Business World | February 2015 68 rection for the six-year-old company. BUILT GREEN Implementing green initiatives as part of their business practices has its challenges. As influencers and thought leaders in the space, however, Ichijo USA understands that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. “In King and Snohomish County there is a green home certification program called Built Green. We apply the Built Green Certifications - about 4-Star and sometimes we get 5-Star for some other projects,” Ohno said. Built Green is an environmental rating system that scores 2-5 stars depending on the number of requirements met. Ichijo USA aims high to exceed expectations. “Built Green 4-Star is our goal for all the homes we build, but it sometimes exceeds that to 5-Star and net-zero energy homes,” Tovel added. Harnessing technology as a means to enhance quality of life is something Ichijo USA are constantly striving for. By identifying issues in other parts of the world, it spurs the company to continually innovative and discover incentives for using its proprietary green technology. “As you know, in Japan they’re dealing with the nuclear crisis so the price of energy is significantly higher there than it is here,” Tovel said. “There is a big incentive to take that on and Ichijo did just that.” February 2015 | Business World 69 “The people in Japan are paying three to four times more for electricity when compared to the United States,” Ohno added. “That’s why the people in Japan are very conscious about their monthly heating and cooling bills.” To combat both the concerns and the consciousness of its customers, Ichijo USA’s rigorous research and development has led them to continually push the boundaries of their technology as a means towards fostering peace of mind. “One of the next things we have to do is improve the building envelope so the houses and the panel systems that we make in the Philippines become 50 to 60% thicker,” Ohno said. “We focus on generating energy DECEMBER 2023 THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AMERICA - WEST
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