Green or Sustainable Building is the practice of creating
healthier and more resource and energy efficient models of construction, renovation, operation,
maintenance, and demolition.
As of January 2006, the annual market for Green Building in products and services was $7 billion, a
37% growth over 2004 according to the
US Green Building Council (USGBC). Over 531 million square feet of
commercial building space has been registered or certified under LEED.
Benefits of Green
Building
Multiple studies have shown the direct
and indirect financial advantages of going green:
Health
People in the US spend about 90% of their time indoors. EPA studies indicate indoor levels of
pollutants may be two to five times higher – and occasionally more than 100 times higher – than
outdoor levels. Studies with 30,000 subjects found significant associations between low ventilation
levels and higher carbon dioxide concentrations – a common symptom in facilities with sick building
syndrome. Green buildings instead use alternative building materials that do not emit toxins, like
formaldehyde.
Cost Savings
Well-designed green buildings, for example, have lower utility costs. Recent studies have found
that an upfront investment of 2% in green building design, on average, results in life cycle
savings of 20% of the total construction costs – more than ten times the initial investment.
Productivity
Green design criteria—including abundant daylighting, individual climate
controls, and outdoor views—raise morale and employee satisfaction, which also improves
productivity. A study by Carnegie Mellon University measuring the relationship between increased
lighting control and productivity showed an average increase of 7.1% in
productivity.
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