9781422276907

The Benefits of Green Buildings

• Green buildings (new or renovated) are worth 7 percent more than non-green buildings. • Researchers have discovered that better indoor air quality can lead to improvements of worker performance of up to 8 percent. • Workers in green offices with good ventilation recorded a 101 percent increase in brain function. Sources: Dodge Data & Analytics, Park and Yoon, Syracuse University Center of Excellence for Environmental and Energy Systems

• Consideration was made during the design process to create a building that is energy efficient and healthy for its occupants; that the structure will be resilient to events such as fires, flooding, and earthquakes; and that many of the build- ing’s rooms can be reused for a different purpose later (eliminating the need for costly and environmentally unfriendly remodeling) • Building materials that are sustainable or recycled/reused, ethically produced, and nontoxic are used • Efficient use of water, electricity, and other resources • Effective use of natural lighting (sun roofs, etc.) to reduce energy costs • Use of renewable energy such as solar and wind power • Building systems that reduce and reuse waste water • Good indoor air quality • Use of renewable building materials (because some nonrenewable sources are becoming rarer and more expensive) • Building systems and construction methods that reduce pollution and the destruction of the environment • Landscaping that mimics the natural environment, rather than incorporating plants and trees that do not belong in an area and that require more watering; one example would be planting grass in the desert

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