Green Building

What is green building?

Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources - energy, water, and materials - while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment. This is accomplished through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal - the complete building life cycle.

It seems more expensive to build green. Will I really see a return on my investment?

Using integrated design and careful planning, green building can be cost-competitive with conventional construction, even on a first-cost basis. Some high-efficiency, healthy, and/or ecologically superior products do cost more up front, but pay back over time in terms of reduced replacement frequency (due to superior construction detailing or materials durability), lower operating costs (due to more efficient use of energy or water or by making use of resources harvested on site), less need for modification (due to flexible design), and other factors. Other paybacks are garnered due to creating spaces that are healthier and more conducive to productivity. These returns are external to the building balance sheet, but can be some of the most compelling reasons to build green.

Why Build Green?

Building green isn't just about improving your health or saving the planet. Today's techniques can also save you money and make your projects more marketable.
Green building techniques reduce energy and water use, improve indoor air quality, are sensitive to site development issues, incorporate environmentally friendly building materials and more. Building green benefits Design and Construction Professionals, as well as Building Owners and Occupants.

Benefits to Design and Construction Professionals

Developers and design and construction professionals benefit from employing green building practices in many ways:

• Market advantage - As demand increases for green buildings and the firms that build them, those that demonstrate expertise in green building will be natural candidates for prospective projects.
• Goodwill - Becoming known as a "green firm" can enhance your business’ reputation in the community and help you recruit and retain a superior workforce.
• Proactive regulatory stance - Employing design and construction practices that routinely exceed code means your firm is primed for future increases in code stringency, reducing ramp-up and retooling costs.

Benefits to Building Owners and Occupants

Contrary to popular belief, green building may not always cost more. If it does, a price premium of 1-3% can also pay back over time and provide the following benefits:

• Increased property value. As a superior product, a green building can yield increased value to the owner. For example, in addition to the payback efficiency measures provide over time, a "green" designation can also increase a building's market value as assessed by appraisers and investors.
• Increased return on investment. Upfront investments in green designs and technology can yield financial paybacks over the life of the building in the form of lower utility bills and reduced operating and maintenance costs.
• Enhanced occupant health and well-being. Access to daylight and fresh air and creating an environment free of toxins and irritants helps protect building occupant health and enhances well-being. This too can result in a financial benefit.
• Boost occupant productivity. Numerous studies show the productivity benefits of fresh air and natural light in buildings, and conversely, the negative impact of poor indoor environmental quality.

Green Building Certification

How are buildings certified?

a) Energy Star (www.energystar.gov)

A joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, the Energy Star program certifies all types of buildings - residential and commercial. Energy efficiency is the only building aspect evaluated and certified.

b) Commercial, Industrial Buildings, Schools, Hospitals
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) (www.usgbc.org)

c) Residential

• LEED for homes (www.usgbc.org)
• NAHB National Green Building Program (www.nahbgreen.org)
• Green Globes (www.greenglobes.com)

What is LEED?

The U.S. Green Building Council developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, and it is the foremost leader in rating new and existing construction. Different levels of green building certification are awarded based on the total credits earned in each of several categories: Site, Energy, Material Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Water. There are four LEED certification levels: certified, silver, gold and platinum. Also, LEED Building Standards cover everything from new construction, renovations, commercial interiors, core & shells, schools, retail, hospitals, homes and neighborhood developments.

Benefits of LEED certification:

• Lower operating costs and increased asset value
• Reduce waste sent to landfills
• Conserve energy and water
• Healthier and safer for occupants
• Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions
• Qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentives in hundreds of cities
• Demonstrate an owner's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility

What is NAHB National Green Building Program?

The National Association of Home Builders launched the NAHB National Green Building Program, an education, verification and certification program that will allow builders anywhere to build green homes. The program features a dynamic online scoring tool, which shows the builder how to accrue points in seven key green construction areas – Site, Resource Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Homeowner Education, and Global Impact. The program sets point requirements in each category for the bronze, silver and gold levels.

What is Green Globes?

The Green Globes system is a revolutionary building environmental design and management tool. It delivers an online assessment protocol, rating system and guidance for green building design, operation and management. It applies to new construction, fit-ups, retrofits and management and operations of existing buildings. It is interactive, flexible and affordable, and provides market recognition of a buildings environmental attributes through third-party verification. Green Globes is owned and operated by the Green Building Initiative (GBI).

Green Building Products

How do I know if a building product is green?
Green products fall under these 5 categories:

1. Products Made with Recycled, Salvaged or Agricultural Waste Content

• Products with pre-consumer recycled content
• Salvaged products
• Products with post-consumer recycled content
• Products made from agricultural waste material

2. Products That Conserve Natural Resources

• Products that reduce material use
• Products with exceptional durability or low maintenance requirements
• Certified wood products
• Rapidly renewable products

3. Products That Avoid Toxic or Other Emissions

• Natural or minimally processed products
• Alternatives to ozone-depleting substances
• Alternatives to hazardous products
• Products that reduce or eliminate pesticide treatments
• Products that reduce storm water pollution
• Products that reduce impacts from construction or demolition activities
• Products that reduce pollution or waste from operations

4. Products That Save Energy or Water

• Building components that reduce heating and cooling loads
• Equipment that conserves energy and manages loads
• Renewable energy and fuel cell equipment
• Fixtures and equipment that conserve water

5. Products That Contribute to a Safe, Healthy Built Environment

• Products that do not release significant pollutants into the building
• Products that block the introduction, development, or spread of indoor contaminants
• Products that remove indoor pollutants
• Products that warn occupants of health hazards in the building
• Products that improve light quality
• Products that help control noise
• Products that enhance community well-being

What is VOC, and do the low VOC adhesives work the same as regular adhesives?

Solvent-based products produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the curing process. It is these compounds that react with atmospheric ozone, along with particulate, to form smog. In addition, the effects of VOCs pose health risks for installers as well as homeowners.

New technology has made it possible for a few major sealant manufacturers (we stock Titebond GREENchoice) to produce high-performance, low VOC urethane/silicone hybrid sealants that are solvent-free, with no harmful isocyanates. It is important to know that switching from a solvent-based product to a low VOC or a solvent-free product does not mean that you will be compromising performance. The environmentally safe products perform just as well as their solvent-based counterparts without negative environmental impacts.

Are all types of formaldehyde the same?

In homes, the most significant sources of formaldehyde are likely to be pressed wood products made using adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. Pressed wood products made for indoor use include: particleboard (used as subflooring and shelving and in cabinetry and furniture), hardwood plywood paneling (used for decorative wall covering and used in cabinets and furniture), and medium density fiberboard (used for drawer fronts, cabinets and furniture tops). Medium density fiberboard contains a higher resin-to-wood ratio than any other UF pressed wood product and is generally recognized as being the highest formaldehyde-emitting pressed wood product.

Other pressed wood products, such as softwood plywood or oriented strandboard are produced for exterior construction use and contain the dark, or red/black-colored phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin. Although formaldehyde is present in both types of resins, pressed woods that contain phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin generally emit formaldehyde at considerably lower rates than those containing urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin.

SFI & FSC - Similarities and Differences

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) (www.sfiprogram.org) is one of the world's largest sustainable forest programs, encompassing more than 135 million acres of land in North America. SFI combines the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the long-term protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water quality.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) (www.fscus.org) is an international non-profit organization established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. Its main tools for achieving this are standard setting, independent certification and labeling of forest products. There are currently more than 23 million acres of FSC-certified forestland in the U.S. and more than 225 million acres globally. Approximately 16% of the worlds forests are certified according to FSCs standards.

 

Recommendation: Unless your customers are trying to build a LEED
certified building, SFI is a very worthy green alternative.