What are Green Buildings?

Posted byPaola Nadeau on Sep 2020 in Business | 0 comments

Green buildings are becoming more and more common as people are more conscious of the environment and the effect that energy has on a budget. Green buildings are structures that are both resource-efficient and environmentally responsible throughout their lifespan. From start to finish, these buildings have every green aspect that enables them to save energy usage and reduce costs. That means that the design, operation, construction, renovation, maintenance, and even demolition phases should be considered for green improvement. In order to create green buildings, the design team, engineers, clients, and architects need to work closely at every stage of the project to make sure that all features recommended and agreed upon are incorporated. Green buildings can have conventional appearances with heightened concerns for economy, durability, comfort, and even utility.

New technologies are being developed and tested on an annual basis, but most green buildings make it their goal to reduce the overall impact they have on the environment and public health. The idea is to use energy, water, and other natural resources in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The building will also need to be able to reduce health hazards to occupants and perhaps even enhance overall productivity. Waste generation and degradation should also be kept to a minimum for green building standards.

Natural buildings are very similar to green buildings, but only on a smaller scale. Natural buildings use natural materials that are available on a local level. Green buildings have sustainable designs coupled with green architecture and many other aspects. The sustainability of the building means that it has to meet the needs of not just this generation, but also many to come without compromising on the level of productivity of building.

As of 2009, there were only 12 buildings that cost less to run because of their excellent energy use. The occupants in these buildings reported that they were more satisfied with the way the building worked than other commercial buildings they had seen in the past. In the future, green buildings should aim to reduce the environmental impact of buildings as a whole. There are a number of reasons that builders should consider creating green buildings including many social benefits (occupant comfort, improved health and morale), economic gains (cost savings, job creation & higher building value), and environmental benefits (reduced GHG emissions, resource conservation & climate stability).

However, sustainable designs can be hard to achieve. True green buildings have to bring together a number of skills and techniques in order to eliminate the impact that buildings have on the environment overall. In order to take advantage of renewable resources, these buildings often have to use sunlight through active and passive solar techniques, which can be more expensive than fossil fuels. They should also utilize trees by having green roofs and possible even rain gardens to reduce rainwater run off issues. The building materials also play a large factor in the green aspects of the building. Overall, it is a complicated process, but worth the effort in the longer term. The benefits include short payback periods on most renewable technologies, lower maintenance and operation costs, longer life of mechanical systems, like efficient LED lights that outlast incandescent lighting fixtures.

Associated Renewable Inc., an end-to-end energy consulting and carbon management firm is an energy consulting and carbon management company that provides energy efficient solutions to green buildings and multi-family residences including efficient lighting solutions for large commercial buildings.