Powered by Sunshine
By installing solar panels on the roof, Brella is now able to power a portion of our facilities by harnessing the awesome power of the sun. The first phase of our solar panels went online in Spring 2009, with a second phase of construction occurring during the summer of 2010. You can view our solar panel savings by clicking here. We also utilize natural ventilation during the spring and fall to reduce AC costs and in the Winter reduce heating costs through the use of Passive Solar Heating through our specially designed floor to ceiling south facing windows. Our Server Closets have specially designed air conditioning that uses the natural cold of our Chicago winters to chill down our servers when the outside temperature is under 40 degrees and special fans and motors to run more efficiently during the rest of the year.

Making "Green" Choices
Whether it's switching over to energy-saving LCD monitors at all our workstations, or using all fluorescent and LED production lights on video shoots, we try and buy products and equipment that not only do the job, but do it as cleanly and efficiently as possible. Even when it comes to our office cleaning products! Switching to an eco-friendly line of janitorial products or using recycled paper products may seem like a little thing, but all those little things add up. We have even started to shoot our HD video projects on cameras with recyclable Flash cards and doing mostly electronic project backups. Saving thousands and thousands of miles of petroleum based magnetic tape stock every year.

Today's Green Minute
As part of our ongoing commitment to education and to spreading the word about being Green…we are producing a biweekly series on the environment called Today's Green Minute. Every two weeks we are releasing a short news story on the environment, green initiatives and other environmental advancements. Take a look and spread the word! www.todaysgreenminute.com

Brella In the News
Brella and the Today's Green Minute web video series were recently recognized by REELChicago and promoted as one of the Greenest Production Facilities in the region! Read the article at reelchicago.com

Telecommuting
Telecommuting isn't just about working in your pajamas. It means conserving fuel and reducing harmful emissions by eliminating commuting. By making use of digital solutions like instant messaging services, email, phone conferences, and connecting to the office virtually, many of our talented and dedicated staff are able to work from home. No commuting means more time for personal lives and thousands of gallons of fuel saved every year. We are also big proponents of employee flex time. Allowing staff to work earlier and later in the day, allows for more flexible hours to suit our clients' needs and cuts out dozens of hours of travel and hundreds of gallons of gas wasted in rush hour traffic every month. We also promote internal car pooling and the use of public transportation for all of our employees. In fact, many of our employees actually bicycle to work all year long!

Re-use, Renew, Recycle
From microwaveable frozen dinner trays and glass jam jars, to printer cartridges, to out of date equipment—Brella Productions does its best to recycle and re-use as much as possible. When we update equipment, our old computers, monitors, and printers are donated to local charities. Love our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Those glass and plastic jars are washed and recycled. And if we send you a package, don't be surprised if the cardboard box looks familiar. Rather than pitching packing materials when we get shipments, we stockpile and reuse as much of them as possible, to save a tree or three. And whatever we can’t reuse is always recycled with the rest of the paper and plastic vs. being tossed into the garbage.

Brown-Bagging It
Brella Productions encourages its employees to bring lunch to work in reusable containers, and has a full kitchen complete with a nifty retro lunch counter to give people a break in the middle of the day. Not only does it save money and encourage healthier eating, it helps avoid the enormous packaging waste created by delivery and takeout. That full kitchen and the grill on the roof deck also encourage employees to cook a healthy meal for themselves during lunch and enjoy some time in the outdoors! And it never hurts to walk or bike to one of the many local restaurants in the area, instead of jumping in the car. Not only will the walk or ride do you good, but you'll work up an appetite!

Life in the Digital Age
While a completely paper-less office may be impossible, it's still something to strive for. At Brella Productions, instead of rows of filing cabinets, we back up projects digitally. We try and review on-screen instead of via hardcopy, send email and instant messages, and reduce the amount of paper we use on a daily basis. And when we do have to buy more pulped wood products, we always buy recycled paper products.

The "Off" Switch
When our work day is done, we completely power down the majority of computers, printers, lights, and other equipment. "Standby" modes on computers still draw some power, and it increases the lifespan of your equipment if they are powered off when not in use. Not to mention, running computers all at once sure can heat up an office in the summer weather! So instead of cranking up the air-conditioning, we open the windows. Remember what your mother always told you: a little fresh air never hurt anyone, right? And in the end, it can really make a difference.