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Chapter What Is Green Construction? 1 Do you care about protecting the environment? Are you interested in topics such as energy efficiency, recycling, sustainability , and solar energy ? Do you like building things? If so, you might have a future in green construction. Green construction is the process of planning, designing, building, and operating structures in an environmentally responsible manner. It is also known as green building and sustainable construction . Any type of building or structure—such as a home, factory, shopping center, hospital, or office building—can incorporate green construction features. A structure may be built from scratch using green construction practices, or an existing building may be retrofitted to use solar energy, an

on-demand hot water pump (which reduces money spent on heating water), or energy-efficient lighting. At first glance, a green building may not look all that different from a regular building. But if you walk around inside and on its roof, you’ll see that green construction materials, building techniques, and components and systems have been used that allow the build- ing’s occupants to save money and energy, breathe healthier air, and otherwise enjoy the benefits of green construction.

■ ■ Installing a programmable thermostat allows users to monitor and reduce their energy usage.

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