A little over a week ago, I spent some time in New Orleans taking in the sights and sounds of the Green Builders Conference, a show hosted by the National Association of Home Builders. The show, now in its 10th year, brings together home builders, architects, appliance manufacturers and industry observers to discuss how we can more efficiently build our homes, schools and other buildings. While at the show, I was fortunate enough to join companies like Whirlpool and IKEA as a keynote speaker.
At 30,000 feet, my presentation focused on my own home building experiences, Dell’s commitment to becoming the greenest technology company on the planet, and the specific steps we’re taking to retrofit existing and build new, more energy efficient facilities. If you’re interested in reviewing the presentation, you may find it here.
After the presentation, I spent about 30 minutes speaking with attendees. During my conversations, one common theme seemed to emerge: In the home building industry, builders and architects are increasingly being tasked with playing the role of green educators, much the same way Dell’s salespeople are tasked with explaining the impact customers’ technology selections have on energy consumption. Like Dell, construction companies are viewing the home building process from an end-to-end perspective, and when coupled with the public’s desire for more energy efficient solutions, organizations like Green Builders become successful.
My conversations at the Green Builders Conference reinforced my belief that we as an organization have a tremendous opportunity to educate ourselves, our partners and our customers about the promise of green technology. As I shared with those in attendance, going green is good for you, it’s good for me, and it’s good for business. I look forward to your comments.