Epping Proposes To Go Green

1195 (:22 this is our new showroom and office complex…)

Epping business owner Bob Goodrich proudly shows off his new building for his stone manufacturing company, W. S. Goodrich.
The building, which is still under construction, would be considered “green” according to a proposed ordinance Epping residents will consider at town meeting.
1196 :52 all the windows have foam sprayed in them for every gap, all the way around them after the windows were installed, rather than just cover them over with wooden trim, they’ve taken the time to spray foam so they’ll be no air infiltration.

Not only are the windows energy efficient, so are the lights.
All the heating duct work and plumbing, even in the interior, are also insulated.
Goodrich says he was surprised when his builder told him four small furnaces rather than one big one would save more energy.
1196 1:57 “We have 7,000 square feet, but we have four furnaces that way they come on, service the area they’re in, so it’s a very efficient way of moving heat around the building.”

Goodrich says he didn’t plan on a green building, it’s something his architect and builder designed.
He’s already been told that he’ll save money on fuel costs compared with his existing 35–year-old showroom next door.
1201 :30 Eventhough we’re building a building three times bigger we’re still not going to use any more, maybe even a little less fuel to heat this building than we did that one, so you’ll save the money there’s no question, yeah it costs more the first year, and it may take five or six years to save, but we’ve been 120 years I think we’ll be here a while longer and recoup those expenses.

Energy efficient commercial buildings like Goodrich’s are what Epping town planners want to mandate.
The proposed green building ordinance is not as strict as certification under the green building rating system known as LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Epping town planner Clay Mitchell says they wanted an easier process.
“1185 It’s based on the LEED kind of issues that the planning board felt were reasonably achievable. We feel that since we’re the first we need to be gentle with people and say this is not crazy, its not rocket science it’s not going to cost you a lot of money, we want to go very carefully into this and make sure you build a good building.”

Mitchell says each requirement under the ordinance has a point value.
Applicants can choose a combination of the requirements to meet a certain point value.
The larger the building, the more points required.
:40 one of the components that we’ve taken up that I’m pretty sure that no other city of community in the US has is the actual energy production on site, that is allowing people to comply with the ordinance almost single-handedly through alternative energy production, solar , wind, co-generation.

Builders could also earn points and meet requirements by using materials produced in state, and recycling construction waste.
Paul Choquette is a manager with Gilbane Building Company in Manchester.
He’s supports Epping’s green building proposal - he says there’s already a huge demand for it in the marketplace – eventhough building green may cost more up front.
“In the end of the day, a green building is an efficient building so your operating costs run at a much better level, and within a short period of time the savings that you get from that pays for any additional capital.”

Boston was the first city in the nation to mandate green building for projects more than 50-thousand square feet.
While Epping’s requirements aren’t as strict – they would apply to all commercial projects, no matter what size.
John Samenfeld, President of ProCon Construction in Hooksett says many of his customers want green buildings either because of the energy savings or because they want to be good corporate citizens.
But he says the proposed ordinance might drive smaller businesses away.
“The minute you start mandating certain minimums businesses may say, well instead of going to Epping I’m going to go to another community that isn’t requiring me to do, but allowing me to use my own conscience.”

While Samenfeld hasn’t seen Epping’s ordinance, he says if the standards are as easy to comply with as supporters say, he’d have no problem supporting it.
Epping town planners are hoping that if it passes during town meeting, other towns in New Hampshire will follow suit.
And rather than just talking about global warming, towns will do their part to help prevent it.
For NHPR news, I’m Amy Quinton.