The Sustainable Design Blog

INTRODUCTION:

In the fall of 2014 the US Green Building Council released an article with facts about the green building industry. Here are some of those facts that stood out, and what they mean to us. These facts are based on national and international data. Since Carlson Studio Architecture has been deeply involved in LEED certification in Florida since 2000, we can add our Florida perspective to the national data.

Here are some real time examples of LEED Certified, green building projects:

• Commercial Green Building Achievements
• Educational Green Building Projects
• Residential Green Building Development

THE FACTS ABOUT GREEN BUILDING:

  On the residential side:

 1. USGC reports- 62% of firms building new single-family homes report  that they are doing more than 15% of their projects green

 2. By 2018, that percentage increases to 84% (per McGraw Hill Construction Company. Green Multifamily and Single Family Homes: Growth in a Recovering Market. June 2014)

3. In 2013 there were 1160 LEED certified residential units in place in Florida.

4. The LEED for Homes rating system is much different than all the other LEED systems. It is cheaper, and easier to use.

5. The system has been expanded to not only include single family homes, but also multi-family homes of low rise and mid-rise configurations.

  The Non Residential Side:

 1. USGBC reports - 41% of all nonresidential building starts in 2012 were green, as compared to 2% of all nonresidential building starts in 2005.

(per McGraw Hill Construction (2012). Green Building Market Sizing, drawn from Dodge Project Starts and Construction Market Forecasting Services, as of March 2012)

2. We saw saw a similar trend in Florida during the same time period.

3. In 2009 there were only 9 LEED certified commercial projects in Florida.

4. By 2013 there were 716 certified commercial projects in Florida, plus 182 projects K-12 and Higher Ed. Projects.

This last statistic shows significant traction through a very bad time of recession.

You probably know by now how much energy buildings use. Energy use in the United States looks like this:

• Buildings use 41%
• Industrial uses 30%
• Transportation uses 29%

Buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change. In the U.S., buildings account for:

• 38% of all CO2 emissions (per Energy Information Administration (2008). Assumptions to the Annual Energy Outlook.)

73% of electricity consumption (per Department of Energy 2011. Buildings Energy Data Book. Buildings Share of Electricity Consumption/Sales. Accessed October 26, 2011)

WHAT DO THESE GREEN BUILDING FACTS TELL US:

Green buildings consume less energy. Compared to the average commercial building, the LEED Gold buildings in the General Services Administration’s portfolio generally (per U.S. Department of Energy (2011). Re-Assessing Green Building Performance: A Post Occupancy Evaluation of 22 Buildings)

• Consume 25% less energy and 11% less water
• Have 19% lower maintenance costs
• 27% higher occupant satisfaction
• 34% lower greenhouse gas emissions

And where in the Country is green building doing well? USGBC says….

Top 10 States in the U.S.A. for LEED: Registered & Certified, per capita (as of February 2015)

1. Illinois
2. Colorado
3. Maryland
4. Virginia
5. Massachusetts
6. Hawaii
7. California
8. Georgia
9. Minnesota
10. (tie)New York
11. (tie)Arizona

 Where is Florida on this top 10 list?

 If you are researching a new green building project or renovation challenges, Carlson Studio invites you to reach out and ask questions, schedule a consultation or even get an estimate. Just use the button below to connect.