Green Construction 101

Green building is not a fad. It’s an industry trend. In fact, it’s estimated that US green building projects will jump from $10 billion to $60 billion in just five years. Of course, this kind of exponential growth is not without its share of headaches. There are new codes, new requirements, and new certifications. You’re sure to run into a wide variety of design and construction issues. But flooring will never be one of them.

Green construction, in 2008, is very similar to the ADA standards of 1973, which was initially received with great skepticism and concern for high costs, but quickly became second nature for everyone.

Government and high-end commercial buildings began the transition to LEED specifications, with leading consumer driven retailers following close behind. Today, 64% of Retailers are using green building materials (81% supermarkets, 89% department stores, 60% specialty stores, 31% drug stores and 29% of home centers). With the 2009 launch of LEED for Retail, that figure will quickly increase. In fact, all major retail chains will be building or researching a green prototype for mass volume approvals before 2009 is over.

There are 5 main reasons for this transition to green construction–and they are the 5 P’s: People, Planet, Politics, Place, and Profit.

People

Consumers are demanding green building efforts, and they say they’ll reward retailers who comply with the new LEED certification. It’s been reported that 5.5% of consumers prefer green retailers, and are willing pay more to buy in their stores.

Of course, a preference has also been noted among employees. Leading retailers with LEEDS certification are experiencing dramatic improvements in employee turnover and productivity. Younger employees, in particular, want to be associated with organizations that care about the environment.

Place

Local governments and municipalities view LEED certified buildings very favorably because it reduces demand on local services such as water treatment, and it results in less energy consumption, and landfill use. As a consequence, approvals and zoning tend to go much faster, making green construction a perfect solution for everyone.

Politics

Many of the possible LEED points involve activities that reduce the use of fossil fuels, and therefore reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil. Less dependence for the US means more security and stability.

Planet

Saving the planet is a bit of a misnomer. The Earth has been here for 4.5 billion years. No matter what we humans do to the environment the planet will be here for another 8 billion years. It’s us—the people and our living conditions that we have to be concerned about. To find out more, see people.

Profit

The other four P’s are nice, but it all comes down to profit. Profit is the accelerator to make Green construction happen. And the truth is LEED certification and sustainable construction actually saves money! Retailers involved in LEED pilot programs have reported substantial operational savings, and it’s been proven that LEED status can be achieved with little or no increase in construction costs.

Contractors with LEED experience agree. In fact, they’ve seen how LEED status increases construction costs by only 0 - 2%. Allowing 2–5 years to pay back any increased costs, retailers experience significant savings in operational costs. In short, LEED is a financial success.