 |
 |
|  Green Building
When applied to construction or renovation, the word “green” (or “sustainable”) can mean different things, but generally the term “green building” refers to lessening the environmental impact and improving the efficiency and long-term economic performance of new construction and renovation projects. Green buildings are also known as high-performance buildings. Key to this practice is looking beyond “first” costs and incorporating life-cycle analysis and resource conservation measures into the site planning, design, construction, and operational stages of a project. While most green buildings look similar to conventionally built buildings, their operational costs are often lower because of the use and integration of high-quality, energy-efficient materials and products. Other benefits of “going green” can include better indoor air quality and increased occupant comfort and productivity. Heightened interest in environmental conservation and higher fuel prices in the late sixties and seventies spawned the green building movement in the United States. Through the seventies and eighties, green building design strategies and technologies largely focused on applications for single-family homes. As interest in sustainable building design grew, the federal government encouraged broader market acceptance through technical assistance, research, and economic-incentive programs. Examples of government programs established in the nineties include the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Commercial High Performance Buildings program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DOE’s Green Lights and ENERGY STAR® programs. New York City has since established a program by passing Local Law 86 of 2005 requiring many capital funded projects to be certified green buildings. Go to resources for more information about these programs. Characteristics of green building Principles exemplifying green building design include: SITE DESIGN AND PLANNING
MATERIAL AND PRODUCT SELECTION
CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE MANAGEMENT
ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE
WATER MANAGEMENT
INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) ENERGY STAR® program, and others have established common industry standards for green building and energy efficiency in buildings. The USGBC developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system in response to market demand for a common definition and standard of measurement for green building. Based on well-founded scientific standards, LEED emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. The LEED-designed rating system applies to all building types and sizes, including residential buildings and neighborhood development. The USGBC has developed LEED professional accreditation exams and workshops for professionals in the building industry. DOE’s ENERGY STAR® program also rates homes and has created guidelines for other buildings based on their energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. Energy Star’s Target Finder offers a performance rating scale to compare new building design with definitive energy goals. Portfolio Manager helps to monitor and manage the energy performance of existing buildings. The nonprofit Green Building Initiative maintains a green building rating system called Green Globes. This system is an American National Standards Institute accredited program that is assessed online and then verified by a third party. The NYC Department of Buildings has introduced proposed changes to NYC's Building Code that include new standards to improve the efficiency of NYC's buildings. The NYC Department of Design and Construction’s Office of Sustainable Design established the High Performance Building Guidelines and High Performance Infrastructure Guidelines to help integrate high-performance features into the programming, design, construction, and operation of municipal facilities and the surrounding infrastructure. They also have developed contract specifications and training for various green building categories. The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority, a public organization created to manage Battery Park City on Manhattan’s Lower West Side has created environmental guidelines for building residential and commercial/institutional properties on the property. These guidelines have resulted in a high concentration of green buildings within Battery Park City. Investing in alternative materials, energy-efficient technologies, system upgrades, or improvements to the building envelope can increase capital and construction costs. Going green requires builders to look beyond first costs and to factor in the long-term operational savings resulting from green building practices, along with any associated environmental, productivity, health, and community-related benefits. Incorporating the costs or economic value of these variables into a life-span analysis will often prove that initial project costs are worth the investment over the long run. The first costs of constructing green buildings have substantially decreased over the years due to the marketplace’s growing experience level in the green building arena. According to the NYC Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Estimated Costs of LEED Construction in NYC, first costs used to be 5 to 15 percent higher for green (LEED-certified) commercial and residential buildings. Based on an assumed average cost of $200 per square foot, first costs now range anywhere from 0.25 to 3 percent higher (for commercial buildings), and 3 to 18 percent higher (for residential buildings). There are examples of green buildings that cost the same or less than a non green building. In most cases, when there are higher initial costs, they are offset by decreases in operating costs over the life span of the building. It is anticipated that building costs for LEED-certified green buildings will continue to decrease as the architectural and engineering communities become more knowledgeable, construction firms gain more experience, materials become more competitively priced, and the LEED Building Rating System evolves to serve specific market segments, such as large urban areas. When determining the cost effectiveness of going green, it is important to look beyond initial building costs. Operational cost, worker productivity, and real estate market trends should be included in the cost analyses. While the use of green technologies can reduce the energy costs and other operational costs of a building; it is estimated that increased productivity, higher rents, lower turnover rates, and other real estate benefits create a much larger return on investment than cost savings from operational costs alone. With all of these factors accounted for, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), an international organization for surveyors, has determined that a green building “can provide significant competitive advantage to business.” Costs for building green can also be offset by a variety of government- and utility-sponsored economic incentive programs for businesses, institutions, homebuilders, and homeowners who invest in energy-efficient technologies or renewable energy resources. The NYC Department of Buildings proposed building code revisions include rebates for various green design options. Go to resources to learn more about economic incentive programs for green building. Green building in New York City Various entities throughout New York City — including office buildings (nonprofit and commercial), residential buildings (affordable and luxury), daycare centers, libraries, subway stations, and museums — embrace green building as a cost-saving, environmentally enhancing building alternative. Effective January 2007, Local Law 86 of 2005 requires most City construction and renovation projects to meet certain Green Building standards. Projects that cost over $2,000,000 must achieve a LEED Silver or higher rating. Projects of higher value are subject to more stringent regulations. The Department of Buildings proposed changes to the building code include efficiency standards for all construction projects in the City. Visit resources for more information on the law and the proposed code changes. Examples of New York City green building projects include: Office Buildings: Residential Buildings:
Public Buildings:
“Deconstruction” is the process of selectively dismantling a whole building to salvage components for reuse. Items typically salvaged during deconstruction include both reusable structural commodities (such as brick, lumber, and gypsum drywall), as well as finished goods (such as windows, flooring, cabinets, and trim). Although the demolition business has salvaged and/or recycled select items from buildings slated for demolition for years, the practice of deconstruction is relatively new. Deconstruction is a labor-intensive process, which some may view as cost prohibitive. However, in areas of the country where reuse warehouses and relevant recycling markets exist, deconstruction has proven to be worth the financial outlay. The Restore in Washington State, a nonprofit building reuse supplier and deconstruction business, estimates that from a typical deconstruction project, about 50 percent of the structure is reused, more than 30 percent is recycled, and less than 20 percent is thrown away. The Restore generally sells reusable materials for less than half the price of new products, while earning about $1,000 in revenues for every ton of material harvested. For more information, see “Deconstructing for Dollars”. Build It Green!, a project of the Community Environmental Center, currently runs New York City's only nonprofit deconstruction operation and building-material reuse center. For more information on Build It Green! and other deconstruction operations, visit resources.
|  |
|
|
|
|