BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDINGS
The benefits of green buildings can be environmental, economic and social.
Green buildings can not only reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the environment, by using less water, energy or natural resources, but they can – in many cases – have a positive impact on the environment (at the building or city scales) by generating their own energy.
Green buildings offer a number of economic or financial benefits, which are relevant to a range of different people or groups of people.
These include;
– cost savings on utility bills for tenants or households (through energy and water efficiency);
– lower construction costs and higher property value for building developers;
– increased occupancy rates or operating costs for building owners; and
– job creation.
Green building benefits go beyond economics and the environment, and have been shown to bring positive social impacts too. Many of these benefits are around the health and wellbeing of people who work in green offices or live in green homes.
Workers in green, well-ventilated offices record a 101 per cent increase in cognitive scores (brain function) – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health / Syracuse University Center of Excellence / SUNY Upstate Medical School, 2015.
Employees in offices with windows slept an average of 46 minutes more per night – American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2013.
Research suggests that better indoor air quality (low concentrations of CO2 and pollutants, and high ventilation rates) can lead to improvements in performance of up to 8 per cent–Park and Yoon, 2011.
Our Better Places for People project focuses on creating buildings which are not only good for the environment, but also support healthier, happier and more productive lives.
Its time to Go Green!!!!
Live Healthy. Work Healthy.