Savvy business people are finding opportunities to profit in matters ancillary to green building, including opportunities advantaged by providing services that contribute to LEED credits.

From snow removal  to legal services and office cleaning to landscaping with literally hundreds of business sectors in between, business not traditionally thought of as being in the construction field or the environmental industrial complex, are profiting by being green and marketing their contribution to LEED credits. 

A great example is snow removal. USGBC’s LEED Reference Guide for LEED EBOM 2009 provides the intent of Sustainable Site credit 2 – Building Exterior and Hardscape Management Plan is “to encourage environmentally sensitive building exterior and hardscape management practices” .. including “snow and ice removal”.  The Snow & Ice Management Association  is the trade association providing resources, leadership and support for the snow and ice management industry, educates its members about how to comply with the LEED requirements. It is now common that snow removal businesses market their services to building owners by offering a draft hardscape plan and then services that are LEED ready.

The snow removal industry is already preparing for the LEED v4 prerequisite for a Site Management Policy that must include snow and ice removal, which will create even more business opportunity when all EBOM projects will benefit from a draft pan.

One of those snow removal businesses in the Washington DC area is a landscaper in the warm weather months and Inside Out is the first to offer environmentally preferred solar (electric) powered landscaping equipment. They advertise, “Our Green Value Initiative exterior landscaping services use Best Practices that are key components of and contribute to multiple LEED® Credits”.

There are untold numbers of businesses, including this law form, that provide services that contribute to LEED credits. The value of green building will exceed $106 Billion in 2013 and skyrocket to over $248 Billion in 2016 (according to McGraw Hill Construction) and the allied and ancillary services will ride that explosive growth.   

Of course, the services provided do not include the materials and products sectors that drive LEED building and will also experience tremendous growth.

There are very real opportunities to have a role in the more than 1.7 million square feet of LEED projects certified every day.