GREEN buildings and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) are common in the construction and design industry. The dramatic increase in fuel and energy costs plus the needed discussion surrounding climate change have pushed the environment into the fore front of public consciousness.
Even those that are not concerned with their environmental impact are now interested in energy use because of the impact on the financial bottom line.
At the outset, it is important to understand exactly what is meant by green building. Green building promotes building practices that conserve energy and water resources, preserve open spaces and are accessible to public transportation. The common definition of green referred to as “sustainable building” is twofold. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green building is defined as the practice of “increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their site use and harvest energy, water and materials.” Green Building also includes the practice of “protecting and restoring human health and the environment, throughout the building life cycle: sitting, design, construction, operation maintenance, renovation and deconstruction.
The LEED standards have become the most widely recognized measure for green design and building in the United States. They recognize five key areas of human and environmental health to be considered in building and construction:
- sustainable site development
- water savings
- energy efficiency
- material selection
- indoor environmental quality