Going green used to be on the fringes of society, but now modern skyscrapers are being built using the philosophy. Here are some interesting things about the movement.
Green structures are not weird or ugly things. They are not necessarily geodesic domes or something that looks like a Mongolian Kurt. They do not have rows and rows of solar panels on the roof or a giant windmill in the backyard. At least, they don’t have to look that way. The truth is that most green structures are indistinguishable from any other building based on appearance. Although style can be modern, it is not how they look they makes them a green structure.
Green structures are not always new buildings. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for existing buildings (LEED-EB) program awards certificates to older building that incorporate green ideas, or make changes that support them. They also have standards for existing building that evaluate the environmental impact of work that has already been done. The green construction movement does not focus completely on state of the art type of technology alone.
The whole idea of going green is not an all or nothing proposition. Many people have the mistaken idea that this is so. They think that in order to be considered a green structure; it has to be built as one from the bottom up and from day one. The truth is that a building can be “a little” green. The idea is environmental protection and even the smallest change or improvement in a building that brings that goal closer makes it part of the green construction movement.
Green structures are not necessarily more expensive. Studies show that buildings consume more energy than any other sector. This includes even transportation and industry. So, energy savings can result in considerable money savings. Operating costs are often much less in green structures when compared to traditional ones. They are just more efficient. Commercial buildings retain and attract tenants better, and they lease and sell faster. There is actually a great deal of money to be saved through going green.
People spend 90 percent of their time indoors according to some studies. The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that the air quality inside a building can often be two to five times worse than the outside air. Green structures are not something that is of concern to “the other guy”; it can benefit all of us. We all live, work, and often play inside buildings. We all breathe the same air and drink the same water. It is our issue.
Zack Verde is with GreenBuildingCompanies.com - providing information on
green building companies.
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