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Green Building Construction
Kyle Chadwick
Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School
Abstract
Global warming is a serious problem facing the world today as well as the world in the future. In order to stop or reverse this
problem, society must change, learning to alter what they use in order to be less harmful to the environment. Making buildings
“green” would greatly impact this problem. There are many ways for this to be done and more ways are being developed
rapidly. As these new developments arise, the cost reward for green building becomes more logical for the consumer.
Thomas Hartman, a heating, piping and air conditioning specialist stated that "a worldwide scientific consensus has
established that potentially catastrophic changes in climate as a result of human contributions to greenhouse-gas emissions are
likely within the next century if the current growth in emissions is not reversed" (Hartman). In order for greenhouse gas
emissions as well as other harmful pollutants to be reduced, a great change must be made in the way everything is
constructed. Green, or environmentally friendly, building construction is becoming a very popular topic in current culture and it
should be. The possibilities of green building are headlining newspapers, challenging engineers, and becoming lead issues in
government elections. According to Jeff Komblau, director of sales and marketing for Eagle Construction of VA, "We wanted to
reach under the finishes of our homes to inject quality that is not visible but creates comfort and is seen in the savings created
each month with a smaller carbon footprint" (Childers, 2008). Even local businesses such as Eagle Construction are beginning
to see the benefits of green construction. Although, when most consumers look at green products, they see an environmentally
friendly product with a hefty price. Most green engineered products are meant to consume less energy, saving the consumer
money in the long run. The big question is whether the consumer gains back the cost of green buildings or green engineered
products for the home in a timely manner, if at all.
New developments are made everyday in the field of engineering that are meant to save energy and protect the
environment. This is a very important time to be conscious of energy consumption, due to global warming. Naturally there will
be experts constantly creating new technologies in this field, but another big question is whether there should be rules and
regulations that force people to create or use green engineered products. While green building construction may appear costly
for consumers, new developments in the engineering field are providing increasingly cost-effective solutions.
Even though green engineering is coming to the forefront of society now, it has been around and developing for many
years. Solar energy is most definitely the greatest known form of energy conservation. Solar panels can decrease the energy
consumption of a building drastically by producing their own energy from the sun. In some cases, buildings can even give back
excess energy to the power grid. However, solar power is only ideal for certain regions. While some areas get lots of direct
sunlight every day, like Arizona, others get less sunlight or are often cloudy, like Alaska. This technology has been around for
quite a long time, but it is still growing in popularity, as well as quality (M.J. Sowick, conversation, January 28, 2009). An
unusual and expensive technology ten years ago is now a cheaper, more common energy alternative.
As influential as solar energy has been, the sustainable developments that are emerging today are numerous. The use
of natural light is becoming very popular in new large buildings. Buildings can have many skylights and windows to get natural
light deep into the interior. The artificial lights in the building could then dim or turn off when there is a sufficient amount of
natural light. This use of light was used in The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park (Green
building incorporates). Another building that greatly utilizes light, more close to home, is the new corporate office building at
Luck Stone in Goochland. There are many windows and skylights emitting natural light. Most of these windows face the north,
when possible, for the least amount of direct light. Direct sunlight into a building could lead to unwanted heating of the interior.
There are also small overhangs outside the vertical windows in order to block direct sunlight as well as reflect sunlight onto the
slightly angled ceiling. This ceiling then directs the light further into the building. Luck Stone is currently working on sectioning
off ceiling lights to put separate sensors and dimmers on them so that they adjust to different levels of natural light.
Green construction can be implemented through choice of building materials as well. Seeking quickly renewable
resources to build with decreases the amount of polluting manufacturing and slows the depletion of non-renewable resources. It
is also environmentally, economically, and energy efficient to use materials that are close to the building site, decreasing the
amount of oil use as well as air pollution. It would actually be very green, not to mention economically beneficial, to renovate an
existing building rather than build a whole new one. This would prevent the production of all new materials and save the
ecosystem that the building would be destroying.
While most of these green engineering techniques give back to the environment by decreasing the amount of energy
usage, some techniques can help the local habitat more directly. Green roofs are becoming more popular and effective. A
green roof is one with a layer of soil and vegetation growing on top of it. It benefits the building as well as the habitat in many
ways. It helps the environment, in that it provides a habitat for wildlife that was likely there before the building was
built. The water runoff from the top of a green roof also drains cleaner than it was before it hit the roof. Green roofs also benefit
the building, in that they are a great insulation, blocking out the hot sun in the summer, or keeping the heat from leaving the
building in the winter (“Green building incorporates”). Green roofs have actually been around for about 5 years and are often
put onto large city buildings. In 2005, Sun Trust Bank in Richmond "converted the top of a four-story building on Main Street
downtown to an 11,800-square-foot 'green roof,' covered with drought-resistant plants that consume carbon dioxide and absorb
storm water" (Springston, 2009). The Virginia Association of Counties also covered their 3,000-square-foot roof last year with a
modular vegetative roof system (Springston, 2009).
One technique that is still developing is the conservation of clean hot or cold air. The California Academy of Sciences
building has vents that open on the domes to let out hot air as well as motorized windows to let in cool air (“Green building
incorporates”). While this can control the temperature in a building efficiently, air quality is just as important, "since, on
average, people spend 80-90% of their time in buildings" (Ries, 2006). There is a constant battle between keeping a constant
temperature while using the least amount of energy and keeping the air fresh. Most home heating and air conditioning systems
advertise providing accurate temperature control as well as filtering mold, moisture, dust, and pollen. There is not yet
technology that can meet the same standards while using much less energy.
2.5% of the water on the Earth is fresh, 70% of this water is frozen, and less than 1% of it is accessible for human uses.
This makes water an environmental issue and water preservation a green engineering goal. There are many simple ways to
reduce the use of water. The corporate offices at Luck Stone use waterless urinals, low flow toilets, and a self-supplying
irrigation system, technologies that could be utilized in almost any office building. The urinals use no water and the toilets have
a 2-option lever for a light flush or heavy flush. The irrigation system gets its water from a man-made pond on the property that
constantly collects rain water and run-off. By collecting all of this water in a pond and filtering it, pollution can also be removed.
This system keeps Luck Stone from taking any water from the area to go towards irrigation (M. White, Personal Interview,
November 17, 2008). Although most green technology must “fit” the building and location, most of these separate technologies
that Luck Stone integrated can be incorporated into the planning of other large buildings or offices.
While most attention of green building groups is put on making large buildings green, homes and smaller buildings can
also use green methods. Homes may not always find it efficient to use the same techniques as large buildings in order to be
greener. For instance, it may not be worthwhile or even possible for a home on one acre of land to have its own run-off water
filtration system. There are many ways that these homes can be greener, but most of the technologies are dependent on two
factors. The region can affect what type of green technology would work because of varying climates. Solar panels, for
example, are only substantially effective in areas with lots of direct sunlight. A willingness to take a risk is also a determining
factor putting green technology in a home because most of the technology around is still new and has not stood the test of time
to prove its durability and effectiveness. One simple area that could save energy in any size building is the lighting. Natural light
is one approach that could be taken during the design process, but if that is illogical, the use of eco-friendly and energy saving
light bulbs would help. There are also different ways that homes could be heated and cooled in an energy efficient way, such as
a geothermal heating and cooling system. This type of system would use the earth's temperate conditions to regulate the
temperature in the building (M.J. Sowick, conversation, January 28, 2009).
There is a level of chance that would be taken in setting up some of these larger new systems. Sustainable technology
is a much better option than leading technology. Jorge A. Vanegas as well as others said in their Georgia Tech report that
"sustainability is a relationship, or balancing act, between many factors (social, environmental and economic realities and
constraints) which are constantly changing" (Vanegas). Leading technology, although unpredictable in results as well
as compatibility with different situations, is crucial, as it is the only way to reach a level of sustainable technology.
Although present day practices in green building construction are important, the real success lies with the future. The
future is what will transform the entire world into a place that is self-constructive, rather than destructive. Even more beneficial
than new technologies arising is the improving of existing technologies to make them greener, more user friendly, and
more cost efficient. Geothermal heating and cooling and water conservation techniques appear to be some technologies that
will be making major steps to improvement in the near future.
Rules impact people’s lives, whether those people choose to comply with them or not; but, is it possible to be motivated
enough to a point where rules are not needed? This is something that engineers and speculators debate. There are not
currently many mandated rules and regulations to follow for green building construction, but the level is increasing. The
decision to make a building "green" is primarily left up to the engineers and creators of the building. Sometimes it may simply
come down to paying more for the building upfront in order to advertise that a building is "green," but there are many hidden
benefits that can be overlooked at first (M. White, Personal Interview, November 17, 2008).
"In building design and construction, both green building and standard construction techniques are considered for many new
building projects. Final decisions are routinely made based solely on schedules and budgets, and the long-term effects are often
overlooked. The outcomes of these quick decisions can lead to short-term benefits; however, a careful comparison between the added
first costs of construction against the recurring, long-term associated benefits and cost savings are needed to conduct a more thorough
analysis" (Ries, 2006).
Robert Ries has pinpointed the problem with an easy transfer of technologies. It often does not seem economically
effective for a company to make changes, but most of the time if the company looks at the larger picture they will feel
differently. Still, some people believe engineers still must be forced to change their ways in order to revolutionize building
construction. Engineers, however, are not too fond of this idea. They know that new technology is not always reliable and it
must be tested and altered for a while in order to become sustainable. Engineers fear that a forceful approach to green
engineering may not be safe or economically rational. While worrying about these problems, engineers believe that green
engineering is already progressing as fast as it safely can (M.J. Sowick, conversation, January 28, 2009).
There are currently many forms of accreditation existent today that encourage green construction, and that is
what most of them do-- they encourage green construction, as opposed to mandating it. The largest one of these is the LEED,
or Leaders in Engineering and Environmental Development, Certification. Many buildings today are striving to gain one of the
few categories of LEED Certification. Seventy percent of new LEED Certified buildings fall under the new construction or major
renovations category. With each variety of certification, there come different levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Any of
the levels of certification would gain the accredited building acknowledgment as well as the obvious environmental and
economic benefits. As stated on the LEED website, "LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted
benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings" (2008). A LEED certification is
widely respected, creating an encouragement and acceleration of the adoption of green building techniques. LEED projects are
encouraged by federal and state public buildings. There are also LEED buildings in 41 different countries (2008). The
credentials of a LEED Certification for a new building are based off of six categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy
and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process (LEED for new
construction) (Yudelson).
LEED is even used as a standard in mandatory ordinances. Boston was the first major city to mandate the use of green
engineering in buildings. Starting in early 2007, any new building with over 50,000 square feet and any existing building over
100,000 square feet that is being renovated must obtain, at least, the minimum LEED Certification. Shortly after the
implementation of Boston's plan, Washington, D.C. passed a similar law, which “creates a ramp-up period that ends on January
1, 2010, after which all new projects must meet the LEED-certification level" (Abair). To encourage as well as aid the
mandatory green building construction, D.C. will provide funds from its newly established Green Building Fund, paid for by an
increase in building permit fees. Even more recently, Los Angeles passed a law in July 2008 very similar to that of D.C. and
Boston, with the 50,000 square feet limit (Abair).
One substantial proposed ordinance that is even more severe comes from San Francisco, California. The proposed
ordinance "would require that all residential construction over 75 feet in height achieve LEED Certified certification effective
within 90 days of the ordinance's effective date" (Abair). There would be a gradual increase in requirements until 2012, at which
point all major residential buildings will be LEED-Silver Certified and all major commercial buildings will be LEED-Gold Certified.
This ordinance would create an example for other cities, as well as directly affect the construction industry in Northern
California. This one ordinance in San Francisco alone would create a tremendous immediate impact. Jesse Abair, a
construction and environmental lawyer, predicted that
"through 2012 the ordinance will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60,000 tons, save 220,000 megawatt hours of power, save 100
million gallons of drinking water, reduce wastewater and stormwater by 90 million gallons, reduce construction and demolition waste by
700 million pounds, increase the valuations of recycled materials by $200 million, and reduce automobile trips by 540,000" (Abair).
Although the LEED Certification series backed by the US Green Building Council is by far the most recognized and used
form of accreditation, there are others. Labs21 is an accreditation that is specifically for labs and high performance facilities. It
is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy (2008, September 24). Energy
Star is another program sponsored by these two government agencies, although Energy Star is more involved with advertising
energy efficient products and practices (About Energy Star). Although they vary in specific tasks, all of these organizations
share the same challenging goal of making technologies more energy efficient and eco-friendly while still being cost efficient.
Green engineering has already proved to be successful in many large buildings. In Pittsburg Pennsylvania, a
new precast concrete manufacturing facility was built using green construction methods and was then closely observed to
identify the results. In the end, the factory's productivity increased by about 25% and its energy consumption decreased by
about 30% (Ries).
Green building construction is rapidly growing in both popularity and importance. There are many businesses that are
taking advantage of this change, while at the same time encouraging more change. There are all sorts of companies selling
green products, taking part in environmental activities, and encouraging in every way possible for consumers to go green. Tim
Thompson is the owner of Code Green, a small Richmond company that strives to put “green” into businesses’ agendas today.
He said that "People are becoming more attuned to the fact that a virtuous company is the company they want to do business
with." (Springston, 2009).
There is no doubt that a change must come quickly to halt a disaster that is condemning our planet. People may have to
alter their lifestyles in order to reverse the damage that has been done, and putting it off until tomorrow is not an option. In
addition to saving the environment, the growing intelligence of green engineering and building construction will help consumers
save money by reducing their energy consumption. As soon as new technologies are created, there is a constant evolution of
that technology until it is perfected, making it affordable and user friendly. If people harness these advances as they unfold and
are proven sustainable, then they will be taking the road that leads back to a healthy prosperous earth as well as money in their
wallet.
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