The American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA), Studio City, Calif., educates and accredits grounds maintenance crews and certifies properties maintained with cordless electric equipment as AGZA Green Zones. Dan Mabe, CEO, consulted with The Greenstation, a battery-powered equipment manufacturer and distributor, and the landscaping team caring for the city of South Pasadena. He explains the steps that led to the its certification as the first AGZA Green Zone City. 

How did you support the transition to electric equipment?

“We shadowed the crews operating the gas equipment and took inventory of work production rates, gas and oil used and maintenance costs. We also inventoried the noise and air pollution of the gas equipment. AGZA then worked with The Greenstation to organize an equipment package with the right tools and battery capacity to handle the gas-free dedicated green zone areas.”

What does a municipality have to achieve to be certified as a Green Zone?

“A municipality has to be dedicated to gas-free routine maintenance. For instance, routine maintenance generally makes up more than 90% of all the maintenance for the city of South Pasadena annually. Heavier industrial jobs, such as rototilling, aerating, thatching and heavy tree work are permitted with gas because no feasible electric options exist on the market yet. A representative for the city must report quarterly to AGZA and work with AGZA to ensure validity and integrity.”

What does a landscaping company have to do to be certified?

Landscape maintenance companies need to pass an AGZA exam, have their electric fleets verified, allow shadowing of their field operations and take an oath to provide dedicated electric service for all routine maintenance work.”

How can dealers become involved?

“This is something AGZA is working on. We are championing some type of incentive program to include the dealers, not just end users and manufacturers.”

Where else across the country are you working to establish AGZA Green Zones?

“AGZA is continually engaging conversations and hosting equipment demonstrations that can lead to Green Zones, and several have already been certified, including Malibu Country Mart, the first commercial AGZA Green Zone, and Torrance American Baseball Fields, the first AGZA Green Zone sports complex. Interest is starting to appear in other communities as well. We have already started the initial phases of a Green Zone on Long Island, N.Y., and several are in the pipeline throughout California and parts of the Southeast.”

Read more about the South Pasadena Green Zone in this feature, "Landscaping Exclusively with Battery-Powered Equipment."

South Pasadena was recently certified as the first AGZA Green Zone City in the U.S. by the American Green Zone Alliance. Joe Espinoza (far right) had managed the crew that maintained the city’s landscapes. He now is a consultant for Green Gardening Service. Also shown from left to right is Dan Mabe, AGZA founder and president; Eddie Peralta, president of Green Gardening Service; and Luke Massman-Johnson, AGZA communications director. Photo Courtesy of American Green Zone Alliance