:: what's green building?

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Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment--both during construction and through their operation. "Green building" is a loosely defined collection of land-use, building design, construction, and operational strategies that reduce these environmental impacts. Green building practices offer an opportunity to create environmentally sound and resource-efficient buildings by using an integrated approach to design: architects, engineers, land planners, building owners and operators, and constructors get together and design the building by looking for cooperative or advantageous relationships between parts of the project.

Green buildings promote resource conservation, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation; they strive to minimize environmental impacts and waste; they create a healthy and comfortable environment; they reduce operation and maintenance costs; and they address issues such as historical preservation, access to public transportation and other community infrastructure systems. The entire life-cycle of the building and its components is considered, as well as the economic and environmental impact and performance.

More and more designers, builders, and building owners are becoming interested and involved in green building. National and local programs encouraging green building are growing and reporting successes, while hundreds of demonstration projects and private buildings across the country provide tangible examples of what green building can accomplish in terms of comfort, aesthetics, and energy and resource efficiency. There are several LEED-certified buildings in the region that can be toured or studied, and often the owners of these buildings are quite eager to share the knowledge of the special features their projects posess.

Benefits of building green include:
• Reduced energy consumption
• Protection of ecosystems
• Occupant health

What is “Green” Design?
Design and construction practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants in five broad areas:
• Sustainable site planning
• Safeguarding water and water efficiency
• Energy efficiency and renewable energy
• Conservation of materials and resources
• Indoor environmental quality

Environmental Impact of Buildings:
• 65.2% of total U.S. electricity consumption
• 36% of total U.S. primary energy use
• 30% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions
• 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste in the U.S. (approx. 2.8 lbs/person/day)
• 12% of potable water in the U.S.
• 40% (3 billion tons annually) of raw materials use globally

[What's Green Building?]

Vermont Green Building Case Studies

Green Building Rating Systems