What does it mean that ebode is carboNZeroTM certified?
A carboNZero certification means that the total carbon emissions of the company’s day to day
operation, including power and gas use, waste production, air travel and vehicle use has been measured
and a commitment made to manage or reduce the output. An independent auditor was brought in to
assess the declared emission estimates and to advise on ways to reduce our emissions. What emissions
are created have been offset by purchasing carbon credits using Landcare Research certified carbon
credit providers.
Our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint does not stop at simply measuring our emissions –
the goal is to eliminate them.
What steps have been taken to reduce ebode’s carbon footprint?
ebode currently operates out of an office space ideally suited to our carbon neutral target.
Design:
The office was designed with passive solar principles in mind. Large windows on the northern
side means minimal lighting is required during the day and these can be opened for cooling
during the heat of summer. Thermal massing concrete block construction also means that
minimal heating is required in winter. When heating is required, a gas fireplace provides warmth
with much smaller emissions footprint than standard electric heaters.
Power:
Our office is equipped with panels to collect solar energy and convert this into heat for our hot
water supply and electricity to reduce our power usage. Our photovoltaic system is connected
to the national power grid so if the sun is shining brightly and our usage is low, we actually
contribute renewable power back into New Zealand’s power network.
Water:
Rain water is collected, stored, filtered and piped back into the office for use in the sinks, toilet,
shower and dishwasher. All water used and consumed in the office is captured from the roof
and is non-chemically treated to potable standards. The appliances and fittings within the
office are rated for high water efficiency and policies are in place to ensure that excessive use is
avoided.
Transport:
All ebode office staff are encouraged to live close enough that they can bike to work each day.
Most of us do, and visitors to our office will often see an array of bikes outside.
Our regional sales managers, who cannot necessarily bike around, have all been provided with
the most efficient hybrid electric vehicles available at the time. They are encouraged to use
these in lieu of their personal vehicles for all travel, since it is essentially guaranteed that an
ebode Prius will have the best mileage available.
Air transport is a major source of carbon emissions, and a major problem for ebode since we
build across the full length and breadth of the country. To minimise the need to fly, ebode has
adopted a range of technological solutions for communication and remote project management
which can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
Waste reduction:
All waste produced in the office is split into 4 areas – material to be reused within the office,
material to be recycled via council recycling systems, organic waste to go in the onsite worm
farm or, as a last resort, landfill. As a result, only a tiny fraction of the waste produced in the
office ends up in landfill.
In addition to this, ebode has policies in place to reduce the amount of waste produced in the
first place including: reducing printing to the bare minimum; the purchasing and use of second
hand products and products with minimal packaging; retention of unavoidable packaging
materials to re-use.
Recruitment:
One of the aspects considered in hiring ebode staff is a demonstrated commitment to
sustainable principles. This means that the entire ebode team is united in our vision of creating
a brighter, more sustainable future. It is this shared vision which ensures that we don’t just talk
the talk, but we all walk the walk in both our personal and professional lives.
If I build an ebode home, will it be carbon neutral certified?
No. The carboNZero certification applies only to our company, not to our products. We are, however,
working on ways to measure and offset the emissions produced in building your ebode home. In the
meantime, we are offering HomestarTM ratings for all our ebode homes.
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