I'd like some input from self-storage builders and operators who support and/or use "green" buildingenergy-saving and environmentally friendly building techniques, technology and practices. I'm thinking about this today because while I'm sporting a wool sweater and socks to keep warm in Arizona, my family in New England has been reporting record high temperatures. What the hey? And people still want to pretend there's nothing amiss with our global climate? They're either sadly disullusioned or dreamily high. Wow.

From time to time, you pick up an industry publication and read about cool things storage developers are using to do their share for the planet. Solar systems. Grass "pavers" that clean and help recycle storm water. That sort of thing. But I don't get the sense that this is a pervasive industry practice. I'd like to learn more, so if you know of some environment-friendly building techniques for storage or, better yet, have used some, please post to the blog and share them with me and our readers.

By the way, Michael Roth and Ted Williams of TLW Construction will be presenting a seminar on this topic at the upcoming Inside Self-Storage Expo in Las Vegas. "Green Building and the Bottom Line" will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 1 p.m. I plan to check that out. If you'd like more info, you can peruse the ISS Expo website at www.insideselfstorage.com/expo.

I once visited a "green" house sponsored by a local energy provider ... It was for an article I was writing for a small trade paper called The Electric Times (my first "real" job). This place was amazingeverything was based on recycled, energy-conscious, energy-saving materials and technologies. The thing I most remember was the carpet was made from recycled plastic soda bottles. I don't know if this structure is still open to the public (I can't even remember it's formal title). But it was extremely impressive.

Anybody by chance know what I'm talking about?