Green or Sustainable Building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource and energy efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition.

As of January 2006, the annual market for Green Building in products and services was $7 billion, a 37% growth over 2004 according to the US Green Building Council (USGBC). Over 531 million square feet of commercial building space has been registered or certified under LEED.

Benefits of Green Buidling

Multiple studies have shown the direct and indirect financial advantages of going green:

Health

People in the US spend about 90% of their time indoors. EPA studies indicate indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times higher – and occasionally more than 100 times higher – than outdoor levels. Studies with 30,000 subjects found significant associations between low ventilation levels and higher carbon dioxide concentrations – a common symptom in facilities with sick building syndrome. Green buildings instead use alternative building materials that do not emit toxins, like formaldehyde.

Cost Savings

Well-designed green buildings, for example, have lower utility costs. Recent studies have found that an upfront investment of 2% in green building design, on average, results in life cycle savings of 20% of the total construction costs – more than ten times the initial investment.

Productivity

Green design criteria—including abundant daylighting, individual climate controls, and outdoor views—raise morale and employee satisfaction, which also improves productivity. A study by Carnegie Mellon University measuring the relationship between increased lighting control and productivity showed an average increase of 7.1% in productivity.