Building Green Garners Environmental and Financial Rewards

Building green commercial buildings and residences offer many benefits to the occupiers of these buildings, to the owners and also to the builders. There is also a social imperative to building green as global warming becomes a more real threat to the environment. What signals a green building project are the lowered carbon emissions that will be generated by the building and the reduced environmental impact.

The building’s green qualities show up in many ways. Typically, green buildings will use a higher than average number of recycled building materials.  Showers and toilets will be low flow.  Rain water may be recaptured to use in landscaping and for plumbing needs.  Lumber will come from newer growth timber sources that are trackable.  As many materials as possible will come from local sources. Energy efficient doors and windows will be used with low E-coatings.  Carpets and other flooring will be of natural fibers or woods.  Special paints will be used. There will be a special effort to align the building for maximum lighting and heating from the sun. Building debris will be recycled.  Each of these energy-saving efforts will earn credits toward a higher LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification level.

It is important in creating a green building project to put a LEED accredited architect or contractor in charge of the project.  The LEED standards require that the person in charge from the design angle be LEED certified. Many others working on the project may well also get accredited, but at least the lead person must be. The testing for LEED accreditation, as well as the building certification, is handled by the U.S. Green Building Council.

A critical step in making a commercial building or home a green building is the use of a renewable energy source for heating, cooling and hot water. Systems that will qualify both commercial and residential projects for the energy tax credit, as well as for some state and local rebates, are solar systems, geothermal, biomass and small wind technologies.

In addition to qualifying for the federal energy tax credit builders or homeowners can qualify for special incentives from some state and local governments. Specifically:

Chandler, AZ–Expedited plan review and certification fee reimbursement for green buildings.

California– Marin (waiver of energy fee; fast track permitting, free technical assistance), San Diego (building permit and photovoltaic plan check fees are waived and the process is fasttracked), and Santa Monica (priority plan check for LEED buildings) all have green building incentive programs.

Florida– Miami-Dade has an expedited permitting process for green buildings buildings with solar heating and hot water systems are subject to fast tracking whether for commercial or residential in unincorporated Dade County and West Miami.

Illinois– Chicago has a Green Permit Program (fast track permits, and waiver of some code review fees).

North Carolina– offers local option green building incentive programs and Mecklenburg County specifically has a Green Permit Rebate Program. (Local option allows NC communities to waive permits and fees and provide other incentives to builders who reduce energy consumption significantly. Mecklenburg specifically will waive up to $100K in permits and fees for LEED certified buildings.

Arlington County, VA– Green Building Incentive Program  allows extra density or height in buildings that are LEED certified with increasing densities at higher levels of certification. Buildings that attempt LEED certification and fall short are required to contribute a fine to the Green Building Fund.

Seattle, WA– Density bonus for green buildings for green buildings in the core downtown that achieve LEED Silver or higher. These buildings may be granted more floor levels.

The location of a green building project is also critically important.  Builders try to place these projects in areas with good mass transit and in communities that are walkable for basic necessities such as shopping, professional and medical services, restaurants and entertainment.

Developing a green community is about shaping lifestyles.  Specifically, a green community practices LOHAS, or lifestyles of the health and sustainability consumer.  In this type of community environmental sustainability is valued and considered equally with social and economic factors.

In addition to the energy tax credit, and various state and local incentives, homeowners may qualify for energy efficient mortgages (EEM).  These green mortgages turn energy savings into income for the homeowner. Mortgage companies hope that with offering an EEM they will be encouraging purchase of larger or more costly homes.

Once the project is complete the LEED credits cheap phizer viagra can be submitted to the USGBC for certification and the homeowner or builder may also apply for the energy tax credit in conjunction with the tax return for the year the home is completed.

Green Research Council

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