For more information on our Sustainability efforts contact:
Rob Holsten, Dean of Continuing Education & Sustainability
(252) 246 - 1254
rholsten@wilsoncc.edu
Exhibited Photographs were provided by local photographers, all rights reserved.

The following questions and answers are only a general introduction to green buildings and the growing industry supporting it:

Building Green Buildings

For most people, buildings are a shared experience. We live in homes with those we love, pray in houses of worship of all types, and work daily in office buildings with our colleagues. We use and appreciate buildings as a shelter from nature's storms and as places of comfort and convenience. And, for many Americans, a house is the single greatest financial investment, its cost usually spread out over the working life of the owner. Buildings are a visible symbol of pride, identity, and security.

But many owners and builders are just beginning to consider the negative ways in which buildings affect our natural environment, our world and ourselves. Buildings consume large amounts of natural resources both during construction or destruction. In both phases of a building's life cycle, large amounts of waste materials are generated and discarded, usually in landfills. Buildings also create their own unique indoor environment, which may have a negative impact on the quality of human life and health.

In response to this environmental crisis, the concept of green buildings has been developed and, indeed, has been put into practice in many countries around the world. Architects, designers, builders, and construction professionals have worked to develop both the technology and the materials necessary to create buildings that take little from the natural environment. Instead of a lifecycle of pollution, green buildings measurably benefit the environment surrounding it and the people who live and work in it (EPA Green Buildings Page)

Why are green buildings important?

According to the United States Department of Energy, there are more than 76 million residential and nearly 6 million commercial buildings in the United States today. Both types of buildings consume 33% of all energy and 66% of all electricity (Smart Communities Network). Residential buildings create a significant drain on natural resources and produce very little that supports or sustains the natural environment in which it is placed. Construction of the traditionally built residential home consumes the resources of one acre of forest and results in 3 to 7 tons of construction waste. Homes traditionally use carbon-based fossil fuels for heating, cooling and lighting. Because of inefficient construction and wasteful energy usage, residential buildings are a major source of pollution.

Carbon dioxide emissions, a leading cause of global warming, are produced in residential homes. Indeed, approximately 23,406 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions are produced solely by a single American home (Sustainable Building Resource Directory). Residential pollution is also present inside the house, where the residents feel the effects of indoor pollution.

It is predicted that by the year 2010, approximately 38 million more buildings will be constructed in the United States. The construction of green buildings can significantly improve the quality of life if the people living in it, the people living nearby it, and the natural environment surrounding it. (Smart Communities Network)

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What is a Green Building? Green buildings (sometimes called "smart," "sustainable," or "environmentally friendly" buildings) are planned and constructed to have the least negative impact on the natural environment in which they are placed. They are designed to use the least amount of non-renewable energy and natural resources, and to use these resources in the most efficient manner. Further, green buildings produce a minimum amount of pollution and cost the least amount of dollars. In addition to these other important benefits, green buildings create a healthy and comfortable place for people to live and work. The building's façade is designed to blend with and complement the natural landscape that surrounds it. Residential and commercial green buildings projects are placed strategically so the people who use them also have easy access to medical and recreational facilities, as well as local shopping. The green buildings are located close to these services so that walking or bicycling is encouraged, thus decreasing the need for automobile or public transportation.

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How Are Green Buildings Powered?

Cost-efficient technologies are utilized in green buildings in order to use non-renewable natural resources most efficiently. Among the techniques green building design employs are:

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What are "Green" products?

Products that reduce their environmental impact when they are used or destroyed. Products that contribute to a safe and healthy environment for both man and nature.

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How do people know if a building is judged as Green?

The LEED Green Building rating is recognized worldwide as the standard for measuring the performance of energy efficient buildings. LEED was created by the United States Green Building Council in order to:

LEED quality ratings can be applied to both existing and new building construction. LEED standards are either being developed or already established for the following categories:

LEED certification is a method of applying for and receiving recognition that a building project meets LEEDS standards. In order to apply for LEED certification, a project must (1)be registered with LEEDS, (2) have documentation during the building or renovation phases of the building, (3) work with LEED project personnel who review documentation concerning the building. The decision of the LEED review team can either be accepted or appealed by the applicant.

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Are Green Buildings more expensive to build than traditional construction?

  • A 2003 study conducted for the California Sustainable Building Task Force shows that an initial increase of 2% in initial costs for green design will yield lifecycle savings of more than ten times the initial investment, or 20% of total construction costs (based on a conservative estimate of a 20-year building life). The LEED website provides extensive, detailed studies concerning building costs compared with the immediate and future benefits of building green. To find detailed information on this topic, visit the US Green Building Council, find the heading "Economic Analyses," and read the studies supplied in the links.

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    Are there grades of quality in LEEDS building rating?

    The following explanation is taken directly from their website:

    "The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is a feature-oriented rating system where credits are earned for satisfying specified green building criteria. The five major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of green building certification are awarded based on the total credits earned."

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    Does a Green educational facility provide measurable, unique benefits for its students, instructors, and staff?

    Turner Corporation, the leading general builder in the United States, conducted a survey among 665 builders, architects, engineers and other professional builders. The survey concentrated on their experiences constructing green educational buildings, and their opinions regarding the successes or shortcomings they have seen as the building is utilized. The survey results indicate that a large number of professionals recognize that green buildings (when compared with traditionally built educational structures) positively affect educational settings in the following ways:

    • Ability to attract and retain teachers (74 percent)
    • Reduced student absenteeism (72 percent)
    • Student performance (71 percent).
    • Improved air quality (49 percent)
    • Improved health and well being of students and instructors (49 percent)
    • Increased natural lighting (37 percent)

    Besides these noted benefits, the construction of green educational building had a marked positive effect on the institution's faculty and staff:

    • Ability to attract and retain faculty (71 percent).
    • Ability to attract students (70 percent).
    • Improved student performance (59 percent).
    • Ability to secure research funding (59 percent).

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    Where can I find more information on Green Buildings and other related environmental topics?

    There is a short bibliography at the end of this section that lists a number of reputable, authoritative websites where current information can be found. Internet explorations through search engines like Google can also yield interesting and informative results. Data on sustainability and other environmental issues will change daily as technology and intellectual curiosity explore different ways to confront the worldwide problem of pollution.


    Bibliography

    buildings.com

    The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings: A Report to California's Sustainable Building Task Force.
    Principal author: Greg Kats of Capital E. 2003.)

    US EPA

    Sustainable Building Resource Directory

    Smart Communities Network

    U.S. Green Building Council

    Turner Construction