Cost of projects may rise, but contractors say move is generally good.

Ready or not, the construction industry was told to start seeing green on Tuesday. Gov. Jim Doyle issued an executive order requiring all state buildings to meet high environmental and energy efficiency standards, which means everyone in the industry has to take a look at green building now.

And John Rodell, vice president of J.H. Findorff & Son Inc.'s Milwaukee operations, said that the time is right to do that.

"You're seeing more and more people embrace this kind of building now because energy prices certainly aren't going down and neither are material prices," he said. "The interesting thing to see is what level they want to take this to, because there are many levels to green building."

Rodell said the first level of the process is simply "good practices," which many firms practice anyway - such as keeping wood with wood and metal with metal. The second tier, he said, is implementing aspects that could raise the price of the building slightly, like energy-saving windows, light sensors and being particular about the orientation of the building.

The highest level is implementing high-end equipment and technology that significantly figures into building costs, and Rodell said many companies - and the state now - will have to consider what the payback is for those measures.

"It's a matter of finding the right balance in putting the entire package together," he said. "You have to ask what attributes will help economically. But I think that it's wise that the state is moving forward with this. It's the smart thing to do.

Good Move
Tim Kippenhan, vice president of Neenah-based Miron Construction Co. Inc., said the signing offers a significant opportunity to settle conflicting opinions on green building throughout the industry.

"It's a good thing in most respects," he said. "It's good for the environment now and will continue to be good for it in the future, of course. There's still a difference of opinion on what effect [green building] will have on construction costs, because there are particular items that see a price increase, but those could easily be offset by cutting down on gas and energy consumption."

When asked if the executive order might instigate a cross-pollination into private building projects, Kippenhan said that it was the other way around.

"I think the private sector led this charge, really," he said.

But Ralph McCall, senior project manager for WasteCap Wisconsin, said that the governor's order can still open a number of doors in the private market. Beyond cutting down on energy, he said, it also means a lot for recycling.

"There's no doubt about it - the state can lead the way with this," he said. "When you look at material recycling outside the major markets like Milwaukee and Madison, it becomes a lot more difficult, for example, to recycle wood. And what this initiative will do is drive the markets for recycling wood, drywall and so forth, and create incentives for developing those markets."

And McCall added that the significance the initiative holds for recycling should not be understated.

"I think that it's great news," he said. "When I first heard about the order, I said that it was the most significant news for recycling since the recycling law was passed in 1990."

But Kippenhan said that now that the order is in place, there are a lot of people who will have to learn about green building's ins and outs, and the types of levels and aspects to it that Rodell listed.

"There's an education process involved with this," he said. "From architects to engineers to contractors to building owners, everyone has to be up to speed on these kinds of projects, so hopefully that can be accomplished."

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