Green Building in Self-Storage: Sustainability and Environmentally Friendly Options

Employees—an integral part of the green-marketing strategy—give each new renter a welcome packet containing a CFL light bulb, a reusable tote bag and literature about being green. The accolades are already pouring in. Several customers told Sitt they chose the facility because of its green status.

Not only is Hall Street Storage Sitt’s first foray into green building, it’s also his first self-storage development. Primarily a developer of apartments and condos in the Brooklyn area, Sitt plans to develop at least 15 more green self-storage facilities in the next five years.

Greening the Future

While there’s no question that green is here to stay, at what levels sustainability will impact the self-storage building is still being determined. One factor is government mandates. Developers, already accustomed to stringent building codes and city requirements, will soon face green requirements, too. Recently, legislation was passed, mandating all self-storage buildings in 2010 be 25 percent more efficient. “Anytime a self-storage unit needs to be heated or cooled, these codes are going to apply,” Brooker says.

And while some may think small changes won’t make a difference, they need to think long term, Plunkett says. “There are developers out there who just don’t care. They’re going to continue to do that until someone makes them do it. They’re not looking at what kind of impact it has on the environment, if they’re being friendly to their community, city and country.”

Building green is not a trend or a marketing strategy for Artistic Builders, but a company mission, Plunkett says. “It’s the right thing to do as a partner with the community and in partnership with our environment. We’re committed to it.”

Charles Plunkett will present Green Building Practices for Self-Storage, Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Inside Self-Storage Expo in Nashville, Tenn. For more on this and other seminars, visit www.insideselfstorageexpo.com.