what is green building

8/3/2019 What is Green Building

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Green is the new red, white and blue.Thomas Friedmann

After decades of policy change andenvironmental awareness, the concept

of green has now been accepted intothe American lexicon. As citizens,consumers and homeowners in anincreasingly damaged environment, weunderstand that we can make choicesthat support sustainable ways of livingand buying.

As Americans, greenhas become a way to

restructure our country and our economy.


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Energy use in America

America is the largest consumer ofenergy in the world. Most of it comesfrom fossil fuels and other nonrenewableresources.

39%of the nations energy needs go tosupply the construction of homes andbusinesses.

By applying green design to this largesector of energy use, we have a uniqueopportunity to make a large globalimpact.


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Buildings in the U.S., as a whole, are responsible for:

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12% ofthecountryswateruse

38% of thegreenhouse gas

65% ofwasteoutput

70% ofelectricityconsumption

The burden of building

40% ofenergy

use


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The Residential Sector of theU.S. accounts for:

21.6%of the countrys energy consumption

9% of the countrys water use 74% ofwhich is used by occupants of residentialbuildings!



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Buildings in America are responsible for

40%

of the total U.S. solid waste stream



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Looking at the numbers

All of these numbers point to the construction

and residential sectors of the Americaneconomy as being the largest users of energy,water and electricity and the greatestproducers solid waste.

By focusing on implementing green practices

into these areas, a huge step towardsenvironmental responsibility can be taken.


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U.S. Green Building Council

With this knowledge and a desire to createpositive change through green practices,organizations like the

United States Green Building CouncilLive Green, Live SmartSmart Growth Network

And dozens of others were formed.


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Communities takingGREEN action

Communities of green-thinking leaders,homeowners and businesspeople are

working to transform the way buildingsand communities are designed, built andoperated.

$$$$$$$Between 1997 to 2005,

forty-five states voted tofinance more than$30 billion worth ofconservation measures.


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How are people goingGREEN?Geothermal Systems

Photo-voltaic Cells

Recycled Building Materials

Local Purchasing

Reuse of Existing Structures

Wind Power


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Why Geothermal?

Geothermal technology is one of the most efficientways of heating._________________________________________

It uses a small amount of electricity to concentrateand circulate the earths natural heat.

No heating fuel is burned.

It replaces energy-dependent appliances by usinggeothermal energy to heat a home and its water.

Geothermal systems are reliable, require littlemaintenance and last for decades. They also

significantly increase a homes value.


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More on Geothermal

According to the EPA, geothermal systems savehomeowners 30-70% in heating costs and 20-50%

in cooling costs compared to conventional systems.

Heat savings30-70%

Coolingsavings20-50%


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Geothermal Incentive

Many electric utilities have

incentive programs andlow-interest financing programsthat can make geothermal systemsmore affordable to consumers.

One of the main reasonsgeothermal technology isnt used

more widely is simply becausemore people dont know about it.


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Photo-voltaic Cells

Photo-voltaic cells are devicesthat convert light energy intoelectrical energy.

Most people know them assolar cells.

As photo-voltaic technologybecomes more affordable and betterknown, it is becoming more commonin residential homes and businessestablishments.


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Reuse of structures & material

Reuse is the second arrow of the familiar three-arrowReduce, Reuse, Recycle sign.

Reuse of buildings and construction material can have a

major beneficial impact on lowering construction costs andenhancing sustainability of our built environment.


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More about Reuse

Reuse of buildings means working with the originalinfrastructure as much as possible while demolishing

only outmoded or unsafe portions. This repair orrehabilitation by construction teams spares the energyand cost of total demolition followed by newconstruction.

This process saves natural resources of raw materials,energy and water resources while preventing pollutiongenerated by transporting new materials, solid wastedisposal and landfill use. Buildings designated for reusemust be structurally sound and durable.


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Deconstruction & recycling of materials

Hundreds of used building material stores sell materialsfor construction and renovation projects. Lumber, bricks,doors and windows are salvaged mostly from remodeling

projects, pre-demolition salvage, and the growingpractice of deconstructionthe selective disassembly ofbuildings to reuse and recycle parts.

The EPA collaborates with organizations including the

Army's Construction Engineering Research Lab, theUSDA Forest Products Lab, and Habitat for Humanity todemonstrate, document, and disseminate best practicesfor the deconstruction of buildings.


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Reusing durable components

Typically, buildings made of concrete are the best

candidates for reuse due to the low-maintenanceand durability of the material.

Concrete and masonry exteriors are long-lasting,

and often designed with aesthetic detail andcraftsmanship.


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Reusing durable components

Windows, floor coverings, partition walls,mechanical systems, and plumbing can bereplaced and insulation added whilemaintaining the original concrete frame and

exterior walls.


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Health Benefits

Mitigates radon, lead-based paint and otherhazardous materials

Reduces presence of gas-off chemicals likeformaldehyde and VOCs.

Lowers dependency on fossil fuels and reducesemissions

Building green provides significant health benefits

Better ventilation, less mold and mildewcontent


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Other Environmental Amenities

Hard drive and walk surfaces made of permeable materials to

reduce water runoff

Besides reducing, reusing and recyclingmaterials, green building includes other

environmental amenities:

Lower monthly utility bills

Less dependence on oil by using local materials that cut

down on transportation needs

Healthy, productive work and home environments


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The Big Picture

Building and construction projects account forsignificant portions of US energy consumption,

economics, pollution and public health.

By implementing green building and SmartGrowth practices, we have a strategic way to

make a positive financial decision that benefitsthe health of ourselves and our world, whilestimulating a market segment that creates jobsand promotes education and energy-useawareness.

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The USGBCs pilot programalready involves more than 200builders and 1,600 homes in theU.S., including Affordable Housing

alternatives.

Communities takingGREEN action

As green education spreads, more people arerealizing that sustainable building practices lead to

lower utility bills and less exposure to unhealthyindoor pollutants such as mold, mildew.


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LEED Certification

The USGBC established Leadership inEnergy and Environmental Design (LEED)guidelines as a system to define and measure

green buildings.

LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark forthe design, construction and operation of highperformance green buildings.

LEEDs Green Building Certification and rating

system provides independent, third-partyverification that a building meets a certain levelof green performance standards.


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Other Environmental Amenities

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LEED certifiedgreen homesreduce energyconsumptiondependency

and can reduceannual utility bills byhundreds of dollars


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Holistic Approach

Alternative urban planning preserves open space,creates cohesive neighborhoods with local amenitiesand reduces dependence on fossil fuels.The community-involved process that produces this

land use planning is calledSmart Growth.


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Smart Growth

Smart Growth promotes green lifestyles byapplying the premise that common communityamenities be in close proximity to communitymembers in order to minimize transportation costs

and pollution, and to minimize the amount ofenergy needed to a bring products to consumers.


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Smart Growth

Growth is smart when it gives us greatcommunities, with more choices and personalfreedom, good return on public investment, lessdependency on cars, a thriving natural environment

and a legacy. Smart Growth Network


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Smart GrowthCommunities around

the nation aredeveloping in ways thatoffer more choices,protect naturalresources, use

resources wisely andimprove the economy Smart Growth Network


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Health Benefits

Green building and Smart Growthcommunity design strive to incorporatealternative transportation incentives, such

as planning communities in closeproximity to the places that people travelto most and promoting biking and walking.

Building green provides significant health benefits


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Green Design

One beginning point in the creation of a greener

future is through the use of Green Design.

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Green Design is a construction practice thatsignificantly reduces or eliminates the negativeimpact of building on the environment.


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Green Design

Green design makes use of local resources

including local labor, local products and localraw materials.

This intentional local planning aims to keep jobs in local communities and reduces thepollution of long-range transportation.


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The Bigger Picture

Green building and design aim to improve ourworld and improve standards of living by

targeting the largest energy-using parts of oursociety.

America can carry its pioneering spirit forward by

implementing holistic Smart Growth practices,including green design and green building, tobecome a world leader in environmentalresponsibility and public health.


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2007 Live Green, Live Smart, LLC


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what is green building

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