The Greening of Construction

It’s no longer a fad or a fringe activity. “Green” construction has entered the mainstream. And a growing number of contractors are running the numbers and recognizing that building environmentally friendly buildings may represent a significant source of future income. Green buildings now account for about 5% of commercial buildings in the marketplace, representing more than $3.3 billion in real estate. The National Association of Home Builders says that green residential starts will climb from 2% in 2005 to between 5 and 10% in 2010.

What’s Behind the Increased Interest?

The trend is largely being driven by the need for better energy efficiency. In addition, many consumers are demanding “healthier” homes. Contractors are responding by using far fewer chemicals, adhesives, and solvents in building materials and using more natural materials and wood from renewable sources than traditionally constructed homes.

What Makes a Building “Green”?

While anyone can claim that a newly constructed building is “green,” there is a voluntary national standard in which construction and renovation projects earn credits toward certification as sustainable buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system to evaluate the location, design, construction, and operational systems of newly constructed and renovated buildings. The LEED rating system essentially serves as a common standard of measurement for evaluating a building’s overall sustainability and environmental friendliness.

Need to Know More?

Since more than 435 million square feet of LEED projects were constructed in 2005, twice the rate constructed in 2004, it seems unlikely that the demand for sustainable buildings will slow anytime soon. If you think that your contracting firm might benefit from this growing segment of the construction industry, check out the U.S. Green Building Council at www.usgbc.com for more information and an explanation of the LEED system.