Through the design of a building's systems, choice of materials, waste stream and energy consumption, a green building minimizes its effect on the environment. Many green buildings cost significantly less to operate and maintain than conventional buildings, allowing financial resources to be reallocated. Businesses are fast realizing that this approach not only has environmental benefits but also improves their effectiveness and competitive advantage. However, this is only half the story. Recent studies by the Rocky Mountain Institute indicate that these operational savings are insignificant in comparison to the potential savings from Design of the Northwest Federal Credit Union headquarters maximizes ventilation and daylight with operable glazing and light shelves.
Night flushing dilutes day time pollutants.
Improving indoor air quality, occupant comfort, daylighting and energy efficiency has resulted in a 10-15 percent increase in productivity of employees and staff. Wages and salaries make up about 70 percent of an organization's operating costs, so providing a high quality work environment through green buildings is an easy choice. These productivity gains could have a significant impact on a company's bottomline. A rule of thumb suggests a factor 5 relationship, that is a 1 percent increase in productivity translates into a 5 percent increase in operating income for a company. Similarly, a 5 percent increase in productivity translates into a 25 percent increase in operating income.