Rushforth Solar LLC | Greater Philadelphia Green Business Program

Rushforth Solar LLC

Membership Level: Gold

Bryn Mawr , Pennsylvania
Number of Employees: 4
Company Website: http://www.RushforthSolar.com

How green is our business? Below is a list of Green Business Program checklist actions we've taken to reduce our impact on the environment.

Energy » Lighting

Q: Arrange your workspaces to take advantage of areas with natural sunlight, and design for increased natural lighting when remodeling (workspace within 30' of natural light).
Q: Increase natural lighting through installing sidelights or lowering cubicle and nonstructural walls that block lighting to interior workstations.
Q: Maintain (and adhere to) a written policy to turn off office lights when leaving for more than 15 minutes and post reminders.
Q: Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents or LED lights. Use halogen lamps only for low wattage task and spot lighting.
Q: Use "task" lighting with energy efficient bulbs where extra light is needed, rather than overlighting an entire area with ambient light.
Q: Use daylight sensors in lighting systems.
Q: Use photocells for exterior lighting and/or areas with significant natural daylight.

Energy » General

Q: Conduct an informal internal energy audit of your facilities (assess and implement simple measures to reduce energy consumption).
Q: Create energy on-site, such as through photovoltaic panels, wind turbines or ground source heat pumps.
Q: Improve building envelope with increased insulation and high-performance windows that exceed current building standards.
Q: Purchase 10% of electricity demand as renewable energy credits (green power) from your utility.
Q: Purchase an additional 10% of electricity demand as renewable energy credits (green power) from your utility (20% total).
Q: Purchase an additional 10% of electricity demand as renewable energy credits (green power) from your utility (30% total).

Energy » Office Equipment

Q: Establish purchasing policy to only purchase Energy Star or energy efficient equipment and appliances.
Q: Establish purchasing program to buy only EPEAT certified computers and LED monitors that consume approximately 1/3 less energy than larger CRT monitors.
Q: Install or use plug load controllers for office equipment that switches equipment off after working hours.
Q: Insulate all hot water pipes, hot water heaters and storage tanks.
Q: Set all office equipment to go to standby mode when not in use (e.g. energy saver buttons on copiers). Turn off equipment when not in use for long periods of time (end of workday).
Q: Set refrigerator temperature between 38

Energy » HVAC

Q: Install ceiling fans to promote air circulation and reduce the need for air conditioning or use fan-only mode on A/C.
Q: Maintain (and adhere to) a written policy that ensures blinds and curtains are closed during peak summer period (white reflects) to reduce A/C load.
Q: Program HVAC system to reduce operations when building is unoccupied or use occupancy sensors to adjust set points.
Q: Shade sun-exposed windows and walls to mitigate the effect of direct sunlight during the summer. Use awnings, sunscreens, shade trees or shrubbery (only applicable for airconditioned spaces).
Q: Use, install, or replace HVAC equipment with Energy Star rated HVAC equipment.

Leadership and Education

Q: Designate a green office advocate or working committee.
Q: Actively encourage employees to adopt sustainable practices outside of work, and provide resources for doing so (such as discounted compact fluorescent (CF) light bulbs).
Q: Appoint management level sustainability officer.
Q: Assess and track your firm's/facility's (ies') Philadelphia region estimated baseline carbon footprint. (Use of the calculator provided by Pennsylvania Environmental Council is strongly encouraged; however, a member may assess its carbon footprint using the protocols identified below (see NOTE).)
Q: Develop and implement a written plan to reduce carbon footprint.
Q: Distribute an external green e-newsletter on at least a quarterly basis.
Q: Establish and promote individual green pledge for employees.
Q: Host regular green awareness events within the company.
Q: Post and maintain your current Greater Philadelphia Green Business Commitment Self-Certification Report (this checklist) on your external website.
Q: Prepare an internal annual report of progress and distribute to employees/shareholders.
Q: Promote sustainability initiative and forthcoming changes, strategies, and objectives within company on a regular basis to raise consciousness and add transparency of the initiative.

Operations & Procurement » Facilities / Janitorial

Q: Buy low or no VOC paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants for surface coating projects.
Q: Buy toilet paper, tissues and paper towels that have 35%-100% post-consumer recycled content.
Q: Implement a "just in time" purchasing policy (inventory reduction purchasing) and a "first-in/first-out" chemical usage policy (using older chemicals first) to use old material first.
Q: Reduce or eliminate the use of chemical pesticides by implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) program which utilizes planting locations, pest resistant plants, proper irrigation and cultivation procedures, biological controls and less toxic pesticides to prevent pest harborage. If using a pest control contractor, specify IPM techniques in contract.
Q: Replace aerosols with non-aerosol alternatives (such as pump sprays for fresheners and cleaners).
Q: Use green cleaning techniques and products, including low-toxic, biodegradable cleaners, and properly dispose of expired materials.
Q: When renovating, use eco-friendly flooring, such as CRI green label plus carpeting, CRI green label carpet pads, and floorscore certified flooring (bamboo, natural linoleum, cork, etc.).
Q: When replacing furniture, phase in low-VOC furniture.

Operations & Procurement » General Practices

Q: Choose vendors who can articulate sustainable practices.
Q: Choose vendors who take back products after their shelf life is over (e.g. fluorescent light bulbs).
Q: In order to improve indoor air quality, ban smoking from interior spaces and designate exterior smoking areas at least 25 feet from building entries, outdoor air intakes and operable windows, with cigarette butt disposal units.
Q: Maintain (and adhere to) a sustainable purchasing policy (Energy Star equipment and appliances; recycled content, biodegradable paper products; energy-efficient, lowmercury lamps; plastic products; food products; building/renovation materials). Consider and favor products that are recycleable at the end of their useful life.
Q: Purchase items with the least packaging and work with vendors to minimize product packaging. Minimize packaging in your own products and services.
Q: Serve locally-grown and/or organic food at workplace events when possible.
Q: Use local businesses for products and services whenever possible.
Q: Use unbleached and/or chlorine-free paper products (copy paper, promotional paper, paper towels, coffee filters, etc.).

Operations & Procurement » Office

Q: For shipping items, use shredded paper or corn starch pellets for packaging needs instead of purchasing styrofoam pellets, bubble wrap or other packaging materials; also, reuse, in your own packaging, packaging materials received.
Q: Purchase boxes and bags for retail use or shipping made from recycled paper or plastic (or reuse old boxes and bags).
Q: Purchase copy, computer or fax paper, letterhead, envelopes and business cards with at least 35% post consumer recycled ontent.
Q: When purchasing new printers, buy ones with duplex capability.
Q: Where possible, use non-toxic waterbased markers rather than toxic permanent ink markers/pens.

Transportation » Fleet

Q: Carefully plan delivery routes and errands to eliminate unnecessary trips.
Q: Convert company vehicles to lowemission/fuel efficient vehicles (hybrid and/or using natural gas, electricity or alternative fuels).

Transportation » Commuter

Q: Have a bike kit for employees who may have bicycle emergencies or problems.
Q: Institute flextime and work-at-home days for employees who commute by car
Q: Offer secure areas for bicycle storage for both employees and customers.
Q: Provide a commuter van or offer a shuttle service to and from bus, train and/or light rail stops; or be located within walking distance of transit stop.
Q: Reserve, with signage, car/van pool and low-emissions/fuel efficient vehicle parking spaces.

Transportation » Business Travel

Q: Have written policy to use public transit or car share if possible when traveling from office in metro area.
Q: Use teleconferencing to cut down on amount of business travel.

Waste Reduction & Recycling » Policies

Q: Conduct a waste audit of your facilities.
Q: Donate or exchange unwanted but usable items (furniture, supplies, electronics, scrap materials, computer disks, etc.) to schools, churches, hospitals, libraries, nonprofit organizations, museums, teacher resource organizations, etc.; or enroll in a waste exchange program.
Q: Make it easy for employees to recycle by placing clearly marked collection bins in convenient locations. Post signs and/or train employees regarding recycling policies and procedures in the office.

Waste Reduction & Recycling » Paper

Q: Eliminate fax cover sheets by using "sticky" fax directory notes or use software that allows you to send and receive faxes directly from your computer without printing.
Q: Encourage employees to read, highlight and comment on documents on the computer screen whenever possible.
Q: If your facility still has an old printer without duplex capability, use only for single page documents and ensure multi-page documents are printed on duplex printer.
Q: Institute a policy that switches to electronic forms, eliminate excess forms and make paper forms more efficient.
Q: Institute written policy encouraging the use of the size reduction feature in photocopying (e.g. print two pages of book on one page).
Q: Keep a stack of previously used paper near printers. Use it for drafts, scratch paper or internal memos or designate a draft tray on printers with multiple trays.
Q: Maintain (and adhere to) a written policy of "green printing practices, including duplex printing, draft printing, and utilization of scrap paper.
Q: Minimize misprints by posting a diagram showing how to load special paper, such as letterhead.
Q: Purge your own mailing lists to eliminate duplication.
Q: Recycle (after full use/reuse) all paper products that your recycling vendor will accept.
Q: Recycle toner cartridges, cell phones and dry cell batteries.
Q: Recycle tyvek envelopes.
Q: Return labels from duplicate mailings and subscriptions requesting all but one be removed.
Q: Where possible, reuse envelopes as both send and return envelopes: cover up old addresses and postage, affix new, and/or use two way or

Waste Reduction & Recycling » Food & Beverage

Q: For catering and takeout, either use your own reusable dishes or encourage caterers to serve "family-style" in reusable serving dishes.
Q: In the lunch/break room, eliminate disposables (plastic utensils, coffee stirrers, paper towels) by using permanent ware (mugs, dishes, utensils, towels/rags, coffee filters, etc.)
Q: Recycle food and beverage containers (all glass, #1 & #2 plastic and aluminum containers).
Q: Supply water through a fountain, cooler or tap; eliminate bottled water.
Q: Use refillable containers of sugar, salt & pepper, half & half, etc. to avoid individual condiment packets.

Water Management » Interior

Q: Change window cleaning schedule from "periodic" to "as needed.
Q: Install low flow aerators with fl ow rates not to exceed 2.2 gpm for sink faucets and lavatory sinks and 2.5 gpm for kitchen sinks, and 2.5 gpm (or lower) low fl ow showerheads.
Q: Regularly check for and repair all leaks in your facility (toilet leaks can be detected in tank toilets with leak detecting tablets. Train your staff to monitor and respond immediately to leaking equipment.
Q: Replace all pre-1992 toilets with 1.6 gpf toilets. Provide additional urinals in men's restrooms & reduce number of toilets. Replace non-efficient toilets (>3.5 gpf) with ultra high efficiency toilets (< 1.2 gpf).

Water Management » Exterior

Q: Ensure that your sprinkler and irrigation systems use water-saving best practices, including: optimizing spacing and avoiding runoff onto paved surfaces; using water efficient drip irrigation or soaker hoses where feasible; using water during non-daylight hours; using rain shutoff devices; regularly repairing all broken/defective valves; test systems 4x/year.
Q: If you need to use water to clean concrete or asphalt surfaces, use "dry sweeping," water efficient "spray brooms," or low fl ow (<3 gpm) spray nozzles with automatic shut-off rather than a garden hose.
Q: Institute policy not to wash cars in business parking lot. Only wash cars at a designated car wash.
Q: Keep receiving, parking, landscaping and dumpster areas clean and free from litter, oil drips and debris and keep dumpsters covered when not in use.
Q: Plant gardens and ground cover that minimize water use and erosion: native or adapted, drought tolerant ground cover or shrubs instead of turf; permeable pavers; plant drought-tolerant turf if necessary; group plants with similar water requirements together on the same irrigation line ("hydrozoning"). If possible, plant and maintain a street tree or sidewalk garden with droughttolerant plants next to your business to allow for more natural absorption of water and less run-off.