Green Building - How Much Would You Guess Is Going On?

jchait — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:49:33 -0400

I realized we've never looked at any statistic here. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) offers the following statistics for buildings - keep in mind this is just in the U.S. Once you imagine how much energy and resources are used all over the world it becomes mind boggling. Although, no doubt here in the U.S. we use more than our fair share.

According to USGBC, in the United States alone, buildings account for:

65% of electricity consumption,
36% of energy use,
39% of greenhouse gas emissions,
30% of raw materials use,
30% of waste output (136 million tons annually)
12% of potable water consumption.

They also break it down further in their Green Building by the Numbers download (April 2008).

One of the scariest statistics is this one:

"The EPA estimates that 136 million tons of building-related construction and demolition (C&D) debris was generated in the U.S. in a single year. Source, and U.S. EPA Characterization of Construction and Demolition Debris in the United States, 1997 Update. Compare that to 209.7 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the same year. Source: U.S. EPA Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States, 1997 Update. Report No. EPA530-R-98-007"

Holy, that looks really bad. What looks worse are these statements from the download: "By 2010, approximately 10% of commercial construction starts are expected to be green, according to McGraw Hill Green Building Smart Market Report 2006."

Only 10% of commercial starts? That seems very low. When you start looking at green residential it doesn't look much better. The National Association of Home Builders notes that green residential construction will reach somewhere between 5 percent and 10 percent in 2010. Wow. For some reason I thought the numbers were a little higher - did you?

The numbers above give you something to think about the next time you’re considering building new. Maybe you can remodel your current home to met your needs or renovate another home. A wisely renovated home uses less resources in most cases then building fresh.

You also might be interested in: Home Deconstruction Basics

The Top 4 Ways to Save Energy in Your Home

jchait — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

If you're building or renovating a home and want the biggest earth saving bang for your buck than concentrate on energy saving first and materials second.

A lot of green building advice focuses on greener, more sustainable materials, both recycled and new. However, what matters a little more on the earth end of things is energy. Here's why. Green materials are great, in fact use them all you can, but the deal is, that green materials tend to be a one time deal. They do good because you choose them over another. I.e you may save some trees by going with reclaimed wood or straw bale vs. new timber. By building with green materials you perform a good deed.

By saving energy each day, each week, each year, for years and years, you're looking at a much longer payback of good deeds for the planet. Greener materials can be costly, depending on which greener building materials you use. Some energy saving built-ins can be costly as well. If your budget only allows room for one; go with the energy saving costs.

Here are some energy costs to consider - costs that pay off better in the long run for the earth:

The best insulation set-up you can afford.
Really great energy efficient windows and doors.
A great designer and building team - a team that will build right for maximum solar exposure, and who won't leave pesky cracks and holes in your home. Cracks and holes can cost you big time in energy losses.
Super energy efficient appliances and light fixtures.

These are just some ideas, there are many more ways to design for energy saving that have nothing to do with actual structural materials. All of the above can be costly, but in the long run you will save money and energy and the earth can breathe a little easier.

energy use

Green Building - How Much Would You Guess Is Going On?

The Top 4 Ways to Save Energy in Your Home