Green building refers to premium construction materials that offer healthier and longer lasting qualities than their traditional counterparts. Getting green certified also means energy and water efficiency and cost savings for the homeowner.
A downside to green buildings is that renewable energy components rely on the weather and don’t give homeowners full control over temperatures. Additionally, the costs of green construction can be higher upfront.
Energy Efficiency
The energy consumed by buildings accounts for a large percentage of the nation’s total energy use and emissions. Green building techniques aim to reduce this impact by incorporating efficiency measures into the design, construction, and operation of a structure. These may include solar energy, natural lighting, and water conservation strategies.
Another area where green building aims to reduce waste is in the construction materials themselves. This can be done by incorporating recycled materials or selecting materials that are biodegradable and/or renewable. Green builders also try to minimize material excess and waste through efficient building design and careful sourcing and selection of materials.
Green buildings are a key part of responsible urban development. The UN estimates that by 2050 68% of the population will live in cities, which use 78% of the world’s energy and produce 60% of its greenhouse gases. Green buildings help to minimise this effect by using sustainable methods for heating, cooling, and electricity production.
For example, some green buildings use photovoltaic solar panels to generate on-site power, while others employ passive solar design, such as orienting windows and walls to make the most of sunlight during winter and shade in summer. In addition, many green buildings use natural ventilation and heating to avoid the need for electric furnaces, resulting in significant energy savings. Some of these structures even harvest and use rainwater to supplement the building’s water supply.
Materials
Choosing green building materials is a major step towards sustainable construction. These materials offer various benefits, like reduced environmental impact and healthier indoor environment. They also contribute to the conservation of natural resources. For instance, wood for construction is a renewable resource that reduces the use of concrete and prevents deforestation. Other sustainable building materials include straw, cellulose, and cork. These materials have low embodied energy and are easily obtainable in the market.
Moreover, they require less energy for manufacturing and installation and are durable and affordable. Some of them even have natural insulating properties. These materials are also free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which harm the ozone layer. They are also able to regulate the level of moisture in the air, which prevents the formation of mold and mildew.
In addition, green materials are sourced from recycled and local sources. They may also be made of reclaimed and salvaged materials, such as bricks and concrete. There are also several new materials available on the market, such as bacteria-based self-mending concrete, which uses bacteria to fill in cracks and strengthen the material.
Another advantage of sustainable materials is that they have a lower carbon footprint. This is because they are made with fewer fossil fuels and are more likely to be made from renewable sources. They also require less energy for manufacture, installation and operation.
Indoor Air Quality
Air quality is one of the most important elements of green building, since it helps protect human health and minimize the impact of buildings on our environment. A building’s occupants are exposed to many airborne pollutants, including radon, tobacco smoke (ESB), gases released by fireplaces and gas stoves, molds caused by excessive moisture or dust, and chemicals from household and cleaning products.
These pollutants can be reduced by implementing proper ventilation and selecting low-emission building materials and finishings. In addition, displaying real-time air quality data can encourage occupants to invest in proper ventilation and to avoid the use of products that emit harmful chemicals.
Bringing in more outdoor air can have an energy cost that appears to conflict with our climate goals, especially when we consider that buildings consume 40% of the world’s energy. Fortunately, by using advanced technology to regulate HVAC systems and monitor air quality, it’s possible to achieve both.
Another strategy that improves indoor air quality is to force fresh, outdoor air into newly constructed and renovated buildings for 3 to 90 days during the construction phase. This will displace the toxins and odors that are generated by the flooring, paints, caulks, sealants, cabinets, work surfaces and other materials used during construction. This can help reduce the 40% risk that Americans face from polluted indoor air.
Life Cycle
Green building is more than just energy-efficient and sustainable, it is also a holistic approach to building design that includes a full life cycle analysis of the entire site and surrounding community. This is accomplished through a variety of techniques including passive solar building, recycled materials, biodiversity preservation, water-efficiency efforts and environmental impact studies.
The cradle-to-grave process used to calculate the environmental impacts of a building’s materials is known as life cycle assessment, or LCA. Green builders use this method to analyze the impact of each building material from its extraction through manufacture, re-use and repair, or even disposal and recycling. To perform an LCA on a whole building, specialized tools are needed.
Green buildings minimize the use of non-sustainable resources such as soil bricks, concrete and wood and utilize more renewable resources. They also utilize a variety of other strategies to reduce energy and water consumption, emissions and waste.
For example, some green buildings use rooftop solar and a smart grid to generate power, while others have awnings, double paned windows and other measures to help with temperature control. Green buildings also use rainwater collection, low flow toilets and other methods to conserve water.
The environment, building occupants and owners all benefit from green buildings through reduced energy costs, more comfortable temperatures and healthier working environments. These benefits, in turn, increase the value of the building and provide a better return on investment for developers.