Greening our built world
Subtitle: costs, benefits, and strategies
By: Greg Kats, principal author ; Jon Braman & Michael James.
Contributors: Braman, Jon.; James, Michael
Publisher: Island Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Washington, DC
Language: eng
Number of pages: 258
ISBN-13: 9781597266673; 9781597266680
Subjects: Sustainable architecture -- Economic aspects; Sustainable design -- Economic aspects; Green technology -- Economic aspects
Description: "Green" buildings--buildings that use fewer resources to build and to sustain--are commonly thought to be too expensive to attract builders and buyers. But are they? The answer to this question has enormous consequences, since residential and commercial buildings together account for nearly 50% of American energy consumption, including at least 75% of electricity usage, according to recent government statistics. This eye-opening book reports the results of a large-scale study based on extensive financial and technical analyses of more than 150 green buildings in the U.S. and ten other countries. It provides detailed findings on the costs and financial benefits of building green. According to the study, green buildings cost roughly 2% more to build than conventional buildings, far less than previously assumed, and provide a wide range of financial, health and social benefits. In addition, green buildings reduce energy use by an average of 33%, resulting in significant cost savings. Greening Our Built World also evaluates the cost effectiveness of "green community development" and presents the results of the first-ever survey of green buildings constructed by faith-based organizations. Throughout the book, leading practitioners in green design, including architects, developers, and property owners, share their own experiences in building green. A compelling combination of rock-solid facts and specific examples, this book proves that green design is both cost-effective and earth-friendly.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Costs and benefits of green building; title: Costs and benefits of green community design; title: Communities of faith building green; title: Green design, climate change, and the economy : potential impacts in the United States; title: Conclusion; title: Appendix A: Data-collection methodology; title: Appendix B: Source list; title: Appendix C: Green building data set; title: Appendix D: Comparison of data set to LEED; title: new construction buildings; title: Appendix E: Baselines used in cost and benefits estimates; title: Appendix F: Issues in researching the cost of green building; title: Appendix G: Cost of energy-efficiency and renewable-energy measures; title: Appendix H: Energy-use baselines and standards; title: Appendix I: Verifying the energy performance of LEED buildings; title: Appendix J: Assumptions used for calculations of water savings; title: Appendix K: Green building survey instrument; title: Appendix L: Global assumptions for Part IV.