Green Practices in Wisconsin Commercial Property Management

Your office isn’t just the place where you do your job. It’s where you spend half your waking hours – sometimes more.

And the environment we work in can have a profound impact on the work we do. It can be demoralizing, or it can be inspiring. It can trap germs and make us sick, or it can circulate fresh air to keep us healthy and strong so we can come to work every day as
our best selves.

If you’re looking for office space in Wisconsin and you want to make sure you’re investing in the best space you can get for yourself and your team, you’ll want to look for environmentally green buildings. Not only are they good for the planet, but they can provide the best space for you and your team to work in so you can do your best work.

Here are some things you should look for:

Energy Efficiency

The easiest sustainable solution for any commercial property is to look at how they produce and consume energy. Solar panels not only prevent the burning of fossil fuels, they also save money for property owners and their tenants by producing energy for the building. The money saved on energy bills can be in the thousands, depending on the size of the building and how it uses energy.

Next, you need to look at whether the building was constructed to conserve energy. That means proper insulation, as well as revolving doors to prevent losing too much warm or cool air (depending on the season) to the outdoors. Too little insulation, or the wrong doors or windows make the HVAC system work harder to maintain the temperature, which wastes energy.

You should also check for tinted windows to ensure the sun won’t be able to bake your offices on hot summer afternoons and make your AC work overtime to keep the temperature down. Tinted windows also help reduce glare and make for a more comfortable work environment. No one wants to squint at their computer screen or shift around to find just the right angle to avoid the glare.

Water Conservation

While buildings can’t make their own water, buildings can be designed to collect rainwater and use it for non-potable water needs, such as toilet water. Another sustainable solution is to treat wastewater from sinks and showers, then reuse it in non-potable water needs.

Finally, hands-free sinks that turn on and off automatically are, not only more hygienic, they also save water by automatically turning off when not in active use.

Additionally, high-efficiency toilets save water by using significantly less water to flush than traditional toilets. And, just like energy efficiency can lower your energy bill by thousands of dollars, you might be surprised at how much you can save on your water bill with the right water- conservation equipment.

Sustainable Materials

For the ideal sustainable solution in commercial real estate, the building should also have been constructed with recycled and sustainable materials as much as possible. Using recycled materials to build and maintain buildings is another great way to save money when managing a building, and your building management company should pass those savings down to you as the tenant. It’s also important to make sure the building materials used are non-toxic. Not only is it harmful to the environment to have those toxins leaking out, but you and your team would be patients 0 if the toxins leak into the air or the building’s water supply, and no  one wants that.

Reduce Waste

Composting and recycling are great ways to reduce waste. While no one can force you or your team members to recycle your soda cans or compost your coffee grounds, a building management company can make it easy for you to do those things by providing easy access to recycling, hiring a company to come collect recycling as well as trash, and offering composting options.

Since Compass Properties was founded in 1999, we have always taken a values-first approach to business, and keeping our tenants safe and comfortable ranks high among our values. It’s why we approach all the properties we manage with health and sustainability goals in mind.