by Alex Leopardi, MEP Energy Consultant Intern
Sustainability can increase growth and global competitiveness, and it also requires economically robust processes designed to minimize environmental impacts, while conserving energy and natural resources.
Building sustainable business practices can help in the following ways:
Resource and production costs.
Increasing resource use efficiency lowers the material and waste removal costs. For example, Houwelings’ Tomatoes, a large scale tomato growing company in Mona, UT, took advantage of incentives available through Rocky Mountain Power to implement high-efficiency products, saving $500,000 in energy costs and enough energy to power 1,056 Utah homes. They also designed their 28-acre greenhouse to be heated by waste heat from a nearby power plant. The hot carbon dioxide waste gasses are used to feed the plants and heat the facilities, rather than being released into the atmosphere.
Regulatory compliance costs.
Sustainable operating practices improve compliance with current and future regulations.
Sales and brand reputation.
79% of American consumers want companies to provide more information about the environmental impact of product packaging so they can make informed shopping decisions.
Financing and capital.
Findings from a study showed that sustainable companies can more easily obtain financing by showing themselves to be more responsible, better managed, and less risky.
Employee hiring and retention.
In a survey by Forbes, 65% of American workers said they would seriously consider leaving a job if their company harmed the environment.
Alex is currently pursing a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of Utah, and works jointly as an energy consultant intern with the MEP Center and IIAC. His 
areas of interests are energy efficiency, renewable energy technology, aerospace, and smart systems. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.