Green Buildings

Green buildings conserve the earth's natural resources through the efficient and intelligent use of energy, materials, water, and the building site. They provide their occupants with comfortable surroundings and healthy indoor environments. As buildings consume significant amounts of natural resources, the intelligent use of materials and energy can have powerful impacts on local and global environmental quality. In the area of energy, green buildings can significantly reduce emissions and other impacts of energy use through combinations of efficient equipment, natural lighting and ventilation, and the integration of energy systems. When clean energy technologies are incorporated into green buildings, the environmental benefits are even greater.

Process

Green buildings achieve the best results when they are developed through an integrated design and construction process. In this approach, all members of the building team are engaged in the green building elements of the project and work to maximize efficiency throughout different development phases.

An integrated process ideally starts in the pre-design phase when the team sets project goals and continues through the design and construction phases. Even after occupancy, green building practices should continue through the proper maintenance of building systems and equipment to maintain the building's high level of performance.

This integrated process can make a significant difference in the environmental and economic success of a green building project.

Energy Efficiency

With about one-third of all energy consumed in the U.S. being used for heating, cooling, lighting and appliances in buildings, considerable attention has been focused over the past three decades on enhancing energy efficiency within homes, offices, schools, hospitals and other buildings.

Energy-efficiency measures include passive solar design, tight construction, natural lighting and ventilation, insulation, high-performance windows and doors, as well as efficient heating and cooling systems, appliances, and light fixtures. These approaches can reducing energy consumption at a relatively low cost.

Green buildings can also incorporate clean energy technologies from wind to fuel cells to photovoltaic systems, the most commonly installed renewable for individual buildings. Building teams interested in these types of installations should consider clean energy technologies as early in the design phase as possible.

Other Considerations

In addition to energy considerations, green buildings can utilize a broad variety of measures to conserve materials, land, and water, as well as to improve occupant health and productivity. Proponents of green building practices promote waste minimization, water conservation, low-impact use of land, daylighting, careful attention to indoor air quality, and the greater use of natural and recycled materials.

Learn More

Here are some sources of additional information about green buildings:

RET Green Buildings and Infrastructure Program

The Renewable Energy Trust's Green Buildings and Infrastructure Program provides financial and technical support for the disciplined inclusion of clean energy technologies in the broader process of green building development. The Program supports individual projects and uses the results of these projects to increase professional and public knowledge about the benefits created by green building and clean energy.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council is a national membership organization with the mission to educate the building industry about green building processes and elements. The USGBC's primary resource is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. This tool provides guidance to building teams that are considering or in the process of developing green buildings by awarding points for the use of various green building elements in five categories: energy, siting, water use, material use and indoor environmental quality. LEED is a widely recognized national standard for green buildings, and more than 100 projects have been LEED certified with approximately 1,400 additional projects registered for certification.

Massachusetts Collaborative for High Performance Schools
(CHPS) Standards

Massachusetts CHPS provides regionally relevant guidelines for green school projects. Based on the California CHPS format, Massachusetts CHPS includes a checklist and recommendations for the integration of green building elements into new and existing public and private schools throughout the state. This standard is linked to an incentive program administered by the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Renewable Energy Trust.

Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)
Northeast Green Building Awards

These annual awards, organized and administered by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, recognize the best green buildings in the northeast United States. The website about the awards includes pictures and descriptions of the winning entries. The Renewable Energy Trust has been the major sponsor of these awards for the past four years.