Businesses recognized for going green

A new program adopted this year by Placer County is saving local businesses money while remaining mindful of the environment. The Placer Green Business Program is a free way for local businesses to certify "green" improvements and business practices.Since the program's inception in Janurary, about four Placer County businesses have become certified, according to Sean Bigley, administrator with the City of Roseville's Environmental Utilities Department.Bigley said businesses can receive certification in six different categories — energy conservation, water conservation, pollution prevention, solid waste production, green building and air quality."What it demonstrates is that as a business, you've made certain facility or business practice changes that are getting you towards being greener," Bigley said. "What's nice about the program is it is very flexible."Bigley said businesses can be certified in one category or all six, depending on what that business is comfortable with doing.The program is an expansion of the Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Program and administered by Sacramento's Business Environmental Resource Center."They've had this program in place for several years," Bigley said. "What we wanted to do was basically adopt that model and then really push it in Placer County."Businesses choose the areas in which they wish to be certified and submit an application to BERC, which will review the application, verify it and pay a visit to the business site if needed, Bigley said. Roseville-based Sunworks, a solar installation company for residential, agricultural and commercial systems, became certified "green" shortly after the program was implemented in Placer County. "It's easy to do, taking steps to be energy efficient and recycle," said Seth Atchue, vice president of marketing for Sunworks. "We're promoting green energy and renewable energy and that lifestyle, so we're trying to do everything we can to participate in that as well."Robert Martinez, owner of Rocklin-based car wash Renwl Systems, became certified in four categories — energy conservation, water conservation, pollution prevention and solid waste — in February. "A lot of companies have the desire to go green, but it can be very expensive with the retrofitting and all that stuff," Martinez said. "It's really an educational process to receive the benefits of it."Renwl Systems uses a product called Dri Wash 'n Guard to do fleet washing for the U.S. Postal Service without using any water. "We wash their vehicles completely dry, that way there's no water that goes down the drain," Martinez said. The program is voluntary and free for participating businesses.Bigley said the program offers money-saving opportunities for businesses by reducing utility bill costs, such as water and trash, as well as purchasing costs, like reducing the amount of office paper a business uses."Some of the changes that you make don't necessarily involve a lot of money or any money at all, it's just a matter of changing how things are done," Bigley said. "It's a cost savings benefit for those participating businesses and it also obviously helps out the environment as well."Bigley said the business will get a certificate in the mail, and also a placard that it can placed in the window to show the certification. Toby Lewis can be reached at tobyl@goldcountrymedia.com.