How much does our style of building affect national environmental concerns? A lot, according to those who study the energy consumption of building, renovation and demolition across the country. Some of these studies mark the greenhouse gas emissions of the housing sector at nearly a third of the country’s overall amount, and the energy consumption at almost two thirds, as states scramble to provide more juice for an ever-growing grid. A lot of energy also gets invested into homes in the raw materials that are harvested and transported to the building site: some calculate it takes an acre of clear-cutting to build a standard wood frame house of about 1700 square feet.
But this can change: for the nearly forty million buildings projected for future construction in the next two years, a change to building principles could go a long way. But aside from cutting down on cost, what’s in it for consumers?
First, there’s the health of those who work and live in these buildings: research on the environment of most American homes shows a substantial percentage (up to one third) have poor indoor air quality. This causes a lot of health problems, including respiratory illnesses. A “detox building” plan would alleviate many of the issues that plague homes and other buildings using potentially harmful materials, and better health means better overall productivity.
Also, building with new environmentally aware principles can lower energy consumption for a better bottom line for owners and tenants alike. Green building often means smart building, with resources being efficiently controlled to produce the highest quality possible, with an eye to how vital electrical or other energy will be used.
And now, with the growing awareness that we are all in this together, building green can even affect sale price for buildings, as buyers pay more attention to these health and safety issues, as well as energy economy. In a lot of cases, adding energy-efficient aspects to a building plan can pay for itself several times over when the building is fully constructed and in use.
Working together, builders, designers, project managers and investors can make a difference in the lives of many people, while promoting good stewardship of our nation’s energy resources and even getting a better value in the process. With all of these great reasons, as well as possible future government or business incentives to build greener, more health-minded buildings, sticking with outdated construction practices would be a bad bargain.
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