Sustainable Solutions: The Impact of the Green Building Movement

Global demand for energy has been growing at a rate far above our current production capacity. This has resulted in a diminished supply of spare resources and a spike in prices. The problem is not necessarily caused by a lack of resources, but a lack of cost-effective resources. We are nearing depletion of easily accessible oil, and, as a result, will be forced to turn to other, more expensive options. Some of these options include deep-sea drilling and production in other countries.  These options are very costly to pursue and further contribute to increased energy prices.  As energy consumption continues to rise, it is imperative that we find a way to live without a reliance on fossil fuels to protect the planet's climate and preserve the fuels for future generations.  Green building practices could cut greenhouse gases and help preserve fuels in North America (NA) more effectively than any other action (according to research from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S).  Buildings in NA release about 35% of the continent's total carbon dioxide, but with widespread adoption of green building measures, that amount can drastically be reduced.

There are several benefits that green building can offer.  The many pros create a push to build and operate companies' facilities in an energy efficient manner, especially as the costs of building green decreases.  The number one motivation is reducing energy costs.  But there are also factors that significantly impact the business that cannot be calculated:  improving the work environment for employees can have a huge impact on their productivity.  Green buildings often times offer better day lighting, outdoor views, and indoor air quality.  A healthy work environment can also help to attract new employees and help to retain them.  Due to the healthier environment, you can anticipate less illness and reduce absences.  Green buildings can also offer comfortability:  reduced drafts, minimize floor-to-ceiling temperature differences, and control noise.  The main thing is that by reducing a building's operating costs, the net operating income of that building is also increased. According to the New Buildings Institute, increasing a building's net operating income increases the building's appraised value by ten times the annual cost savings. 

For building owners and companies looking to create or renovate facilities, green buildings are increasingly seen as providing a positive public image.  Green building does not have to be a hard process for a company to go through, however.  There are many options, including partnering with an outside firm for a solution.  It can be something as merely as going through the company and beginning an internal evaluation of what can be reduced in operating costs, such as replacing fluorescent lamps and incandescent bulbs, replacing normal supplies with eco-friendly sustainable supplies, install programmable thermostats and installing light sensors.

Green building is starting to take a hold and grow.  Take the German parliament for example.  They are set to become the first parliamentary building in the world to use only renewable energy.  The building will begin to take advantage of wind and solar energy.  Already basement biofuel generators produce 40% of the building's energy, with the rest coming from coal and nuclear sources.  It currently costs about 3 million euros a year to power the building.  A renovation in the late 1990s improved its energy efficiency and resulted in a 94% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions.  Another example is San Francisco's strict green building codes for large new construction and renovation.  It is on it's way to imposing the strictest green codes which would require new large commercial and residential construction to comply with LEED standards.  The regulations would apply to new residential high-rises over 75 ft., new commercial buildings over 5,000 square feet and renovations on buildings larger than 25,000 ft.  The strictest parts of the code will not be implemented until 2012, however the rules are expected to prevent 60,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, save 220,000 megawatt hours of power and prevent the use of 100 million gallons of water.  Imagine how much we could save if the entire world complied to these codes?  

**Reference:  GreenerBuildings Staff-  3/08, http://greenerbuildings.com/