Green building

Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to a structure and

using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle:
from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires
close cooperation of the design team, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages.
[1]
 The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of
economy, utility, durability, and comfort.[2]

Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating
greener structures, the common objective is that green buildings are designed to reduce the overall
impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

 Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources

 Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
 Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation[2]
A similar concept is natural building, which is usually on a smaller scale and tends to focus on the use
of natural materials that are available locally.[3] Other related topics include sustainable design and green
architecture. Sustainability may be defined as meeting the needs of present generations without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. [4] Green building does not specifically
address the issue of the retrofitting existing homes.

A 2009 report by the U.S. General Services Administration found 12 sustainably designed buildings cost
less to operate and have excellent energy performance. In addition, occupants were more satisfied with
the overall building than those in typical commercial buildings. [5]

Reducing environmental impact

Green building practices aim to reduce the environmental impact of buildings, and the very first rule is, do
not build in sprawl (spreading in disordered fashion). No matter how much grass you put on your roof, no
matter how many energy-efficient windows, etc., you use, if you build in sprawl, you've just defeated your
purpose. Buildings account for a large amount of land. According to the National Resources Inventory,
approximately 107 million acres (430,000 km2) of land in the United States are developed.
The International Energy Agency released a publication that estimated that existing buildings are
responsible for more than 40% of the world’s total primary energy consumption and for 24% of global
carbon dioxide emissions.[6]

Goals of green building

Blu Homes mkSolaire, a green building designed by Michelle Kaufmann.

Taipei 101, the tallest and largest green building of LEEDPlatinum certification in the world since 2011.

The concept of sustainable development can be traced to the energy (especially fossil oil) crisis and the
environment pollution concern in the 1970s.[7]The green building movement in the U.S. originated from the
need and desire for more energy efficient and environmentally friendly construction practices. There are a
number of motives for building green, including environmental, economic, and social benefits. However,
modern sustainability initiatives call for an integrated and synergistic design to both new construction and
in the retrofitting of existing structures. Also known as sustainable design, this approach integrates the
building life-cycle with each green practice employed with a design-purpose to create a synergy among
the practices used.

Green building brings together a vast array of practices, techniques, and skills to reduce and ultimately
eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking
advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar,
and photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens, and reduction
of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques are used, such as using wood as a building material, or using
packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to enhance
replenishment of ground water.

While the practices, or technologies, employed in green building are constantly evolving and may differ
from region to region, fundamental principles persist from which the method is derived: Siting and
Structure Design Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Materials Efficiency, Indoor
Environmental Quality Enhancement, Operations and Maintenance Optimization, and Waste and Toxics
Reduction.[8][9] The essence of green building is an optimization of one or more of these principles. Also,
with the proper synergistic design, individual green building technologies may work together to produce a
greater cumulative effect.
On the aesthetic side of green architecture or sustainable design is the philosophy of designing a building
that is in harmony with the natural features and resources surrounding the site. There are several key
steps in designing sustainable buildings: specify 'green' building materials from local sources, reduce
loads, optimize systems, and generate on-site renewable energy.

Life cycle assessment (LCA)

A life cycle assessment (LCA) can help avoid a narrow outlook on environmental, social and economic
concerns[10] by assessing a full range of impacts associated with all cradle-to-grave stages of a process:
from extraction of raw materials through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and
maintenance, and disposal or recycling. Impacts taken into account include (among others) embodied
energy, global warming potential, resource use, air pollution, water pollution, and waste.

In terms of green building, the last few years have seen a shift away from a prescriptive approach, which
assumes that certain prescribed practices are better for the environment, toward the scientific evaluation
of actual performance through LCA.

Although LCA is widely recognized as the best way to evaluate the environmental impacts of buildings
(ISO 14040 provides a recognized LCA methodology), it is not yet a consistent requirement of green
building rating systems and codes, despite the fact that embodied energy and other life cycle impacts are
critical to the design of environmentally responsible buildings.

In North America, LCA is rewarded to some extent in the Green Globes® rating system, and is part of the
new American National Standard based on Green Globes,ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green Building Protocol for
Commercial Buildings. LCA is also included as a pilot credit in the LEED system, though a decision has
not been made as to whether it will be incorporated fully into the next major revision. The state of
California also included LCA as a voluntary measure in its 2010 draft Green Building Standards Code.

Although LCA is often perceived as overly complex and time consuming for regular use by design
professionals, research organizations such as BRE in the UK and the Athena Sustainable Materials
Institute in North America are working to make it more accessible.

In the UK, the BRE Green Guide to Specifications offers ratings for 1,500 building materials based on
LCA.

In North America, the ATHENA® EcoCalculator for Assemblies provides LCA results for several hundred
common building assembles based on data generated by its more complex parent software, the
ATHENA® Impact Estimator for Buildings. (The EcoCalculator is available free at www.athenasmi.org.)
Athena software tools are especially useful early in the design process when material choices have far-
reaching implications for overall environmental impact. They allow designers to experiment with different
material mixes to achieve the most effective combination.

A more product-oriented tool is the BEES® (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability)
software,[11] which combines environmental measures with economic indicators to provide a final rating.
Particularly useful at the specification and procurement stage of a project, BEES 4.0 includes data on 230
products (including generic and manufacturer brands) such as siding and sheathing.

[edit]Siting and structure design efficiency

See also:  Sustainable design
The foundation of any construction project is rooted in the concept and design stages. The concept stage,
in fact, is one of the major steps in a project life cycle, as it has the largest impact on cost and
performance.[12] In designing environmentally optimal buildings, the objective is to minimize the total
environmental impact associated with all life-cycle stages of the building project. However, building as a
process is not as streamlined as an industrial process, and varies from one building to the other, never
repeating itself identically. In addition, buildings are much more complex products, composed of a
multitude of materials and components each constituting various design variables to be decided at the
design stage. A variation of every design variable may affect the environment during all the building's
relevant life-cycle stages.[13]

[edit]Energy efficiency
Main articles:  Low-energy house  and Zero-energy building

An eco-house at Findhorn Ecovillage with a turf roof and solar panels

Green buildings often include measures to reduce energy consumption – both the embodied energy
required to extract, process, transport and install building materials and operating energy to provide
services such as heating and power for equipment.

As high-performance buildings use less operating energy, embodied energy has assumed much greater
importance – and may make up as much as 30% of the overall life cycle energy consumption. Studies
such as the U.S. LCI Database Project [14] show buildings built primarily with wood will have a lower
embodied energy than those built primarily with brick, concrete or steel. [15]

To reduce operating energy use, high-efficiency windows and insulation in walls, ceilings, and floors
increase the efficiency of the building envelope, (the barrier between conditioned and unconditioned
space). Another strategy, passive solar building design, is often implemented in low-energy homes.
Designers orient windows and walls and place awnings, porches, and trees [16] to shade windows and
roofs during the summer while maximizing solar gain in the winter. In addition, effective window
placement (daylighting) can provide more natural light and lessen the need for electric lighting during the
day. Solar water heating further reduces energy costs.

Onsite generation of renewable energy through solar power, wind power, hydro power, or biomass can

significantly reduce the environmental impact of the building. Power generation is generally the most
expensive feature to add to a building.
[edit]Water efficiency
See also:  Water conservation

Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives in sustainable building. One
critical issue of water consumption is that in many areas, the demands on the supplying aquifer exceed its
ability to replenish itself. To the maximum extent feasible, facilities should increase their dependence on
water that is collected, used, purified, and reused on-site. The protection and conservation of water
throughout the life of a building may be accomplished by designing for dual plumbing that recycles water
in toilet flushing. Waste-water may be minimized by utilizing water conserving fixtures such as ultra-low
flush toilets and low-flow shower heads. Bidets help eliminate the use of toilet paper, reducing sewer
traffic and increasing possibilities of re-using water on-site. Point of use water treatment and heating
improves both water quality and energy efficiency while reducing the amount of water in circulation. The
use of non-sewage andgreywater for on-site use such as site-irrigation will minimize demands on the local
aquifer.[17]

[edit]Materials efficiency
See also:  Sustainable architecture

Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include lumber from forests that have been certified to
a third-party forest standard, rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo and straw,dimension stone,
recycled stone, recycled metal, and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or
recyclable (e.g., Trass, Linoleum, sheep wool, panels made from paper flakes,compressed earth block,
adobe, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, vermiculite, flax linen, sisal, seagrass, cork, expanded clay
grains, coconut, wood fibre plates, calcium sand stone, concrete(high and ultra high performance, roman
self-healing concrete[18]), etc.[19][20]) The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) also suggests using
recycled industrial goods, such as coal combustion products, foundry sand, and demolition debris in
construction projects [21] Building materials should be extracted and manufactured locally to the building
site to minimize the energy embedded in their transportation. Where possible, building elements should
be manufactured off-site and delivered to site, to maximise benefits of off-site manufacture including
minimising waste, maximising recycling (because manufacture is in one location), high quality elements,
better OHS management, less noise and dust.

[edit]Indoor environmental quality enhancement

See also:  Indoor Air Quality

The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) category in LEED standards, one of the five environmental
categories, was created to provide comfort, well-being, and productivity of occupants. The LEED IEQ
category addresses design and construction guidelines especially: indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal
quality, and lighting quality.[22]

Indoor Air Quality seeks to reduce volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and other air impurities such as
microbial contaminants. Buildings rely on a properly designed ventilation system (passively/naturally- or
mechanically-powered) to provide adequate ventilation of cleaner air from outdoors or recirculated,
filtered air as well as isolated operations (kitchens, dry cleaners, etc.) from other occupancies. During the
design and construction process choosing construction materials and interior finish products with zero or
low VOC emissions will improve IAQ. Most building materials and cleaning/maintenance products emit
gases, some of them toxic, such as many VOCs including formaldehyde. These gases can have a
detrimental impact on occupants' health, comfort, and productivity. Avoiding these products will increase
a building's IEQ. LEED,[23] HQE[24] and Green Star contain specifications on use of low-emitting interior.
Draft LEED 2012[25] is about to expand the scope of the involved products. BREEAM [26] limits
formaldehyde emissions, no other VOCs.

Also important to indoor air quality is the control of moisture accumulation (dampness) leading to mold
growth and the presence of bacteria and viruses as well as dust mites and other organisms and
microbiological concerns. Water intrusion through a building's envelope or water condensing on cold
surfaces on the building's interior can enhance and sustain microbial growth. A well-insulated and tightly-
sealed envelope will reduce moisture problems but adequate ventilation is also necessary to eliminate
moisture from sources indoors including human metabolic processes, cooking, bathing, cleaning, and
other activities.

Personal temperature and airflow control over the HVAC system coupled with a properly
designed building envelope will also aid in increasing a building's thermal quality. Creating a high
performance luminous environment through the careful integration of daylight and electrical light sources
will improve on the lighting quality and energy performance of a structure. [17][27]

Solid wood products, particularly flooring, are often specified in environments where occupants are known
to have allergies to dust or other particulates. Wood itself is considered to be hypo-allergenic and its
smooth surfaces prevent the buildup of particles common in soft finishes like carpet. The Asthma and
Allergy Foundation of American recommends hardwood, vinyl, linoleum tile or slate flooring instead of
carpet.[28] The use of wood products can also improve air quality by absorbing or releasing moisture in the
air to moderate humidity.[29]

Interactions among all the indoor components and the occupants together form the processes that
determine the indoor air quality. Extensive investigation of such processes is the subject of indoor air
scientific research and is well documented in the journal Indoor Air, available
at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0905-6947. An extensive set of resources on
indoor air quality is available at http://www.buildingecology.com/iaq.[30]

[edit]Operations and maintenance optimization

No matter how sustainable a building may have been in its design and construction, it can only remain so
if it is operated responsibly and maintained properly. Ensuring operations and maintenance(O&M)
personnel are part of the project's planning and development process will help retain the green criteria
designed at the onset of the project.[31] Every aspect of green building is integrated into the O&M phase of
a building's life. The addition of new green technologies also falls on the O&M staff. Although the goal of
waste reduction may be applied during the design, construction and demolition phases of a building's life-
cycle, it is in the O&M phase that green practices such as recycling and air quality enhancement take
place.

[edit]Waste reduction
Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used during construction.
For example, in California nearly 60% of the state's waste comes from commercial buildings [32] During the
construction phase, one goal should be to reduce the amount of material going to landfills. Well-designed
buildings also help reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants as well, by providing on-site
solutions such as compost bins to reduce matter going to landfills.
To reduce the amount of wood that goes to landfill, Neutral Alliance (a coalition of government, NGOs and
the forest industry) created the website dontwastewood.com. The site includes a variety of resources for
regulators, municipalities, developers, contractors, owner/operators and individuals/homeowners looking
for information on wood recycling.

When buildings reach the end of their useful life, they are typically demolished and hauled to landfills.
Deconstruction is a method of harvesting what is commonly considered "waste" and reclaiming it into
useful building material.[33] Extending the useful life of a structure also reduces waste – building materials
such as wood that are light and easy to work with make renovations easier. [34]

To reduce the impact on wells or water treatment plants, several options exist. "Greywater", wastewater
from sources such as dishwashing or washing machines, can be used for subsurface irrigation, or if
treated, for non-potable purposes, e.g., to flush toilets and wash cars. Rainwater collectors are used for
similar purposes.

Centralized wastewater treatment systems can be costly and use a lot of energy. An alternative to this
process is converting waste and wastewater into fertilizer, which avoids these costs and shows other
benefits. By collecting human waste at the source and running it to a semi-centralized biogas plant with
other biological waste, liquid fertilizer can be produced. This concept was demonstrated by a settlement in
Lubeck Germany in the late 1990s. Practices like these provide soil with organic nutrients and
create carbon sinks that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, offsetting greenhouse
gas emission. Producing artificial fertilizer is also more costly in energy than this process.[35]

[edit]Cost and payoff

The most criticized issue about constructing environmentally friendly buildings is the price. Photo-voltaics,
new appliances, and modern technologies tend to cost more money. Most green buildings cost a
premium of <2%, but yield 10 times as much over the entire life of the building. [36] The stigma is between
the knowledge of up-front cost[37] vs. life-cycle cost. The savings in money come from more efficient use of
utilities which result in decreased energy bills. It is projected that different sectors could save $130 Billion
on energy bills.[38] Also, higher worker or student productivity can be factored into savings and cost
deductions.

Studies have shown over a 20 year life period, some green buildings have yielded $53 to $71 per square
foot back on investment.[39] Confirming the rentability of green building investments, further studies of the
commercial real estate market have found that LEED and Energy Star certified buildings achieve
significantly higher rents, sale prices and occupancy rates as well as lower capitalization rates potentially
reflecting lower investment risk.[40][41][42]

[edit]Regulation and operation

As a result of the increased interest in green building concepts and practices, a number of organizations
have developed standards, codes and rating systems that let government regulators, building
professionals and consumers embrace green building with confidence. In some cases, codes are written
so local governments can adopt them as bylaws to reduce the local environmental impact of buildings.

Green building rating systems such as BREEAM (United Kingdom), LEED (United States and Canada),
DGNB (Germany) and CASBEE (Japan) help consumers determine a structure’s level of environmental
performance. They award credits for optional building features that support green design in categories
such as location and maintenance of building site, conservation of water, energy, and building materials,
and occupant comfort and health. The number of credits generally determines the level of achievement. [43]

Green building codes and standards, such as the International Code Council’s draft International Green
Construction Code,[44] are sets of rules created by standards development organizations that establish
minimum requirements for elements of green building such as materials or heating and cooling.

ISO 21931

ISO/TS 21931:2006, Sustainability in building construction—Framework for methods of assessment for

environmental performance of construction works—Part 1: Buildings, is intended to provide a general
framework for improving the quality and comparability of methods for assessing the environmental
performance of buildings. It identifies and describes issues to be taken into account when using methods
for the assessment of environmental performance for new or existing building properties in the design,
construction, operation, refurbishment and deconstruction stages. It is not an assessment system in itself
but is intended be used in conjunction with, and following the principles set out in, the ISO 14000 series of
standards.

Green Buildings are Eco Friendly Structures

When the pre historic man constructed a hut for the first time using bamboo trees and coconut leaves to
protect himself from sun and rain, he was starting to exploit nature for his humble needs. Apart from killing
the trees he also disturbed the natural habital of the insects and birds in those trees and interfered in the
cycles of nature. That was a beginning.

Now, it is beyond imagination, how much damage has been inflicted on earth by the construction of
various types of buildings using sand and water from the rivers, stones from the mountains, cement
manufactured from the ingredients dug from the land. In addition, carbon emission from the buildings and
manufacture of construction materials warm up the air and space.

But, after getting conscious about the environment and after feeling the environmental responsibilities, the
way our people try to address this problem is wonderful. One of the intelligent initiative is the concept of
“Green Buildings”.

The concept of Green Buildings envision a new approach to save water, energy and material resources in
the construction and maintenance of the buildings and can reduce or eliminate the adverse impact of
buildings on the environment and occupants.

By preferring Green Building over a conventional building we help this planet earth and the people to
retain nature to a maximum extent possible in three ways with reference to the location of the buildings.

1. Retain the external environment at the location of the building.

2. Improve internal environment for the occupants
3. Preserve the environment at places far away from the building

Green Buildings Retain the Environment at the location of the Building.

Suppose we propose a multistoried office complex to accommodate thousands of officers and staff, it
requires a vast area. Therefore selection of a site for such a building complex should consider retention of
local vegetation, wild life, natural water courses etc. Either a site with bio diversity should be avoided or
the building should be planned to reduce site disturbance.

Land :The landscaping and the exterior design in a green building shall be in such a way that there is
more shaded area, the light trespass is eliminated and local species of plants are grown.
Water : The green building by its design and shape shall not disrupt the natural water flows, it should
orient and stand just like a tree. Rain falling over the whole area of the complex shall be harvested in full
either to replenish the ground water table in and around the building or to be utilized in the services of the
building. The toilets shall be fitted with low flesh fixtures. The plumbing system should have separate lines
for drinking and flushing. Grey water from kitchenette, bath and laundry shall be treated and reused for
gardening or in cooling towers of air conditioning.
Energy: The solar energy at the top of a green building is harvested to supplement the conventional
energy,. The natural light is harvested in the intermediate floors to minimize the usage of electricity.
Sunlight is restricted by the high grown trees outside the lower floors of the building. High efficiency light
fixtures make a pleasant lighting apart from saving the energy. High-efficiency windows and insulation in
walls, ceilings, and floors are used for the benefit of better temperature control.
Green buildings improve internal environment for the occupants
Light: In a designed green building the occupants shall feel as if they are in outdoor location. The interior
and exterior designs shall go hand in hand by blending the natural and artificial lighting and presenting
transparent views wherever possible.
Air: In the air conditioned environment, a green building shall be specially equipped to ensure the Indoor
Air Quality for a healthy atmosphere. Even the nasal feelings shall be pleasant free from the odour of
paints and furnishings.
A comfortable atmosphere at work stations improve the attendance of the staff and increase the
productivity.

Green buildings preserve the environment at places far away from the buildings.
We all know that a building is constructed using cement, sand, steel, stones, bricks, and a lot of finishing
materials. These materials are quarried or procured from far way from the location of the buildings.
Building materials are responsible for about 20 percent of the greenhouse gasses emitted by a building
during its lifetime,.

Green buildings shall use the products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable
wherever possible. Locally manufactured products are prefered so that the collective material
environment of the locality remains a constant and moreover the fuel for the transport of materials is
saved.

As we see, our food and domestic products are tagged with green as a fashion of eco friendly practices,
building materials are also going green. The futuristic green buildings are to use green materials which
are in research stage now.

LEED GREEN BUILDINGS RATING SYSTEM

The Buildings constructed based on the Green concepts should confirm to the prescribed standards.
There should be continuous assessment and and monitoring from the planning/design stage upto the
completion of construction, for declaring a building as a Green Building.

For this, LEED ( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ) Green Building Rating system is
followed. In this system points are awarded for adopting Green concepts in various categories and the
Buildings are certified Green at levels such as Silver, Gold or Platinam based on the total number of
points they get in LEED Rating.