Buildings and Resource Usage

I’m sure you’ve heard the reference from the US Energy Information Administration that buildings are the single largest contributor to global warming, accounting for almost half of total annual U.S. energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Here’s more from the same source: Impacts of US Buildings on Resources: 40% primary energy use, 72% electricity consumption, 39% CO2 emissions and 13.6% potable water consumption. It’s pretty clear this trip that green building can reduce all these numbers dramatically – building by building. More interesting stat from a 2006 study by the Davis Langdon company that “there is no significant difference in average costs for green buildings as compared to non-green buildings.” This study concentrated on design and construction costs. We’ll see if that holds up over time and carries over to providing “green” equipment as well.