GREEN BUILDING

What is green building?

A ‘green’ building is a building that, in its design, construction or operation, reduces or eliminates negative impacts, and can create positive impacts, on our climate and natural environment. Green buildings preserve precious natural resources and improve our quality of life.

There are a number of features which can make a building ‘green’. These include: 

• Efficient use of energy, water and other resources
• Use of renewable energy, such as solar energy
• Pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of re-use and recycling
• Good indoor environmental air quality
• Use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable
• Consideration of the environment in design, construction and operation
• Consideration of the quality of life of occupants in design, construction and operation
• A design that enables adaptation to a changing environment

Any building can be a green building, whether it’s a home, an office, a school, a hospital, a community centre, or any other type of structure, provided it includes features listed above.

Type of Green Buildings

Passive House

The Passive House Standard promotes airtight design by maximizing thermal performance and utilizing mechanical ventilation.

Developed by the Passivhaus Institut in Germany, the Passive House ethos help building operators obtain e superior thermal comfort and indoor air quality — without the need for conventional cooling and heating techniques.

Highly efficient design alternatives decrease a building’s energy cost significantly, providing a viable solution to increasing energy demands and associated expenses.

For this reason, Passive House has become a popular design choice for buildings undergoing retrofits. Any masonry buildings in New York City, for example, are receiving a Passive House facelift.

LEED

Another viable option for green building certification is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a rating system created by theU.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

LEED considers various aspects of a building’s design and assigns  ratings based on the satisfaction of credits and prerequisites. By embracing integrative design principles, LEED has become one of the most popular and comprehensive green building rating systems in the world.

At Stanford University, the LEED Platinum Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamasaki Environment + Energy Building stands as an example of sustainability in the built environment.

Net Zero Building

To be classified as net zero, a building must produce as much energy as it consumes.

The International Living Future Institute currently administers Net Zero Energy Building Certification, which can also be recognized by a HERS Index Score of 0.

The best way to operate a Net Zero building is to be as energy conservative as possible. One of the best ways to conserve energy consumption is to install an on-site renewable energy source.

For example, the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center–a LEED Platinum, Net Zero Energy Building located in Baraboo, WI — requires 70 percent less energy than an average building its size.