Gold LEED Certification for New Construction is official!

Yesterday we received notification from the US Green Building Council that we have been approved for Gold LEED certification for New Construction. We are so pleased. We will be receiving a beautiful plaque from USGBC which we will display in our reception area. We did do a search and found that we are the FIRST Gold LEED certified spa in the country for New Construction. This has been a really long process and I am thrilled with the outcome. Most of our points were achieved in the energy section. This has also been the area with the greatest amount of savings for our business. I would love to share my story with other small business owners. It can be done. You don’t have to be intimidated by the huge amount of documentation. I think we have learned a few things along the way that can help make this possible for other small business owners. My brother Tony is a licensed professional structural engineer and is going to become LEED certified himself. I am happy that he is going to pursue this after completing this project so successfully. He will be able to help other small businesses along the way and to accomplish their dreams of becoming LEED certified too!

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Follow up to our LEED certification

Just checked the LEED on line web page and the status of our project looks really good. Right now we have enough points approved to reach Gold Level! We are in line to be certified for New Construction. I can’t tell you how happy I will be when this is officially awarded. As soon as it is made official, we will be the first NEW Construction Gold Level Spa in the Country! Wow! I know there are a few others that have also become LEED Certified.

There are different categories for which you can become certified and each category has several tiers of success. I would love to meet the other owners who went through this process. It is not an easy task for a small business. I know from my own experience, we almost didn’t go through with it because of all the detailed documentation and because of how difficult it was to retrieve the proper documentation or “proof” if you would to satisfy the requirements. It would be such a pleasure to share our stories and help the other spa owners in the country follow in our foot steps. Hopefully from our challenges, mistakes and triumphs, we can help more spas reach this goal. The wellness benefits of the services that we offer our guests, make this a natural next step for those owners who truly want to offer a total wellness experience. I had a conversation at my spa today with a guest who was there for the day having several services. Her comments to me were that “while she was having her services, she enjoyed knowing that she was also benefiting from the surroundings.” Our guests appreciate what we did and I would love to share our experience with others. So……If you are another owner who has a LEED certified spa, let’s talk! I would love to share our experiences.

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Awaiting the results of our LEED Certification.

Image by Wade Roush via Flickr

I recieved an email a few days ago letting us know the status of our LEED certification.  Some of the points we applied for we did recieve and some needed additional clarification.  We had to send it over to the electrical engineer who is working on the project. Many of the points in question pertained to the energy savings.  This I feel is one of our strongest areas.  We should be in good shape.  After she reviews the items in question we can resubmit our application.  It has taken several months and they have been a bit behind.  There are now 4 spas in the country who are certified.  I’m not sure if any of them are New Construction LEED Certified.  We still may be the first.  I need to confirm that with the US Green Building Council.  It shouldn’t be much longer before we get our answer.

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Monthly Energy Bill Comparison: Before vs After Going Green

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We have been in our new Complexions Spa location at 221 Wolf Road for eleven months now.  Earlier this week, I decided to take a quick look at the actual energy savings – if any – we’ve enjoyed thus far.  Here is the quick, back-of-the-napkin rundown:

In our previous location we had 4200 sf.  In our new location we have 8450sf. Thus far, monthly electric bills at 221 Wolf Rd average about $2200.00 which is equal to approximately $.26 per square foot.   After approximating our cost per square foot at the previous 4200 sf. location over several years, I’m happy to announce that total energy costs are down by approximately 34% .  Not too shabby!

This isn’t to say that the recent drop in global commodity prices (energy in particular) hasn’t been noticed. It has – but not because of any short-term monetary gains. On the contrary, the energy twists & turns  have reminded me of how it used to be at our old location where we spent countless hours coming up with superficial ways to reduce our monthly energy bills.  Rather distracting to say the least!  What’s more, at the end of the day, it really didn’t matter what I did because when if oil prices spiked up – so did the bills – regardless of any and all energy saving actions. Which brings me to one of the best parts about having designed and engineered the new Complexions to regulate nearly every power-sucking machine, room and/or appliances in as efficient a manner as possible. Looking back over the last several months, I find it difficult to pinpoint any amount of time spent worrying about such matters. In others words, the new Complexions facility essentially manages itself. And therein lies the magic behind good green construction – it frees you from the growing distractions of uncontrollable energy prices, leaky faucets, left-on light bulbs, inefficient air-circulation systems, etc etc.  So for Complexions, building GREEN definitely cost a bit more upfront – no doubt about that – however ….in the long term ….I believe our investments will more than pay for itself (which is what all good investments do!).

So in summary, the last several months worth of energy savings have exceeded my expectations.  Going GREEN has thus far proved to be a very sound – very pro-growth decision for our company.  Despite doubling both the size and scope of Complexions  via 2x the number of treatment rooms and and nearly 3x the amount of retail square footage we’ve (somehow) managed to keep month-to-month expenses flat (if not down).  Best of all, we’re coming in well below my ‘expected expenses’ long term budget plans- plotted long ago when gas was nearing $4 . Amazing how fast things change.

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How to build an energy efficient small business: Part 1

We closed on the new Complexions building in November of 2007 and immediately began demolishing the existing building. Many – my sons especially – think of demolition as a super-fun activity. If only that were true with Green construction! Long story short – we had to be very very careful every step of the way.

First and foremost, we had to have asbestos specially removed by an independent company.  They had to have special air filtration throughout this process.  While they were doing their part, my father and I sought out salvage companies that would take some of the construction waste, diverting it from the land fills.  They provided the dumpsters and we sorted the waste.  We separated electrical wire, electrical parts, lighting fixtures, and steel studs.  After it was all sorted, it was weighed and sold.    We were able to sell ceiling tiles and the old plumbing fixtures too.   For one of our LEED points, we had to measure the square footage of the original walls that we took down.  This helped with the point that determined how much of the original building was being re-used.  We actually salvaged the entire, original exterior shell of the building and diverted 75% of our construction waste.

The next step was to chop up  much of the flooring to lay down the necessary plumbing.  The layout of the plumbing was very difficult.  We had to mark out all the rooms and walls with spray paint on the concrete slab to determine the proper location of all the pipes.  It was like guessing where the pieces of the puzzle would eventually end up.  This was especially difficult because of the circular design of our reception area walls and salon.  The plumbing had to be layed out very carefully and perfectly.  We did have to chop them up a few times to get it exactly correct before we could close the floor and begin to construct the walls.  After some re-search, my father located a company where we could purchase  the steel studs made from recycled steel.  With the walls going up it was very exciting to see the Spa start to take shape.  Once the walls were up, the plumbing in the walls was finished, and we could then proceed with the duct work for the heating and cooling and the air filtration system.  When all of this was completed, the ceiling went up using ceiling tiles made from recycled material,  the walls were sheet rocked, and we moved on to the next design phase.

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Going Green Cutting Costs

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While it did cost a bit more money on the front-end to make Complexions Spa an energy efficient facility, it appears more and more likely with each passing month that our year-over-year energy savings will take care of the initial investment far sooner than originally forecast. And that’s with oil being sold at less than $50 per-barrel. I really can’t wait to reach that milestone because after that, every single dollar saved gets to go right back into where it came from – the spa!

Before breaking ground, our goal was to save approximately $10,000 in relative energy-costs in 2008.  And while our early estimates were a bit overly-conservative  in regards to future energy prices (though not as much now given that they have come down some 50% from their late summer highs), six months in (we soft-opened in June), I’m pleased to report that our new facility at 221 Wolf Road has passed its first major test with flying colors It certainly wasn’t easy cutting our watts-per-square-foot in half – you essentially have to put a lot of little pieces together in such a way as to generate a whole whose output is greater than the sum of its many, different parts – but doing so allowed us to double in size, without doubling in costs.  Long story short, the initial costs paid up front will be paid for in less than three years!

For anyone out there interested in the brass tacks, don’t fret – I putting together several posts for the very near future on the types of  products and construction materials used. Right now, my list  includes washer-type, reasearch on low flow water faucets, florescent and LED lighting fixtures, efficient heating & vent systems, the importance of glass, flooring, insulation, and more. So stay tuned

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Eco-Trends in the Spa Industries

From Suzie’s Spa Blog over at SpaFinder:

Eco-Embedded Spas: A Deeper Shade of Green: Back in 2005, SpaFinder identified the eco-spa boom, crystallizing the first industry definition, still widely used today. In our 2007 forecast..

I have to agree with Suzie regarding what it means to be a real Green Spa………I have recently completed a year long  project of building our new facility,  Complexions Spa for Beauty & Wellness.  This was a lengthy and detailed process of making our entire facility as eco-friendly as we  possibly could.  It all started with a desire to provide wellness services in an environment that supported that same philosophy to maximize the experience for our guests.  This process was far more detailed than simply using florescent light bulbs.  Everything from how we diverted 75% of our construction waste from going to the landfills to the type of glass for our windows.  We even have quality clean air control, motion sensors in work rooms, low VOC paints, adheasives, wall paper and more.   I do think the consumer will become more knowledgeable about what “Going Green” really means and they won’t be fooled by people just trying to jump on the band wagon.  We didn’t just say we were green, we are green.  ♠

http://agreenspa.wordpress.com

NYSERDA Loan Fund Application Process

At one of our SAIC and NYSERDA meetings we learned about the NYSERDA LOAN FUND.  It was an opportunity for us to reduce our mortgage rate by 4 interest percentage points.  In order to move on this we had to  fill out an application at the start of the project.  We also had to have the bank preapproved and they also submitted an application as our bank.  As the project proceeded we  had to compile all of our expenses and supporting documentation along with receipts for the total cost of the project.   Everything that we used in an effort to attemp LEED certification qualified under the loan fund.  This included consultants that we used, cost of construction as well as the materials cost.  We were able to apply approximately $800,000. of our costs to the loan fund. 

We scheduled a final meeting with NYSERDA and presented them with a completed binder categorizing everything for them.   It took several weeks for them to review all the documentation and receipts.  They asked some final questions and then we waited. ….. We finally got word from them and we have been approved.  It is amazing.  They sent a check to our bank and reduced our interest rate 4% points.  This greatly reduced our monthly mortgage payment and greatly eased the strain of expenses for us.  This will save us thousands of dollars over the life of our mortgage.  The loan money comes from fines that are paid by the companines that are penalized for not following  the strict rules and regulations that protect our environment.  It then goes to help companies like Complexions,  do the right thing and to set an example for others to follow suite.  I feel strongly that opportunities like the one that NYSERDA offers are wonderful incentives for businesses to persue.

Some Challenges with Going Green

I began the project of building Complexions Green after going to a business meeting with my sister in law in Florida in May of 2006.  When I returned, I discussed my ideas with my brother Tony who is a structural engineer.  He was interested with the concept and knew just who to contact.  My father has also been in construction for more than 40 years and knew the challenge that lay ahead.  I didn”t  have a huge budget to work with so the thought of adding more to our costs was not what he wanted to hear.  He was in the commercial side of construction and had a very good handle on the cost of construction. He managed very large commercial buildings like the Albany Airport.

My brother arranged for a meeting with SAIC and our architect.  When I walked into that meeting and saw the number of people sitting around the table, interested in our project of building Complexion Spa Green, I immediately knew we were on to something very big. There were people from SAIC,  NYSERDA, Taitem Engineering, Karpman Engineering, our architect’s office, my father, my brother, and myself.  Our initial meeting consisted of them asking  many questions about how Complexions was run and operated.  We then went through a cheret where we evaluated the possibilities of the 5 different categories associated with LEED certification and what was entailed. We learned about the incentives available through NYSERDA’s Loan Fund and what we needed to do in order to achieve those incentives.  That meeting took several meetings and my brother, father, and myself left there a bit over whelmed.  Most companies who “go green” and attempt LEED certification have a team of engineers and architects who work together to accomplish this process.  We gave it much thought, and with some resistance from my father, the numbers guy knowing this would blow our budget,  we decided to move forward.

If I did not have a brother who was an engineer and a father with as much experience as he has managing construction projects and budgets, I would never have been able to complete this as a small business with a limited budget.  The added costs of consultants, engineers and architects would have been cost prohibited. For this I am eternally grateful to my brother Tony, who handled most of the documentation and research as well as my father who managed the day to day operations of the construction to be sure the contractors where holding to the strict requirements of going green.  This was very challenging because there are not many people well versed in what is required.  Trust me when I tell you every detail had to be paid attention to.  From the paint cans being used, the adhesives, the waste removal,  the air quality during construction and more.

My next blog will be about how we managed this for the next 7 months of construction.

Introducing Complexions Blog

This is a very exciting time at Complexions Spa for Beauty & Wellness. We have just celebrated our 20th year in business this past November. With this milestone we are also embarking on a new adventure. We are in the process of building a new spa facility just down the road from our current location in Albany, New York. We are building our new spa “Green”! It is so fantastic….imagine having spa services that are literally “good for you” in a building that is “good for you” and the environment. This means attention to every detail from the way we excavate the land for construction and remove demolition waste to the very end finishing touches like paint choices, type of flooring, wall coverings and even lighting fixtures. Going Green is a process where you pay particular attention to energy use, efficiency and using recyclable, renewable materials.

As the owner of Complexions Spa, I would like to introduce my self. My name is Denise Dubois. I founded Complexions in 1987 and have enjoyed the experience every step of the way. I am an internationally certified CIDESCO esthtician with more than 25 years of experience in the spa and medical spa industry. It has always been my goal to stay in the forefront of the spa industry there fore it is only natural for the next step for us to be “GOING GREEN” . So watch us grow, each week I will up date our progress and share with you any exciting “SPA NEWS”. I’ll talk to you soon.