Topics from the Power Line: Making the case for green building

Question:

We are a 40-person architectural firm in Portland, Ore., 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:

Well-executed green development projects perform very well financially, well enough that mainstream developers are coming into the fold at an increasing pace.

Sustainable projects can pay off by doing the right thing environmentally, but the full cost and benefits of the measures must be factored into the calculations. Project costs can be reduced, green measures can cut operating costs for buyers or renters and designing a unique facility can give developers and architects a big marketing boost.

Direct impacts on bottom line

Traditional decision-making processes in the building industry often overlook many opportunities that actually save on construction and/or operation costs, improving the bottom line:

• Energy savings—Buildings designed to minimize energy use cost considerably less to operate. Using energy-efficient building materials and design practices may increase initial construction costs, but lower operating costs over the life of the building will more than offset the first-cost premium.
  
  

• Material reduction—Using materials efficiently and optimizing design make use of smaller spaces, which also reduces energy consumption.
  
  

• Water Conservation—Installing water-efficient plumbing fixtures and appliances, and providing low-water-use landscaping (xeriscaping) can add to the initial cost of a project, but will pay back in lower water and sewer bills.
  
  

• Site protection and enhancement—Preserving natural landscaping and integrating existing natural resources on your site can reduce landscape maintenance costs. The traditional wide swaths of green lawn are costly to maintain in both labor and water resources, and require fertilizer and pesticides which can pollute local surface and ground water.
  
  

• Maximized longevity—The longer a building lasts, the longer the period of time over which the environmental and economic impacts from building it can be amortized.
  
  

• Increased occupant health and productivity—The concept of "Total Indoor Environmental Quality," encompassing lighting, indoor air quality, acoustics and ergonomic office furniture and equipment, is a growing concern for businesses. Companies spend an average of 70 times as much (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. Many energy-efficiency projects are excellent investments based solely on energy cost savings, so a productivity improvement is gravy—sometimes lots of gravy. To a developer, these savings can mean higher lease rates and greater return on investment if the tenants understand the benefits.

Indirect impacts on the bottom line

Additional features of green buildings may not directly impact the bottom line, but could pay off in positive public relations. The building and the company could establish an image of being concerned for the environment and local community, making people feel good about doing business with them. Conversely, ignoring the impact of a building on the local environment could lead to backlash from customers and the community, negatively affecting the company’s bottom line.

Many of the following features are not unduly costly to implement, and some are required by environmental regulations:

• Low-impact materials—These resource-efficient materials use less energy for resource extraction, manufacturing and shipping. Some are produced from waste or recycled materials.
  
  

• Waste reduction—According to A Sourcebook for Green and Sustainable Building, 8,000 pounds of waste is typically thrown into the landfill during construction of a 2,000 square-foot home. Return, reuse and recycle job site waste by identifying construction waste recyclers in your area, what they will take and how to transport material. Consider salvage companies or non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, which uses donated excess building materials in building projects. Construction personnel can be trained to do on-site separation at little or no additional cost. Packaging, new material scraps and old materials and debris all represent possible recoverable materials.
  
  

• Emissions reduction—Buildings produce 35 percent of the chief pollutant blamed for climate change—carbon dioxide. Cleaner, greener buildings can make a big difference. For example, 8.4 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year would be eliminated if 10 percent of U.S. homes used solar water-heating systems.

Resources

• Island Press has many excellent titles on green building.

• Rocky Mountain Institute’s Built Environment Team works to enhance collaboration between all aspects of the built environment and to encourage sustainable, high-performance solutions through collaborative integrated design.

• Environmental Building News is an independent publishing company committed to bringing members accurate, unbiased and timely green design information.

• Green Building Concepts provides tools to build a more energy and resource efficient home.

• Sustainable Sources is a collection of Web sites, search engines and listservs to help create green building projects.

• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit community of leaders working to develop and promote best green building practices. The USGBC developed the Leadership in Energy-efficient Design (LEED) building rating system.

• Energy Star Program for Buildings and Plants offers guidelines for energy management, green building design, efficiency measures for commercial facilities and more.

• Green Building Resource Guide by John Hermannsson, AIA Architect, is a database of over 600 green building materials and products selected specifically for their usefulness to the design and building professions, rather than merely their green material content.

For more resources and information about green building projects, visit Energy Services’ Energy Solutions Database.

Resources

A Sourcebook for Green and Sustainable Building

Island Press

RMI Built Environment Team

Environmental Building News

Green Building Concepts

Resources (cont.)

Sustainable Sources

U.S. Green Building Council

Energy Star Program for Buildings and Plants

Green Building Resource Guide

Energy Solutions Database

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