It is reported that construction and maintenance of buildings accounts for 40 percent of energy use and 30 percent of raw materials use, and that buildings are a major contributor to global warming. Self storage is already a low-impact construction class, but StorageMart wants it to be the greenest.

StorageMart is looking for designers and builders who want to make the planet more eco-friendly and make sustainable living more prevalent. StorageMart is asking people to submit their ideas on how to make the self storage industry a leader in sustainable, green design and green building to the StorageMart Build it Green Design Challenge

Entries will be accepted in the following categories:

• Sustainable Construction Materials: Renewable materials, clean supplies and super-low emissions processes and green material innovations.
• Energy Positive: Ideas and proposals to create more energy than we use by such means as solar, wind, geothermal, rain driven, hydroelectric or techniques yet to be developed.
• Carbon Negative: Utilizing green roofs, walls and parking areas, carbon absorbing ponds and designs to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
• Wildlife/Natural Habitat-Friendly: Ideas to build self storage units and properties that help the industry promote and sustain the natural habitat of the surrounding environment.
• New Conveniences and Amenities: Improving the customer experience and adding design elements that help both the customer and environment.
• Smart Functions: Create and add new technologies and/or tools to make using and managing self storage properties easier and more efficient.
• Bottom Line Results: Cost analyses and return on investment guidelines to help the industry create profit by shifting to green building and design.
• Re-Used and Recycled Materials: Use old materials to do new things for self storage unit owners and customers.
• Gray Water Solutions: Re-use waste water to everyone's benefit.

E-mails indicating intention to submit a design should be sent to tron @ phone-smart.net. A well written 200-400 word proposal summary of the design idea should be in the body of the e-mail. This should include the Web address where the proposal and design can be viewed in its entirety. If the submission is accepted, notification will be sent to the submitting party and the entry will be submitted to the panel of judges.

A note will be put on the design Web site stating that the design has been submitted to the StorageMart Build It Green Design Challenge. A link must be placed prominently on the site promoting the contest and the design's inclusion. Submitters may promote their inclusion in the competition through their own avenues as well, subject to approval by StorageMart management. Logos and links will be provided by StorageMart.

The selected submissions will be promoted through the StorageMart Web site networks and blog sites, as well as industry press releases and national media outlets. Sites include: www.storage-mart.net, storage-mart.com, selfstorageblog.com, propertymanagementblog.com, totalqualityassuranceservices.com and selfstorageowner.com.

Design entries will be promoted at the Inside Self Storage Expo in February 2008 and at the annual convention of the Self Storage Association in September 2008. In October 2008, StorageMart will announce up to three winners for each of the above categories and promote the winners through its Web site and blog networks, through industry press releases and national media outlets.

Benefits of submitting designs:

• A chance to pass design ideas past some of the most respected people in the business.
• Lots of free publicity.
• A chance to be featured as a winner in one of the design categories and get even more exposure and publicity.
• Submissions remain the property of the submitting party.