Sustainable Building and Housing Part Seven, Issue 26 Sustainable Building and Housing

Objectives After reading the assigned chapter and reviewing the materials presented the students will be able to understand: Does a “green” building cost more than a conventional one? What does LEED certified mean? Can buildings be made truly sustainable?

Introduction: The Noisette Project Noisette is a 3,000 acre sustainable community being developed being developed as a public-private partnership between the city of North Charleston, South Carolina and the Noisette Company. The $1 billion project will include over 4,000 housing units, a waterfront park, a 200 plus acre tidal creek preserve, and about 5 million square feet of retail, industrial, and commercial space. A centerpiece of the Noisette project is their plan to refurbish older structures and build new buildings and homes sustainably.

High Performance Building High performance building, also known as sustainable or green building, refers to making structures that are durable, are energy and water efficient, and have high indoor air quality. They are made of materials with low environmental impact. Construction protects natural surroundings and minimizes waste. According to the U.S. Green Building Council and The U.S. Department of Energy, construction and operation of buildings in the United States account for 65 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption, more than 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, 49% of sulfur dioxide emissions, 35% of carbon dioxide emissions, 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste, 12% of potable water use, and 40% of global raw material use.

LEED and EarthCraft Certification LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a point based system that certifies buildings according to the degree of sustainability, progressing from the most basic LEED certified to silver, gold, and platinum. EarthCraft House is designed specifically for the climate of the Southeast. LEED-H is a pilot program of the U.S. Green Building Council for homes.

Economics of Green Building The upfront costs for green buildings typically ranged from 0 to 2 percent more than for conventional buildings. Green buildings provide benefits to occupants that increase their productivity and decrease absenteeism. A study estimated that U.S. businesses could save as much as $58 billion in lost sick time and an additional $200 billion in worker performance annually by simply improving indoor air quality.

Residential Green Buildings In 2006, the average new American house was about 2,500 square feet, for an average household size of 2.6 people. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that for the year 2001, HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) accounted for 31% of the electricity consumed by households. According to the U.S. Green building council constructing a house with a tightly sealed thermal envelope, a high efficiency HVAC system, Energy Star appliances, and proper orientation could increase efficiency by about 40% compared to a conventionally built house.

Summary High performance building, also known as sustainable or green building, refers to making structures that are durable, are energy and water efficient, and have high indoor air quality. They are made of materials with low environmental impact. Construction protects natural surroundings and minimizes waste. According to the U.S. Green Building Council and The U.S. Department of Energy, construction and operation of buildings in the United States account for 65 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption, more than 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, 49% of sulfur dioxide emissions, 35% of carbon dioxide emissions, 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste, 12% of potable water use, and 40% of global raw material use. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a point based system that certifies buildings according to the degree of sustainability, progressing from the most basic LEED certified to silver, gold, and platinum. The upfront costs for green buildings typically ranged from 0 to 2 percent more than for conventional buildings. In 2006, the average new American house was about 2,500 square feet, for an average household size of 2.6 people.

Home Work 1. What are high performance (also known as sustainable or green) buildings? 2. What is LEED certification? 3. Is the upfront cost of a “green” building more than a conventional one?