It wasn’t enough for Southern Energy Management (SEM), a solar company in North Carolina that specializes in energy consulting and the installation of solar power systems for residences, businesses, the government, and the military, to reduce the carbon footprint of their clients and customers. SEM wanted to take its commitment to sustainability one step further by going completely carbon neutral.

“We are a very mission-driven company,” said Jenny Sebley, sustainability and cultural development liaison for Southern Energy Management. “We’re in the business of energy efficiency and solar power, and we felt, as a company, that we needed to understand what our carbon footprint is and how we can minimize it. We chose to go the more difficult route by joining EPA’s Climate Leaders program, so we’d be held to higher standards.”

SEM figured its 2009 baseline carbon footprint using the US EPA Climate Leaders Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidance tool, which is based on an existing protocol developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. It’s more involved and difficult than other online carbon measuring tools, but SEM didn’t want to take any shortcuts.

SEM had already been purchasing Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from local Renewable Energy Credit Aggregator NC Green Power, but after calculating the company’s carbon footprint, SEM began purchasing carbon offsets from NC Green Power as well.

“Going carbon neutral is not just about buying RECs and offsets, though,” said Sebley. “It’s also about looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint. That’s the business we’re in, so we’ve been tapping into our wealth of resources to reduce our emissions.”

In addition to encouraging carpooling and the use of public transportation, SEM’s fleet of vehicles is made up of the Toyota Prius and biodiesel trucks.

“We are very conscious about buying the most energy efficient vehicles possible,” said Sebley.

The company has also been trading in their desktop computers for energy efficient laptops, holding virtual meetings, and ensuring lights are off when not in use to reduce energy consumption.

“We wanted to put a stake in the ground,” said Sebley. “It was a big step for us and will be an ongoing effort, but it’s been great to see it roll out and start happening. We will continue to monitor our carbon footprint and look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint while working to reduce that of our customers as well.”

Image courtesy of Southern Energy Management.