The growing popularity of carsharing may be indicating that consumers are expecting more from the overall transportation experience, and that includes parking their cars. Green Parking Council (GPC) is supporting parking sustainability solutions through its Green Garage Certification program.
The certification program offers a rating system defining and recognizing sustainable practices in parking structure management, programming, design, and technology. For those interested in qualifying for its certification program, or working with parking vendors active in the program, you can start with the Green Garage Certification Owner’s checklist to see if that parking facility is ready for move forward with certification.
GPC is a nonprofit organization and an affiliate of The International Parking Institute that provides educational and technical services to parking professionals and to the public. GPC, led by Executive Director Paul Wessel, believes that garages of the future will support electric cars being powered by renewable, clean energy and guided by smart grid technology. Carsharing and intermodality are part of the group’s philosophy along with making parking garages convenient services and well-designed urban assets.
The Green Garage Certification’s standard is based on 48 elements including descriptions, options for achieving recognition, documentation requirements, and industry and reference standards. Certification is open to all types of structured parking facilities including commercial, university, municipal, hospital, retail, and hospitality.
GPC also announced that it received a Clean Cities grant to survey parking operators and owners about alternative fuel vehicle use and interest. Parking operators in the Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland markets are participating in the survey. GPC will also be sharing information about its certification program, energy efficient improvement in lighting and ventilation, and its Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) campaign. Those who would like to participate in the survey or receive more information can email Wessel or call 203-672-5889.