What is Green Building?
Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating buildings that have fewer negative impacts on the environment and human health than conventionally built structures.
How can I build green?
Green building techniques can be implemented in all stages of the building process and all aspects of construction. Some of the key issues addressed in green building include:
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy
- Water conservation
- Environmentally preferable building materials
- Waste reduction
- Toxics
- Indoor air quality
- Low-impact community development
Some techniques used to address these issues include:
- Installation of solar panels to meet electricity needs
- Using the highest possible percentage of local, recycled and renewable building materials
- Reduction of toxic paints and plastics
- As well as increased ventilation to improve indoor air quality
- Landscaping that uses native plants to manage runoff and reduce water usage
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) offers the most widely used guidelines for green building through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. LEED provides a series of guidelines and requirements for many types of construction and renovation projects in order to facilitate the use of sustainable building techniques. Based on the number of LEED green options that are implemented, a project can be awarded LEED certification levels of Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. The LEED Rating system provides a widely accepted benchmark for evaluating the efficacy of a green building project.
Green Building in Whatcom County
The Building Industry Association of Whatcom County (BIA) offers the Built Green certification program for residential buildings.The program involves completing a self-certification checklist tracking the specific techniques and technologies implemented in your green building project, which is then revived by a representative of the BIA and certification is awarded.
Why is Green Building important?
According to the EPA, buildings in the United States account for:
39 % of total energy use
12 % of the total water consumption
68 % of total electricity consumption
38 % of the carbon dioxide emissions
The built environment has a vast impact on the environment, human health, and the economy. By adopting green building strategies, we can maximize both economic and environmental performance. Potential benefits of green building can include:
- Enhanced and protected biodiversity and ecosystems
- Improved air and water quality
- Conservation and restoration of natural resources
- Reduce operating costs of buildings
- Improved occupant productivity, comfort and health
- Heightened aesthetic qualities
- Minimized strain on local infrastructure
- Improved overall quality of life
(From http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/pubs/whybuild.htm)
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