Friday, February 26, 2010, 4:06pm PST | Modified: March 1, 2010, 8:40 AM

The business case for the Oregon Sustainability Center

by Colin Sears
Portland Development Commission

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The Oregon Sustainability Center seeks to become the highest-performing commercial high-rise building in the world, meeting 100 percent of its energy and water needs from only the sunshine and water that fall on its own small footprint. But the OSC is as much about business as it is about high performance in sustainability.

The OSC represents a collaboration, begun more than a year ago, among city and state government, higher education, nonprofit organizations, and the business community, coming together in a public-private partnership. That partnership has set a lofty goal: to create true competitive economic advantage for businesses in the Portland region by building a world-class center of excellence in sustainability that will translate the region’s values and strengths in climate change, land use planning and green building into economic growth. The OSC has incredible potential — but the entire regional business community must be fully engaged for it to achieve its promise.

As an initial prototype of what may become the building of the future, the OSC also presents business development opportunities for those engaged early in its development.

The OSC offers several paths for individual businesses to get involved:

Lease space: Constructing a leading-edge building like the OSC costs more than a traditional office building; accordingly, its rents will be slightly higher than standard office buildings. But the small bump in cost will be balanced by the benefits a business can expect from its presence in the OSC — a boost to its profile among its peers; daily interactions with fellow innovative tenants and visitors who will frequent the building from around the globe.

Incorporate products into the OSC: Accomplishing the ambitious performance goals of the OSC requires next-generation materials and technologies including optimized energy and water usage, high-performance shell and structural components, solar energy components. Additionally, the standards of the International Living Building Institute, which has issued guidelines for living buildings, requires that the building be free of certain environmentally harmful materials and that all materials be sourced within specified distances from the building site. The companies whose products are used in this building can expect a high level of exposure both within their industries and in broader markets, as the OSC gains a reputation for modeling future development. OSC materials and products will generate news coverage. And a programmed exhibition center in the lobby of the OSC will showcase the innovations that contribute to the building’s success, driving increased demand for these products.

Develop and commercialize new products: The OSC aims to be the first living laboratory of its kind, integrating advanced monitoring systems to deliver real-world information for product testing. Sensors will monitor energy consumption, water use, stormwater management, ambient conditions, and occupants’ use of building components and spaces. Researchers will assess thermal, air, lighting and acoustic conditions using embedded sensors, interior climate stations, and instrumented mobile carts for more detailed data. A living, breathing, working building, the OSC will be a mine of information for businesses that need data for product development.

Businesses don’t need to be practicing in the green-tech arena to be involved with — or affected by — the OSC. The OSC will offer the public a place to learn about sustainability. Interactive exhibits in public areas will narrate the stories of the OSC’s creation, Oregon’s history in sustainability and the innovations of the region’s sustainable industries. Real-time data of the building’s energy and water use will be displayed on a dashboard, letting visitors, researchers and tenants monitor the center’s performance.

From our perspective, the products, technology and innovation developed in the OSC’s living laboratory will bring long-term economic benefit to the broader community.

Colin Sears is the clean tech industry manager for the Portland Development Commission.