Building 'green' has multiple benefits
Editor's note: The Energy Services Bulletin features real answers to real questions posed to our staff at the Energy Services Power Line. We hope you find it useful.
Question:
We are a 40-person architectural firm committed to sustainable architecture. How can we convince our clients that they should incorporate green design into their projects? They think being green is more expensive.
Answer:
Sustainability and green building is a complex topic, but well worth integrating into any building project.
Green buildings
In "green buildings" the entire life-cycle (cradle-to-grave, or manufacturing-to-disposal) of the building and its components as well as the economic and environmental impact and performance are considered.
Green buildings increase productivity, reduce energy costs
Current trends indicate comfort and productivity as the main supporting factor for green building design. Studies show that green structures reduce energy costs and increase work productivity and quality. It's possible that overall green design costs could be much less than what your clients anticipate.
Building green reduces emissions
Buildings are a major source of the pollution that causes urban air quality problems and global climate change. Buildings produce 35 percent of the chief pollutant blamed for climate change—carbon dioxide. Cleaner, greener buildings can make a big difference.
If 10 percent of U.S. homes used solar water-heating systems, we could eliminate 8.4 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year. Well-executed green development projects perform very well financially. Although some leading-edge developers have strong environmental backgrounds and goals, the financial rewards of green development are now bringing mainstream developers into the fold at an increasing pace. Many green projects do well financially by doing the right thing environmentally. Project costs can be reduced, buyers or renters spend less to operate green buildings, and developers and architectural firms can differentiate themselves from the crowd, getting a big marketing boost in the process.
Building green reduces landfill waste
Good design and use of high quality materials are two steps in accomplishing a reduced amount of recycled material. Reduction is one primary method of conservation. According to the Sustainable Building Sourcebook, 8,000 pounds of waste is typically thrown into the landfill during the construction of a 2,000 square-foot home.
By reducing the amount of waste going to the landfill, you also reduce soil and water pollution by eliminating the waste from sources such as solvents or chemically-treated wood. Most construction waste goes directly into landfills increasing the burden on landfill loading and operation.
Also, research salvage companies or non-profit organizations that will recycle your waste on-site. Donated excess building materials can be reused in new or remodeling building projects—such as Habitat for Humanity. A marketing benefit is a positive public image garnered by responsible and sustainable building practices.
Green effects worker health and productivity
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranked "sick buildings" as one of the top five environmental threats to human health. EPA studies have found that indoor air is generally two to five times more contaminated than outdoor air—in some cases, up to 100 times. According to a study by the American Medical Association and the U.S. Army in 1990, health problems caused by poor indoor air quality cost 150 million workdays and about $15 billion in lost productivity each year in the United States. An increasing number of building occupants are filing lawsuits claiming they are suffering from "sick building syndrome." Unable to establish that any particular party is at fault, plaintiffs often sue everybody involved, including building owners, architects, contractors and manufacturers of products used in buildings.
The concept of "Total Indoor Environmental Quality" that encompasses lighting, indoor air quality, acoustics and ergonomic office furniture and equipment is evolving. Worker health and safety is a big concern to business, especially in light of lawsuits brought on behalf of injured workers. Work environment impact on occupants is becoming more apparent. Lighting has been the most researched factor so far, and since 80 percent of our sensory input is visual it is thought to be the most influential on productivity. Lighting influences the ability to see well and has strong psychological and biological impacts as well. According to a study by the Rocky Mountain Institute, productivity gains of 6 to 16 percent, including decreased absenteeism and improved quality of work, have been reported from energy-efficient design. Since companies spend an average of 70 times as much money (per square foot per year) on employee salaries as on energy, an increase of just one percent in productivity can result in savings that exceed the company's entire energy bill. To a developer, these savings can mean higher lease rates and greater return on investment if the tenants understand the benefits. Most energy-efficient design practices are cost effective just from their energy savings—the resulting productivity gains make them indispensable.
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