Because traditional buildings consume large amounts of energy and other natural resources and can harm the environment around them, there's a swelling interest in designing, building, and occupying more environmentally sensitive structures. By integrating natural resource, human health, and community concerns into building design and construction, architects and designers can create buildings that are cleaner, healthier for occupants and the environment, and which deplete fewer resources. Moreover, a well-designed “green” building can be cheaper to build and operate over the building’s lifetime.
Commercial and residential buildings use one-third of the energy consumed in the United States, and two-thirds of all electricity. Buildings produce roughly a third of carbon dioxide emissions and other emissions that harm air quality and contribute to global warming. Additionally, buildings generate waste during construction and operation; can have poor indoor air quality, affecting worker health; and often don't consider the impact made on the community through increased transportation, sprawl, and cultural and historical impact. Green buildings address a wide range of topics, including:
A wide range of players are becoming interested in and involved with green building practices, including:
One major initiative to build the green-building movement while setting a high standard is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a green building rating system that is quickly making its rounds through the commercial and institutional markets. Created by the U.S. Green Building Council in 1993 and launched in 1999, LEED has become almost synonymous with green buildings and features a platform of rating systems that eventually will cover existing buildings, commercial interiors, schools, retail buildings, and other types of structures and projects.
The rating system is based on earning credits for various green building attributes and includes four levels of certified buildings: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The more credits, the higher the recognition and certification.
There is a growing body of case studies and profiles of green-building projects of every size and description involving homes, commercial and retail buildings, manufacturing and industrial spaces, government buildings, health care facilities, and schools of every level, including many leading universities. A few examples:
An increasing number of studies support the idea that green building is good for business. Initial investments in environmentally preferable building technologies and materials often pay for themselves within a few years. In fact, investments in green buildings pay for themselves ten times over, according to a landmark study drawing on national data for 100 green buildings in the U.S. The report found that the financial benefits of green design are between $50 and $70 per square foot in a LEED building, over ten times the additional cost associated with building green. The benefits include cost savings from reduced energy, water, and waste; lower operations and maintenance costs; and enhanced occupant productivity and health.
GreenerBuildings divides the green building universe into eight key topic areas. For each, we provide a concise introduction that: situates the topic, spotlights key players in the field, lists the advantages and disadvantages of taking action, provides a basic action plan, and recommends key leads for further information. Each introduction is followed by a select list of organizations, tools, and case studies that can help users develop or improve their programs. The following is a brief explanation of each GreenerBuildings topic:
By integrating natural resource, human health, and community concerns into building design and construction, architects and designers can create buildings that are cleaner, healthier for occupants and the environment, and which deplete fewer resources. New technologies are continually introduced to the marketplace and up-to-date scientific research influences building design strategies.
Building materials choices are important in sustainable design because of the extensive network of extraction, processing, and transportation steps required to make them ultimately useful at the construction site. Unlike some industries in which there is movement toward dematerialization, the building industry will always need materials. So the question becomes: what are the best materials and products to use? To address this question one has to consider the overall life cycle of the materials and of the facility and building site as a whole.
Buildings consume approximately 37% of the energy and 68% of the electricity produced in the United States annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. As energy prices and atmospheric temperatures continue to rise, energy efficiency techniques and green building practices such as daylighting can help reduce operating and consumption costs -- and slash greenhouse gas emissions as well.
Commercial and residential buildings consume large amounts of materials and resources through routine maintenance. Buildings generate waste during operation; can have poor indoor air quality, affecting worker health; and produce roughly a third of carbon dioxide emissions and other emissions that harm air quality. By improving and streamlining day-to-day building operations, facility managers can create and maintain a better work environment while netting big financial dividends for their organization.
Americans spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, where levels of pollutants may be two to five times -- and occasionally more than 100 times -- higher than outdoor levels, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Indoor environmental strategies reduce the potential liability for design team members (including building owners), increase the resale value of the building, and increase the productivity of building occupants. Issues include indoor air quality, lighting quality, thermal comfort, acoustics, and use of low-emitting building materials.
Increasingly, land developers are recognizing the long-term financial benefits of selecting sustainable sites for their projects. These range from access to money-saving building technologies to avoidance of liability and risk associated with the environmental impact of the site. Site selection is the basis of site design and affects all aspects of the site, including transportation, natural areas, stormwater management, and site lighting requirements. Redevelopment of brownfields in urban areas can alleviate sprawl and revitalize depressed communities.
Year after year, debris from construction and demolition piles up in landfills and burdens the wallets of builders and their clients. Yet most construction waste is wood, drywall, metals, concrete/dirt, and cardboard — materials that can be reused or recycled if prepared properly. Relocating buildings instead of building new ones, salvaging construction materials before demolition, and other practices can reduce waste and save big money at a construction or demolition site.
Using large volumes of water increases maintenance and life-cycle costs for building operations and increases consumer costs for additional municipal supply and treatment facilities. Water efficiency measures in commercial buildings can easily reduce water usage by 30% or more, according to some estimates. Non-potable water can be used for landscape irrigation, toilet and urinal flushing, custodial purposes, and building systems. Utility savings, though dependent on local water costs, can save thousands of dollars per year, resulting in rapid payback on water conservation infrastructure.