6 Benefits of Green Building
Discover reasons to invest in sustainable construction and development.
Sustainable construction and development have been attracting more attention lately, but many still don’t fully understand the potential benefits of green building. If you’re interested in evolving your business in a “green” direction, consider using sustainable practices. If you do, you can reap a variety of benefits like these:
1. Reduced costs
2. Minimized waste
3. Better use of materials
4. Improved health
5. Market advantage
6. Contribute to a thriving construction industry
Learn more about these benefits of green building and sustainable construction below.
Reduced costs
The most significant benefit of sustainable development is how it affects your bottom line. Green building can cost less than a typical construction project because fewer resources (such as water and energy) are needed to complete the project. Green building can also help keep building maintenance and operational costs down after its constructed. The U.S. Department of Energy reported that Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) buildings had almost 20% lower maintenance costs than typical commercial buildings. It also found that green building retrofits typically decrease operation costs by nearly 10% in one year. We suspect these numbers are even higher now with technological advancements and other innovative breakthroughs.
On top of that, sustainable buildings can generate a higher return on investment as property values begin to soar in response to the desirability of sustainable features and design. According to one study, business owners saw a 10% or greater increase in asset value from green buildings.
Minimized waste
The environmental impact of sustainable construction may be another motivator for incorporating green practices into your business. It’s estimated that construction and demolition materials contribute to over 3 billion square yards of landfill space every year – about twice as much as what’s generated by typical municipal waste. This construction waste includes materials such as bricks, concrete, wood, plaster, glass, and debris. By recycling materials and swapping in sustainable products, this waste can be significantly diminished. In fact, LEED projects are responsible for diverting more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills and is expected to grow to 540 million tons by 2030.
Find more statistics about construction waste here.
Better use of materials
Sustainable construction and development projects manage water and other resources in a more effective and environmentally-friendly manner. Sustainable buildings can be designed with systems that recycle water, collect and preserve natural energy, and store and reuse energy accordingly. These and other improvements make for better building design, as well as more efficient use of materials used to build the project.
Find examples of sustainable construction materials here.
Improved health
The quality of outdoor air contributes significantly to the health and wellbeing of crew members and community residents. The National Center for Healthy Housing identified potentially dangerous chemicals lurking in some building materials, including chromated copper arsenic (CAA), formaldehyde, and perfluorinated compounds like PFOA. These chemicals leak into the environment and can cause cancer, endocrine disruptions, and other negative impacts on people’s health. By adopting a sustainable approach and using materials that minimize the exposure to toxic and harmful substances, we can improve the quality of life and health of our crews and community members.
Market advantage
Innovations in sustainable construction have helped the construction trades evolve. The market for green building is considered by some as one of the fastest-growing industries worldwide. Over 67,000 LEED-certified projects occurred in the U.S. in 2018, compared to 296 in 2006. This market is influenced by growing customer demand and the enhanced concern for how human actions impact the environment.
By adopting sustainable practices into your business now, you may gain a market advantage over your competitors and unlock new opportunities.
Contribute to a thriving construction industry
From 2011-2014, national green construction generated more than $167.4 billion in GDP and have created millions of new jobs. By investing in green building, you can do your part to ensure that the construction trades continue to thrive in Wisconsin in the years to come.
These benefits of green building make a case for switching to sustainable construction and development practices if they make sense for your business. Find more helpful tips for the construction trades on our blog.
Do you know someone who could benefit from our network of 4,000+ home building industry professionals? Encourage them to join the WBA today!