Green Building Overview
Green building is a set of building design, construction, and operation practices that minimize a building’s overall impact on the environment. Decisions made in the planning, construction, renovation and maintenance of homes have direct and long-term effects on many different aspects of our environment, air quality, health, resources, natural resources, land use, water quality and energy consumption. At the same time, our construction decisions have a significant economic impact, from the cost of land and materials to the labor and finances required to build.
Buildings are an important point of consumption for energy, water and raw materials. Residential buildings account for approximately 21% of total primary energy consumption in the United States, while commercial buildings account for an additional 19%. At an international level, residential buildings consume around 15% of primary energy ”. Buildings are also responsible for a significant proportion of air and water pollution.