an effort to raise awareness among small business owners of the benefits of going green, management consultant Eric Cohen recently launched Padosa.com, a free site dedicated to helping members go green, profitably. The website is a community of members, many from small to medium enterprises, who share information in online forums.

Among his clients Cohen has observed that some building owners have started to investigate ways to reduce electricity usage. Those who are most successful in realizing cost savings from investments in energy reduction have adopted a three year timeframe for planning purposes. These owners take advantage of federal and state incentives for going green and often meet payback targets in just two years.

Padosa.com shows business owners how to select among energy efficiency options and increase profitability. The rewards go beyond reducing building operation costs. Being a responsible corporate citizen on the environmental front is a way to brand a business and attract new customers.