Monday, January 24, 2005
Why Aren't More Buildings Built Green?
In the previous post, Studies of LEED Buildings, I presented many studies and reports that show that green building is profitable. That obviously begs the question: why aren't more buildings green?Phillip Bernstein of Yale University as quoted by The Economist:
Rating buildings in this way reveals how inefficient traditional buildings and building processes are. We can sometimes waste up to 30 cents on the dollar. It's not just the consumption of energy, it's the use of materials, the waste of water, the incredibly inefficient strategies we use for choosing the subsystems of our buildings. It's a scary thing. In part, this is because the construction industry is so fragmented. Designers, architects, engineers, developers and builders each make decisions that serve their own interests, but create huge inefficiencies overall.
Neal Pierce of the Washington Post:
"It seems obvious: the reason only a tiny percentage of new American buildings and retrofits aren't green isn't cost. It's lack of ingenuity or knowledge of new construction techniques -- architects and builders wed to the 'same-old,' lenders leery of anything unconventional.
"The fault also lies with national leaders unwilling to tell us in clear terms that a nation secure economically and environmentally and against foreign threats, means energy savings across the board -- efficient and sustainable buildings included. It's a message our current president apparently doesn't comprehend, at least won't articulate."
wintermane, commenter:
No the reason is if you construct a building and something goes horribly wrong you go to jail.. that tends to put a huge ass damper on peoples willingness to try new ideas right off the bat.
As a reason builders tend to be very very conservative. Thier lives as well as others depend on it.
Patrick Di Justo, commenter:
It's also the banks. If your bank holds $50 billion in mortgages on commercial property, you will do anything to protect that investment. So you'll lobby to make sure that the building codes discourage experimentation in green technologies, because a green building, with its lower operating costs, will make your other buildings less valuable.
Jacqui, commenter:
The owners of the buildings are the ones who decide first whether or not their building will be a LEED building. The architects and engineers can't do that on their own. They try to make it as efficient or green as possible, but the process needs to be initiated by the owners. Designers can make their case for a green building, but their decisions are guided by the owner's wishes.
Owners decide not to go for green for many reasons. One is liability. Two is the desire for a faster and cheaper design schedule. This one is perhaps the most largest stumbling block and one of the biggest causes of poorly designed buildings.
I don't think national leadership is in a position to take action yet. Many state and local governments are taking action, when they see that their area is ready to build all green. The country, as a whole, is not ready to have green buildings mandated. Not enough people know about the many advantages nor are building codes in most areas ready for it.
Any other ideas?