Green Labor Journal - Working for a Substainable Future

Benefits of Building Green

Carbon, energy and water savings - by the numbers

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Based on energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable construction, green buildings are becoming an important sector of the new economy ─ simultaneously lowering CO2 emissions, energy use and operating costs, while improving profits.

The environmental facts about building are surprising and impressive.  According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, buildings are the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2) and are responsible for almost half of all greenhouse gas emissions.

By consolidating all buildings into a single sector ─ instead of distributing them over the traditional industrial, transportation, residential and commercial sectors ─ U.S. energy consumption is distributed as follows:
•    48% in buildings
•    27% in transportation
•    27% in industry

Energy Information Administration data show that modern buildings, along with the CO2 that they release, have a considerable impact on America’s resources, accounting for:
•    72% of electricity
•    40% of landfill waste
•    39% of CO2 emissions
•    13.6% of all potable water

Green Building Benefits
Reliable audits of green buildings show that they can reduce:
•    Energy use by 24-50%
•    CO2 emissions by 33-39%
•    Use of potable water by 40%
•    Solid waste by as much as 70%

In addition, green buildings also benefit the triple bottom line ─ people, profits and the environment.  Green building project developers and managers can realize substantial economic benefits, including:
•    8-9% operating cost decreases
•    7.5% average building value increase
•    6.6% improvement on investment returns
•    3.5% occupancy ratio increase
•    3% increase in rent ratios

Improved Employee Health and Productivity
The occupants of green buildings are healthier and more productive, because:
•    In the U.S., people spend an average of 90% or more of their time indoors
•    The Environmental Protection Agency cites indoor air quality as one of the top
five environmental health risks
•    Green buildings typically have better indoor air quality, fresh air flow and lighting, and positively impact occupants with natural light and non-toxic materials, thus reducing the risk of “sick building syndrome”

One of the main ways that unions, developers and companies are switching to green building in new construction or retrofitting is through green building certification programs, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program. The five key components of LEED certification are:
•    Site Planning
•    Material Use
•    Energy
•    Water Management, and
•    Indoor Environment Quality

The use of sustainable sites, innovative environmental design, enhanced use of air, energy, materials and water resources, and reliance on a certified workforce all earn points towards the four levels of the USGBC’s LEED rating system: LEED Certified (40–49 points), LEED Silver (50-59 points), LEED Gold (60-79 points), and LEED Platinum.

Why the new interest in LEED standards and green building?  The benefits of green building are finally been recognized on a large scale by all stakeholders.   Growing recognition of the need for, and benefits of, green buildings have resulted in:
•    An unprecedented level of government initiatives in support of green buildings
•    Heightened residential demand for green construction
•    New improvements in sustainable and non-toxic building materials

Some final facts about LEED and green buildings in the United States as of 2009:
•    Total square footage of Commercial LEED-certified projects exceeds 613 million.
•    There were 25,611 total registered LEED projects as of September 2009.
•    U.S. Green Building Council Membership has grown to more than 20,000 members, reflecting the expansion of the green building market

Getting Involved In Green Building
If you would like to get involved in the green building movement, you can:
•    Learn more at www.usgbc.org/education
•    Join a chapter at www.usgbc.org/chapters
•    Attend the Greenbuild Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org)
•    Become a LEED AP (Accredited Professional) (www.gbci.org)
•    Pursue LEED certification in your building projects (www.usgbc.org/leed)
•    Purchase a LEED reference guide (www.usgbc.org/leed)
•    Join USGBC National (www.usgbc.org/membership)
•    Become an education provider (www.usgbc.org/epp)
•    Encourage your employees to become LEED APs (www.gbci.org)

Information for this article was in part compiled by Mark Rutherford, Managing Director, Olympian Capital Group (www.olympiancg.com).