A green building is simply a building that is more energy efficient and therefore saves energy costs, emits less CO2 and is better for the environment. A building can be considered as green if actions have been made to save water, energy and materials in the planning, design, construction and maintenance process.
Economic: building green can save up to 50% on overall energy costs, attract 10% more tenants, increase your average rental price by 6% and improve your property’s value.
Environmental: Buildings consume 40% of the energy produced globally which makes them the single biggest contributor to pollution. By building greener, we can significantly reduce pollution and improve air and water quality.
Social: The OECD recently published a report saying that by 2050, air pollution could cause 3.6 million annual premature deaths worldwide. Reducing pollution through greener buildings could improve the quality of life of billions of people.
Any residential and/or commercial building has the potential to be sustainable, so whatever type of building you have, we can definitely help you make it green.
Surprisingly, utilizing green services and technologies doesn’t cost significantly more than traditional building techniques. One simple example is that just by making the switch to using local materials, you can both be sustainable and save money. Additionally, green buildings cost less to operate than non-green buildings. Using an efficient HVAC system or solar energy could save you up to 50% on your energy bills. If you need more convincing, we suggest you read this report by the World Green Building Council.
There are many government and privately run programs dedicated to offsetting the costs of building greener. In the US, many states have PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) programs that allow you to finance energy efficient upgrade to buildings Click here to see all PACE programs available. In China, to fit with the government’s new green policies, banks have started offering low interest rate loans for energy efficient measures. For your convenience, we’ve put together some financing opportunities in our library and we’re regularly updating it. Check it out to find the right financing for you.
The best way to assess your building’s “greenness” is to get it certified. Many certification programs exist depending on your location. The most common of these programs is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). There are 4 levels of LEED certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The more energy efficient your building is, the higher the level of certification. Apply here to get LEED certified or see all our green building consultants to get a customized energy audit of your building. While LEED is recognized worldwide, China has come up with its own rating system: The Three Star System. The system assigns buildings one to three stars, with three stars being the highest rating. You can gain certification credits in the following categories:
Land savings and outdoor environment
Energy savings
Water savings
Materials savings
Indoor environmental quality
Operations and management
Building green can have many positive effects on your business
Green buildings provide a cleaner and healthier work space which can improve your employees productivity.
Going green can enhance your reputation. Having a green building is a great way to commit to corporate social responsibility
You can attract more tenants. On average, green buildings boast rents 6% higher than non-green buildings.
Buildings are responsible for 40% of all the energy produced worldwide, which mainly comes from burning coal and other fossil fuels. Buildings are therefore the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. By reducing the energy use, we can significantly reduce pollution and help protect the environment. And the best part is that the effect is almost immediate!
Absolutely! You can do what is called retrofitting, which means implementing sustainable solutions in a building that already exists. Retrofitting possibilities are almost infinite. They include but are not limited to actions such as replacing your lighting with more efficient LED bulbs; improving your plumbing fixture; optimizing your energy performance by identifying the worst areas of your building; changing your furniture for sustainable, locally made furniture and installing rooftop solar panels or green walls.
Many solutions exist to make your building more energy efficient. Among the main ones are:
The use of solar & wind energy
Improving your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC)
Installing a green roof or wall
Better manage your energy with automation via intelligent technology
Changing your artificial lighting and manage daylight
Redesigning your space
Building Information Modelling
Email us to receive our green building report. You can also view our case studies and project examples at Seeder.cc