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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