Green party

Call it clubbing with a conscience: Some nightspots are taking steps to become more eco-friendly.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published July 16, 2007

MIAMI - It's 2 a.m. on a Saturday, where clubgoers will dance their cares away to fluorescent lights and the pulse of techno music. Most are blissfully unaware that their favorite nightspot consumes 140 times the energy of an average household, experts say.

It's an ironic pastime for a generation driving hybrid cars and crusading against global warming, and perhaps the reason environmentally friendly dance clubs are the latest green trend.

The most eco-chic clubs offer everything from dance floors that generate electricity to stationary bikes that power the DJ booth. The rest have barely tapped use of recycled goods and energy-efficient lighting.

Experts say it's hard to tell how energy efficient green clubs really are.

"Without them providing an estimate of energy reduction or environmental impact, it seems like hype to me," said Glenn Hill, a Texas Tech University professor who specializes in sustainable architecture.

Not so, say the owners. Home and Guest House owner John B. has ruled Manhattan's night life with over-the-top decor and Broadway-worthy special effects. But his latest club, Greenhouse, is all about conserving.

The venue, slated to open in late summer, is applying for LEED certification, a designation granted by the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The space will be made mostly from recycled materials and has the feeling of a glitzy nature preserve, with a huge waterfall and a ceiling made of live plants.

"I don't necessarily think just because something is green or energy saving or recycled, means it isn't going to be luxurious," he said.

At Chicago's Butterfly Social Club, employees pedal away on a bicycle to power the DJ booth and drink machines. They also use solar panels and make most of the drinks - instead of buying canned drinks, where you end up paying extra for the excess waste of cans, cardboard boxes and advertising, owner Mark Klemen says.

He built the club, which opened in April, out of such products as clay and straw, and says one of his mantras is not to recycle more, but to use less.

Beyond a handful of clubs, the green trend is catching on slowly. Most are taking baby steps, serving organic cocktails and banning smoking.

Stereo By the Shore on Long Island lures celebs like Scarlett Johansson and Wilmer Valderrama. The Southampton hip-hop hideaway is known for its lush green gardens, which bloom pesticide-free.

Owner Michael Satsky lowers energy costs in the summer by raising the thermostat and opening windows.

But the free helicopter service for VIPs commuting from Manhattan certainly doesn't save gas.

The balance between opulence and conservation could be a sticking point as trendy clubs, often known for over-the-top indulgence, try to adopt the minimalist mantra.

There are few eco-friendly clubs in South Beach, though hot spots Mansion, Prive and SET are among hundreds of clubs in the country relying on light-emitting diodes to illuminate their dance floors. They give off nearly five times the light of an incandescent bulb for the same amount of energy, experts say.

Beyond that, managers said they have no plans to go green.

But in the Netherlands, busting a move could soon generate enough energy to help power a dance club, according to one Rotterdam company, Enviu. The company is working on a prototype floor that captures the vibration of dancers and transfers it to batteries.

"It's a way to reach young people in a way they understand it. You're forced to make it sexy and challenging to them," said Stef van Dongen.

The floor won't power an entire club so the company is also using smart lighting and acoustics designed so music is played at half-volume.

The floor isn't cheap, at roughly $400,000 for a 10-foot by 10-foot space, but van Dongen says it's cost-effective in the end.

Enviu plans to sell the dance floors to other venues and already has requests from clubs in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

"The new generation of club-goer tends to be increasingly conscious of the environment," says Vanessa Menkes, vice president of the Opium Group, which owns four of Miami's most popular clubs. "I think the green trend is slowly and steadily penetrating all facets of business from the automobile industry to the food industry, and there is no reason why nightlife won't be next."

[Last modified July 16, 2007, 01:17:27]