Mission 2 - ACCOMPLISHED

The results are in. Our second Agent Green event was a resounding success. We succeeded in creating the inertia that will allow the Central Co-op's Madison Market to improve its energy efficiency, reduce its operating costs, and dramatically decrease their carbon footprint.

Here is an article that webster walker wrote for the Central Co-op's newsletter...

Agent Green Was Here!
Co-op invests in sustainability
webster s. walker, contributing writer

Central Co-op’s Mission Statement dedicates us to “sustainable practices” and “community accountability”. On Saturday October 24, community members showed up in force to hold us accountable for our practices.

On top of regular Saturday shoppers, hundreds of people came to sample food, hear live music, and spend money to boost our investment in equipment upgrades to slash our energy footprint.

Why all the excitement? A visit by Agent Green, the public debut of a not-so-secret agent whose mission is to have fun and generate cash for sustainability projects at local businesses. Agent Green was started by Seattle GreenDrinks, and sends organized mobs of conscious citizens out to, in their words, “make a positive impact on our community, have a great time, and meet wonderful people.”

Following a successful test run at Pike Pub, Agent Green approached Central Co-op, proposing to drive business our way in exchange for our commitment to invest in energy upgrades. GM Reese Williams took the offer, pledging a whopping 25% of co-op sales for the day.

The deal is sweetened by grants from Seattle City Light. Grant money speeds return on investment, so improvements pay for themselves and generate cash into the future through lower utility bills.

October 24 was International Day of Climate Action. People worldwide demanded governments get serious to avert climate catastrophe. We did our small part, made sweeter by our friends at Bluebird Ice Cream who hosted the after-party, our friends at the Elysian Brewery who provided beer, and local band Slow Skate.

Preliminary returns are fantastic: Agent Green drove a $6,000 jump in sales, generating over $12,000 in co-op investment. City Light grants add more than $11,000. Spending for energy efficient lights, fixtures and ballasts uses around $20,000, with $4,000 still to invest.

Energy savings are estimated at over 56,000 kWh/year; cost savings around $3,100/year; return on investment about 40%/year for the $8,000 in co-op money, with simple payback in about 2.5 years. With $4,000 still to invest. Low-interest loans would allow replacement of our outdated refrigeration compressors.

Watch Central Register for further reports. And keep your eye out for Agent Green, visiting a business near you to raise the bar on sustainable business practices and good clean fun.

If you would like to get involved with the program, or you know of an established local business that would like to improve it's energy efficiency, email nur@seattlegreendrinks.org