What Is a Green Building?

Abstract

There are many definitions of what a green building is or does. Definitions may range from a building that is " not as bad " as the average building in terms of its impact on the environment or one that is " notably better " than the average building, to one that may even represent a regenerative process where there is actually an improvement and restoration of the site and it's surrounding environment. The ideal " green " project preserves and restores habitat that is vital for sustaining life and becomes a net producer and exporter of resources, materials, energy and water rather than being a net consumer. A green building is one whose construction and lifetime of operation assure the healthiest possible environment while representing the most efficient and least disruptive use of land, water, energy and resources. The optimum design solution is one that effectively emulates all of the natural systems and conditions of the pre-developed site – after development is complete. Breaking the Myth that Green Always Costs More… While many green materials and technologies do cost more, it has been demonstrated that many green strategies and technologies actually cost the same and some even cost less than traditional " not-so-green " technologies. By blending the right mix of green technologies that cost less with green technologies that cost the same or slightly more, it is possible to have a very green building project that costs the same as a conventional one. Often the key to a cost effective green building and site design lies within the interrelationships and associated cost and performance trade-offs that exist between different building systems. For example, the use of high performance windows and window frames increases the first cost of the building envelope, however the resulting reduction in the size and cost of the buildings heating and cooling system more than offsets the added cost of the better glazing system. The result is a building that has a comparable or perhaps even a lower first cost, a higher comfort level, lower energy use, and lower energy bills and operating cost for the life of the building. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA/DEP) recently completed two green buildings – the DEP South Central Regional Office Building in Harrisburg, PA, (USGBC LEED Bronze certified) and the DEP Southwestern Regional Mining Office in Cambria, PA, (USGBC LEED Gold certified), that are living examples of cost effective green building projects.