At this time of the year when all the trade shows are heating up and we are trying to get our ducks in a row for next season why not consider starting a little "GREEN" movement of your own. Over the last couple of years I have been increasingly focused on "green" alternatives for our industry. Don't misunderstand, I am not a fanatic or someone that lives entirely green, actually quite the opposite. My initial motivation was to save money on the consumables that my family uses and as I have spent more and more time investigating all the choices of alternatives that are available the more I realized that this is NOT a fad, this has real value.It has reached a point that I made it a large part of my daily business thought. It seems everything I look at in a magazine I try and determine "is it green?". We, as an industry, have an opportunity to take the economic downswing and turn it into our advantage and what's more interesting is that the customer wants exactly that!Our customers come in all the time and request items that will save them money on the pool or spa maintenance and upkeep. Very often it is a question pertaining to Salt systems or solar heating, but I have had customers ask how far can they go to save the most money. When answering this question and explain to them that you can go as far as your budget will allow, some are amazed with the choices and some are amazed how much some of it costs up front, but either way they are amazed and want to talk about it. This year I will be pushing the "green" products more than ever and I think that anyone interested in getting a jump on the next season should do the same.I spend about 2 hours a night watching "Planet Green" , it is a television channel, just to get new ideas. I read about 5 trade magazines per week from all the industries, including ours, that in any way can increase my knowledge of "green" building techniques and of the related products in other industries. I have researched countless products from all types of industries on the Internet. This curiosity of mine has reached a bit of an obsession.
I have established a reputation for myself within my group of friends as "the green pusher". I have gotten to the point where I happily launch a lecture about biodegradable cleaning supplies or recycling at every opportunity. Working within the pool industry right now we are seeing a huge movement towards green products, and everyone is fighting to be the greenest of the green. As in all other consumer products, we need to make sure we are aware of "greenwashing" techniques, but in general I think the movement towards sustainable, energy efficient products is commendable, to say the least. Energy efficient heat pumps and solar systems are the wave of the future, right along with salt chlorination and ozone systems. Keep in mind that often green products need to be used in conjunction with other products for optimum efficiency. For example, many solar installation companies pair their systems with a liquid pool cover to maximize the results. The ad-on of a pool cover is not costly enough to create second thoughts, but rather the efficiency of both products increases, and there is higher profit potential for the installer. I think the most important thing to remember is that there are many wonderful green products out there, and it is the responsibility of the pool professional to be knowledgeable and make sure their clients know their options.
Addition of an Ozonator reduces chemical use by greater than 70%. The savings in fuel to produce and transport the chemicals helps society in general. Additionally, by using less chemicals there are less containers finding their way to the landfill and less fuel costs to produce the containers. There is less Halon type gas being emittted into the atmosphere due to less chlorine. Ozone should be considered as a "Green" environment solution. It also gaves the customers their pocket green. It is more powerful than UV germicidal .solutions.
Sometimes the answers are right in front of you. Want to make a pool greener....look at starting with a robotic cleaner instaed of the filter pump running the cleaner or worse yet a booster pump for close to the same money as a booster pump system you can offer your clients a low consumption robotic unit. Use a smaller hp on the filter pump too just add an extra pump or two for your special features which are only run for short periods of time. Look into UV water purification as it is the most green methodology. The list goes on and on including pool cabana toliets that use no water and solar heating systems the capture excessive heat in the attic and also help reduce air conditioning cost of the house. just always remember by going green we can help cut costs for both ourselves and our customers so grren is good so long as the water is not green.
Justin,
It sounds like a real quest. And I believe a worth while quest. You make some good points. We all could do ourselves a favor and get more familiar with the concept. With the current economic situation facing us all this is a great concept to put into practice in our service businesses. Thanks for the thoughts.
Comments
It sounds like a real quest. And I believe a worth while quest. You make some good points. We all could do ourselves a favor and get more familiar with the concept. With the current economic situation facing us all this is a great concept to put into practice in our service businesses. Thanks for the thoughts.