Green building techniques make more effective use of these resources and reduce the environmental impact of structures over their lifetime. A green building is any structure that is built, renovated, or operated in an environmentally-friendly fashion. This characterization is broad, but there are several specific standards that help define which buildings qualify as green. A building exhibiting a combination of these benefits may qualify for various levels of certification by third party groups. The goal of green building is to lessen the impact of a structure on the environment while improving the quality of life for its occupants.
Some benefits are easy to economically quantify, such as reduced water and energy consumption.
Often, the savings from these features over the life of the building will more than pay for the initial cost. Improved occupant health, increased productivity, reduced stormwater runoff and the use of recycled and sustainably harvested products are more difficult to assess financially. Since not all green buildings need to be built to the same level of certification, it is possible to construct a legitimate green building at little or no additional cost. The following list provides a few examples of green building techniques. Site design Control erosion with silt fencing, sediment traps, construction phasing, stabilization of steep slopes, and maintenance of vegetated ground cover.