Todate I must admit I have not been as involved in this wonderful
networking alliance for our industry that I could/should have been. Lots
to do when you are building a new business and market segment as I am
with AquaFinesse. Let's see if i can't change this moving forward.
I was researching some key words today and cameacross a discussion in the green movement group relative to working
together in an alliance for green building and would love to chime in. I have a extensive
engineering, manufacturing and retail background in our business over
many years. I know a lot about sustainable energy and have investments
in many areas including solar PV, as well as green chemistry.
Greenbuilding is a huge industry that as yet has not been fully tapped by us
but will be a huge part in the future of this industry if we are to
survive. Necessity is not their as yet for consumers to drive them
green.
Pool Spa marketing Mag recently asked Piscine Lyon Director What
would say is the hottest trend currently in the European pool/spa industry?
: One major trend is there is a growing concern for the environment
was on Green issues and solutions.
The editor wrote in his issueprologue, " Anyone who thinks these green issues are going away, or
don't need to address them as they continue to sell whatever pproducts
they sell, is living in a fantasy world and positioning themselves for
EXTINCTION!"
I will be a keynote speaker at this years theCanadian and Atlantic City shows speaking on the relevance of this
subject in terms of our future as independent retailers sustainability
that it offers as an ECO Bounty for those enlightened enough to accept
the co-relationship between progress and change for their businesses. I
will have some very insightful information in my 90 minute seminar
derived from sources I see directly working with an European technology,
from around the world specifically European, Canadian and Australian
pool spa markets. I have some definite conclusions on strategic
directions necessary for our industries growth I will review in these
seminars.
My seminar will focus on the importance of Greenbuilding and to learn why the differentiation it offers is important to
maintain and grow competitive advantage in the retail pool spa business
environment
The foundation of a green pool building program isbased on four principles:
• Reduce – Avoid using unnecessarymaterials/technologies.
• Reuse – Incorporate existing materials.
•Recycle – Incorporate existing materials in new ways.
• Rethink –Look for new and better building solutions.
What are itscriteria and their importance’s?
1. Water Conservation andEfficiency
2. Energy Efficiency
3. Chemical Efficiency
4. Noiseminimization
5. Construction and waste minimization
Theenvironmental design process is fairly simple: you look at each building
element (from sub components to materials) and ask yourselves the
following questions:
• Can we do without it?
• Does it haveless embodied energy (the energy required to manufacture and transport a
product)?
• Does it have less embodied pollution (the quantity ofpollutants created in the manufacture and transportation)?
• Isit more energy efficient?
• Is it locally manufactured(contributes to the local economy, and reduces embodied energy and
pollution)?
• Does it have a longer life cycle (longer-lastingproducts reduce consumption)?
• Can it be recycled, and does itcontain recycled content?
• Does it reduce the amount of wastedestined for a landfill?
• Is the product a naturally occurring,renewable, and sustainable resource?
• Does it raise awareness ofenvironmental issues?
The first traceable concepts ofenvironmental building designs focused primarily on solar heating, which
began in Ancient Greece around 500 BC. At the time, most of Greece had
exhausted its supply of wood for fuel, leading architects to design
houses that would capture the solar energy of the sun. The Greeks
understood that the position of the sun varies throughout the year. For a
latitude of 40 degrees in summer the sun is high in the south, at an
angle of 70 degrees at the zenith, while in winter, the sun travels a
lower trajectory, with a zenith of 26 degrees. Greek houses were built
with south-facing facades which received little to no sun in the summer
but would receive full sun in the winter, warming the house.
Additionally, the southern orientation also protected the house from the
colder northern winds. This clever arrangement of buildings influenced
the use of the grid pattern of ancient cities. With the North-South
orientation of the houses, the streets of Greek cities mainly ran
East-West.
Substantive progress towards a more sustainable poolspa industry will require the rethinking of many of our current business
models, ways of living and system of consumption and production related
to pools and spas.
Discussion and review of business principlesof what, why, how and when are important!
In aconsumer-orientated economy such as the North America, progress towards
sustainability will be impossible without education, leadership and ‘buy
in’ of the retailers, manufacturers and our consumers before negative
press label us as bad business sector for the economy.
I welcomethe opportunity to meet and further discuss this topic with Pool Genius
members which seems only on a few of your minds. I will be in Vegas,
Leon, Toronto, Quebec and Atlantic City shows. Reply back to me or drop
by our booths at these shows so we can arrange a social time to strike
up further conversation on this topic.
