As “green” buildings start to come of age, new online service provides a means to easily identify and compare environmentally friendly homes.
Who: Greenrenter, based in Portland, OR was co-founded by Lev Tsypin, an internet consultant. The other team members are; Marti Frank, who has been working in the green building industry since 2000 and is a self described compulsive light turner offer…, Pam Pickens, a communications professional who specializes in behavior change model Community-Based Social Marketing, Robert Neild, a marine engineer who loves good design and engineering.
What: An online listing service for green buildings – both residential and commercial. Currently, Greenrenter only lists buildings in the Portland region, but has plans to expand in the near future.
More: In its own words, GreenRenter is very inclusive when it comes to “greenness.” They aim to showcase the efforts of all owners who are trying to improve the sustainability of their properties, regardless of whether they’ve sought out certification or awards.
As long as the building includes at least one feature in any of seven “green” areas (energy, water, building materials, operations, building surroundings, certifications and awards, other innovative green features) it can be listed with GreenRenter. The buildings are not currently rated according to a set of standards, but according to the company’s website, this is in the works. We think it would be pretty neat to be able to compare possible apartment choices across a range of relevant indicators…
Greenrenter is a triple-bottom-line company and considers social and environmental factors to be important alongside profitability and sustainability of the company. We think this business, although in its early stages is a great example of social entrepreneurship – they are catering to a very real and growing market niche, which at the same time laying foundations for a profitable business and playing a key role in promoting environmentally sound building and living practices.
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