Green Building BasicsBuildings account for one-sixth of the world’sfresh water withdrawals, one-quarter of its woodharvest, and two-fifths of its material and energyflows.1 Building "green" is an opportunity to useour resources efficiently while creating healthierbuildings that improve human health, build abetter environment, and provide cost savings.

What Makes a Building Green? A green building is a structure that is designed,built, renovated, operated, or reused in anecological and resource-efficient manner.

Green buildings are designed to meet certainobjectives such as protecting occupant health;improving employee productivity; using energy,water, and other resources more efficiently; andreducing the overall impact to the environment.

What Are the Economic Benefits ofGreen Buildings?

A green building may cost more up front, butsaves through lower operating costs over the lifeof the building. The green building approachapplies a project life cycle cost analysis fordetermining the appropriate up-front expenditure.This analytical method calculates costs over theuseful life of the asset.

These and other c

ost-savings can only be fully realized when theyare incorporated at the project’s conceptual designphase with the assistance of an integrated team ofprofessionals. The integrated systems approachensures that the building is designed as one systemrather than a collection of stand-alone systems.

Some benefits, such as improving occupant health,comfort, productivity; reducing pollution andlandfill waste, are not easily quantified andconsequently, not adequately considered in costanalysis. For this reason, consider setting aside asmall portion of the building budget to cover

differential costs associated with less tangiblegreen building benefits or to cover the cost ofresearching and analyzing green building options.

Even with a tight budget, many green buildingmeasures can be incorporated with minimal orzero increased up-front costs and they can yieldenormous savings2.

What Are the Elements of GreenBuildings?Below is a sampling of green building practices.

SitingStart by selecting a site well suited to takeadvantage of mass transit.

Protect and retain existing landscaping and naturalfeatures. Select plants that have low water andpesticide needs, and generate minimum planttrimmings. Use compost and mulches. This willsave water and time.

Recycled content paving materials, furnishings,and mulches help close the recycling loop.

Energy EfficiencyMost buildings can reach energy efficiency levelsfar beyond California Title 24 standards, yet mostonly strive to meet the standard. It is reasonableto strive for 40 percent less energy than Title 24standards. The following strategies contribute tothis goal.

Passive design strategies can dramatically affectbuilding energy performance. These measuresinclude building shape and orientation, passivesolar design, and the use of natural lighting.

Develop strategies to provide natural lighting.Studies have shown that it has a positive impacton productivity and well being.

Install high-efficiency lighting systems withadvanced lighting controls. Include motionsensors tied to dimmable lighting controls. Tasklighting reduces general overhead light levels.

Use a properly sized and energy-efficientheat/cooling system in conjunction with athermally efficient building shell. Maximize lightcolors for roofing and wall finish materials; installhigh R-value wall and ceiling insulation; and useminimal glass on east and west exposures.

Minimize the electric loads from lighting,equipment, and appliances.

Consider alternative energy sources such asphotovoltaics and fuel cells that are now availablein new products and applications. Renewableenergy sources provide a great symbol ofemerging technologies for the future.

Computer modeling is an extremely useful tool inoptimizing design of electrical and mechanicalsystems and the building shell.

Materials EfficiencySelect sustainable construction materials andproducts by evaluating several characteristics,such as reused and recycled-content; zero or lowoff-gassing of harmful air emissions; zero or lowtoxicity; sustainably harvested materials; highrecyclability; durability; longevity; and localproduction. Such products promote resourceconservation and efficiency. Using recycled-content products also helps develop markets forrecycled materials that are being diverted fromCalifornia’s landfills, as mandated by theIntegrated Waste Management Act.

Use dimensional planning and other materialefficiency strategies. These strategies reduce theamount of building materials needed and cutconstruction costs. For example, design rooms on4-foot multiples to conform to standard-sizedwallboard and plywood sheets.

Reuse and recycle construction and demolitionmaterials. For example, using inert demolition

materials as a base course for a parking lot keepsmaterials out of landfills and costs less.

Require plans for managing materials throughdeconstruction, demolition, and construction.

Design with adequate space to facilitate recyclingcollection and to incorporate a solid wastemanagement program that prevents wastegeneration.

Water EfficiencyDesign for dual plumbing to use recycled waterfor toilet flushing or a gray water system thatrecovers rainwater or other nonpotable water forsite irrigation.

Minimize wastewater by using ultra low-flushtoilets, low-flow shower heads, and other waterconserving fixtures.

Use recirculating systems for centralized hot waterdistribution.

Install point-of-use hot water heating systems formore distant locations.

Use a water budget approach that schedulesirrigation using the California IrrigationManagement Information System data forlandscaping.

Meter the landscape separately from buildings.Use micro-irrigation (which excludes sprinklersand high-pressure sprayers) to supply water innonturf areas.

Use state-of-the-art irrigation controllers and self-closing nozzles on hoses.

Occupant Health and SafetyRecent studies reveal that buildings with goodoverall environmental quality can reduce the rateof respiratory disease, allergy, asthma, sickbuilding symptoms, and enhance workerperformance. The potential financial benefits ofimproving indoor environments exceed costs by afactor of 8 and 143.

Choose construction materials and interior finishproducts with zero or low emissions to improveindoor air quality. Many building materials andcleaning/maintenance products emit toxic gases,such as volatile organic compounds (VOC) andformaldehyde. These gases can have adetrimental impact on occupants’ health andproductivity.

Provide adequate ventilation and a high-efficiency, in-duct filtration system. Heating andcooling systems that ensure adequate ventilationand proper filtration can have a dramatic andpositive impact on indoor air quality.

Prevent indoor microbial contamination throughselection of materials resistant to microbialgrowth, provide effective drainage from the roofand surrounding landscape, install adequateventilation in bathrooms, allow proper drainage ofair-conditioning coils, and design other buildingsystems to control humidity.

Building Operation and MaintenanceGreen building measures cannot achieve theirgoals unless they work as intended. Buildingcommissioning includes testing and adjusting themechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems toensure that all equipment meets design criteria. Italso includes instructing the staff on the operationand maintenance of equipment.

Over time, building performance can be assuredthrough measurement, adjustment, and upgrading.Proper maintenance ensures that a building

continues to perform as designed andcommissioned.

urces and reduce environmental impactsassociated with resource extraction. They canalso provide markets for recycled materials thatare being diverted from California’s landfills, asdimensional planning and other materialefficiency strategies reduce the volume of buildingmaterials and cut construction costs.

Designing rooms on 4-foot multiples to conformwith standard-sized wallboard and plywood sheetssaves material. Similarly, using flexible design

City of San Diego'sRidgehaven Green Building4

At a glance, the Ridgehaven Building appearsidentical to its neighbor. In 1996, however, the73,000 sq. ft. Ridgehaven Building wascompletely renovated with many cost-effectivesustainable performance methodologies andtechnologies. As a result, the Ridgehaven Building now uses 65percent less total energy than its nearly identicalneighbor, yielding a saving of more than $70,000in annual utility costs. This equates to $1per sq.ft. in annual savings. Even more important, the building occupants loveits light and "healthy" atmosphere, boosting theirproductivity.

Steps to Ensure Success Establish a vision that embraces

sustainable principles and an integrateddesign approach.

Develop a clear statement of the project’svision, goals, design criteria, andpriorities.

Develop a project budget that coversgreen building measures. Allocatecontingencies for additional research andanalysis of specific options. Seeksponsorship or grant opportunities.

Seek advice of a design professional withgreen building experience.

Select a design and construction team thatis committed to the project vision. Modifythe RFQ/RFP selection process to ensurethe contractors have appropriatequalifications to identify, select, andimplement an integrated system of greenbuilding measures.

Develop a project schedule that allows forsystems testing and commissioning.

Develop contract plans and specificationsto ensure that the building design is at asuitable level of building performance.

Create an effective incentives andoversight.

For More Information California Integrated Waste

Management Board,www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/Includes the manual Designing WithVision: A Technical Manual For MaterialChoices In Sustainable Construction(Pub. #431-99-009). Hard copies areavailable from the publicationsclearinghouse at 1-800-CA-WASTE.

Sustainable Building Technical Manual,www.sustainable.doe.gov/buildings/gbarttoc.htm

A Guide to Irrigation Water Needs ofLandscape Plants in California,www.dpla.water.ca.gov/urban/conservation/landscape/wucols/

Department of Health Services, IndoorAir Quality, www.cal-iaq.org

Environmental Building News,www.ebuild.com/Resources/Checklist.html

U.S. Green Building Council,www.usgbc.org

1 D.M Roodman and N. Lenssen, A Building Revolution: How Ecology and Health Concerns are TransformingConstruction, Worldwatch Paper 124, Washington, DC, March 1995, p. 5.2 Environmental Building News, Building Green on a Budget, Vol 8, No. 5, May 1999,www.ebuild.com/Archives/Features/ Low_Cost/Low_Cost.html#General3 William Fisk and Arthur Rosenfeld, Potential Nationwide Improvements in Productivity and Health From BetterIndoor Environments, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, May 1998.4 Gottfried Technology, excerpt from Web site, www.buildingfutures.com/p3.htm, Feb. 9, 1999.