With more and more of the world becoming increasingly concerned with climate change, the term ‘green’ has been applied to many things that present an environmentally friendly alternative to the status quo. The term green building is used to describe a building that minimizes both direct and indirect impacts on the environment. This minimization stretches to encompass the operation of the building and its construction, occupancy, repurposing, and demolition.
What is a Green Building Certification?
The reality is that buildings use energy, water, and raw materials. They also generate waste and can contribute to harmful emissions to the atmosphere. For these reasons, green building standards and certification processes were developed. The certification prevents any building that does not meet a widely accepted standard from claiming otherwise.
However, not all green certifications are the same. Multiple industry standards provide different certifications, including:
- LEED: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is the most widely used green certification program for buildings. It has nine distinct certification programs to encompass many different types of buildings, such as commercial, retail, new construction, and existing buildings. There are also different levels of certification, ranging from LEED-certified to LEED Platinum.
- BREEAM: BREEAM certification is issued by the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. It is an international program that evaluates sustainable infrastructure and buildings—the certification rates a building by stars based on the building’s conformity to sustainable practices.
- Energy Star: Energy Star is a well-known green building certification offered by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Eligible buildings must have at least a 15% reduction in energy use compared to traditional properties.
- National Green Building Standard: The National Green Building Standard certification is from the National Association of Home Builders. It provides certification for many residential properties, including single-family homes, multi-family properties, and mixed-use developments. Certification levels range from Bronze to Emerald.
While these four programs are some of the largest that certify green buildings, there are additional programs that can provide green building certification, including:
- Passive House Institute (PHIUS + Certification)
- Green Globes Building Certification
- Living Building Challenge
- Greenfuard from UL Environment
- WELL Building Standard (international)
As you can see, there are multiple paths to achieving a green building designation. The process may look different depending on which type of certification you seek. However, there are multiple benefits to having a building certified as green, so your Hartsdale NY architect can help.
What are the Benefits of Green Building Certification?
There are many benefits to getting a new or existing building certified as a green building. First, certification demonstrates that the building owner is committed to sustainable processes and products. This aspect will likely become of increasing importance to tenants and purchasers of buildings. Two-thirds of global respondents say that they are willing to pay more for products and services from companies committed to a positive social and environmental impact. So, it doesn’t matter whether you are building a warehouse or manufacturing facility, rehabbing multi-family rentals, building single-family homes, or any other activity. The market wants green options – and a certification as a green building will be an attractive selling point for any product.
Because of the demand for green options in real estate, these properties also tend to sell and lease faster than traditional buildings. For example, one study found that green buildings sold for an average of between 5% and 30% more than standard buildings. And rental rates increased between 0% and 17.3%. This data demonstrates a market for green buildings and that people are willing to pay more for these buildings. But certification is often required to demonstrate that the building meets an acceptable level of sustainability.
And while green building construction or retrofitting is often more expensive than standard operations, many states and municipalities offer tax incentives for green buildings. The federal government can also offer tax credits for certain projects that achieve certification. So if there are tax advantages, you can offset some of the increased costs and enjoy the rest of the benefits of certification.
How Can I Certify a Building?
The certification process looks slightly different depending on the type of certification you would like to achieve. However, it’s good to understand what will be analyzed during the certification process. Again, there might be variances across the different types of certification. However, most look at energy efficiency, material sourcing, water usage, reductions in chemical use, and site characteristics.
To learn more about the certification process for buildings located in New York, contact Jeffrey Jordan Architect. Our agency is a renowned Hartsdale NY architect agency.
Located in the Greater New York area, Jeffrey Jordan Architect specializes in the design of high-end projects such as luxury apartment and townhouse renovations, schools, churches, temples, and offices.