What is Green Building (Green Building Basics)?

In the last few years, a new sector of construction has been created called green building. Many of us have heard of this term, and many companies have begun marketing themselves or their products as green. When this term pertains to construction, several of us may be left with a daunting question, “What exactly is green building?” This is a very valid question, especially for someone who doesn’t work in the industry and is exposed to the terminology every day. Some of you may even begin to question whether green building is any better than conventional, or whether it's just some marketing scheme created by large corporations - or even you next door neighbor - to bring attention to themselves, and/or justify higher prices.

These are valid questions, and I can understand the concerns that many of you may have. I too have these concerns when I'm working with individuals, as I must also wade through all the hype to find the true meaning and function of a product. I could sit here and write a lengthy article as to why certain products are better than others, or why one company is building green when another is not. However, this would do nothing but provide you with my opinion, and not give you the basic knowledge to formulate your own opinion!

To better understand how to evaluate a company or product, one must first understand what green building truly is.

What is Green Building?
In its most basic form, green (or sustainable) building is a process that allows people to reduce their impact on the planet. Green building takes a systematic approach to the construction process involving all phases and aspects of the project, from site planning to indoor air quality, to achieve this goal. It even goes beyond just reducing our impact on the planet by ultimately providing a better built home.

To truly understand green building, one must understand how the house works as a system. Many individuals have learned their trade by working with others who in turn learned from those before them. This pattern has led to a long line of skilled carpenters and other related professionals in the trade who understand their profession; however, few individuals have taken the time to learn building science.

Fundamentals of Building Science

There is a science to building, and it is this science that allows us to make our homes function properly and keep us comfortable. Green building relies on this science; without a basic understanding of it, one can have a hard time understanding the importance of many of the features of green building. To better understand green building, we must first understand some key components of building science:

1. A house is constructed of several interrelated parts, and these parts that work as a system;
2. The home should be designed for the environment in which it is constructed;
3. Energy loses some of its potential each time it is converted from one form to another. This is why direct energy sources (such as solar heat) are much more efficient than indirect sources (such as electric heat).
4. Air leaks in a building can result in a large loss of energy and accumulation of moisture.
5. Movement of heat, air and moisture must be controlled in every part of the building

With a basic understanding of these items, one can then begin to look at the basics of green building.

Basics of Green Building

Green building is not just about the structure itself, but also how the building and its occupants relate to and interact with the environment and community around them. Many individuals get lost in the process of green building, believing it's just about the structure - how many green materials the structure has in it or the cost-saving technologies it contains - but true green building is concerned with all aspects of the structure, including the inhabitants. To only look at the construction process of the building causes one to be short sighted. This is a few months in the life of the home; however, this structure will hopefully stand for hundreds of years. One must be concerned with the building process, including material and waste, the impact the construction process has on the planet, and the impact the building and its occupants will have on the environment over the life of the building.

To help achieve the goal of having a better built and less impactful structure, there are three key areas in green building:

1. Energy efficiency: This is a cornerstone of green construction. The home must be designed to reduce the energy consumption of the home and the individuals within it. This may sound like one and the same, but there are several considerations when looking at green building that not only encompasses conserving energy in the home, but also in the community around it. One example of this is positioning the home in an area where mass transit is convenient.

2. Conservation of natural resources: While many individuals know about recycling, this takes on a new meaning in green building. Conservation of resources not only entails recycling or reusing material when possible, but also limiting the need for new resources altogether. An example of this is using more durable material to limit the need for replacement in the future, or even improving existing structures to meet your needs instead of constructing new ones.

3. Indoor Air Quality: This is often a forgotten factor in green building, but we spend the majority of our day and lives indoors. Buildings are often found to have worse air quality than outdoors, and because of this we must be concerned with the air quality of our home. This portion of green building includes the use of material that doesn’t emit harmful chemicals into the air and using systems like our HVAC to maintain good air quality.

Green building is not just the simple process that involves the use of “green” materials and recycling. It is an intricate process that has evolved over the years to provide a better built home that lessens the impact of the building and its occupants on the planet. So next time you hear something termed as “Green Construction,” ask yourself - and the contractor - if it was truly built that way, or was it really just a standard home built using a few recycled items to justify a higher price tag?