Building Green

published Oct 1, 2007
Building Green
Eco-friendly, sustainable and green are terms often used to describe real estate with environmentally friendly architecture that can reduce energy and water use and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants.

The greening of a building can come from a number of design techniques including recycled rainwater, solar chimneys, rooftop gardens, geothermal cooling systems, natural ventilation, passive or active solar, tankless water heaters, double paned windows, reclaimed wood, Energy Star appliances, low-flow toilets and low water use landscaping.

The U.S. Green Building Council estimated the green building industry - an area that was rarely heard of a decade ago--to be worth around $12 billion for 2007.

While sustainable construction is one of the fastest growing segments of the commercial building industry, only a small percentage of buildings going up are actually green.

The buildings that do meet green standards save significantly on energy costs, a benefit that is likely to become more attractive as the cost of non-renewable energy sources continues to increase.

The leading designation for green building, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is given by the U.S. Green Building Council based on how well a building reduces its energy use and environmental impact.