GREEN BUILDING MYTHS & FACTS

Everyone would like to spend there dollars wisely, and going GREEN sustanable buildings can do just that.

There are so many benefits to going besides lower operating costs. Green Buildings are recognized as a better investment than non-green buildings. two recent studies show that green certified buildings out perform peers in occupancy rates, sale prices and lease rates. The average Leed certified building uses 32 percent less electricity and 36 percent less total engery than a standard new building. Water usage in Leed cerfified buildings is on the average 30 percent less than non-Leed buildings.

Many are mislead by mths related to these practice.

MYTH #1 Only tree hugging, tie dye wearing, Grateful Dead - listening hippies are into this stuff.

FACT: Federal, State and local governments, educational intitutions and non-profit organizations are developing green buildings.

LEED is finding its way into legislation, executive orders, resolutions, ordinances, policies, and incentives in 27 states, twelve federal agencies, and 36 institutions of higher learning across the US. Over 40 percent of REIT's in the US are actively looking into enery efficiency and green building upgrades with another 30 percent planning to do so.

MYTH #2 Green Buidling Cost more......who say's - this is a crucial point: Green Building don't cost more.

FACT: Study after study has shown a slim to non-existent cost premium for building high performance green buildings. In 2003, Capital E energy consultants, released a study showing that the average construction premium for a sample of 22 LEED building across the country was 1.84 percent.

In 2004, the US General Services Adm. reported that the anticipated construction premium for new federal courthouses would range from a negative 0.4 percent to a "low-cost" LEED-Certified facility, to a high 8.1 percent for "high cost" LEED- Gold facility.

In 2006, real estate consultants compared the cost of 83 building seeking LEED certification against 138 conventional buildings. Their analysis concluded that "the cost per square foot for buildings seeking LEED certification falls into the existing range of costs for buildings of similar program type.

More Myth's and Fact to come later.

Have a Greener Day.

Jack