What is Green Building?

Green buildings are sited, designed, constructed, and operated to enhance the well-being of their occupants and support a healthy community and natural environment.

In practical terms, green building is a whole-systems approach to building that includes:

Designing for livable communities
Using sun and site to the building's advantage for natural heating, cooling, and daylighting
Landscaping with native, drought-resistant plants and water-efficient practices
Building quality, durable structures
Reducing and recycling construction and demolition waste
Insulating well and ventilating appropriately
Incorporating durable, salvaged, recycled, and sustainably harvested materials
Using healthy products and building practices
Using energy-efficient and water-saving appliances, fixtures and technologies

When implemented holistically, these strategies serve to preserve our environment for future generations by conserving natural resources and protecting air and water quality. They provide benefits for us today by increasing comfort and well-being and helping to maintain healthy air quality. Finally, green building strategies are good for everyone's pocketbook by reducing maintenance and replacement requirements, reducing utility bills and lowering the cost of home ownership, and increasing property and resale values.

Source: USGBC, 2008

Per Build It Green, there are five principles and examples of Green Building:

Livable Communities - Better neighborhoods and quality of life • Broader site considerations (as applicable) such as infill or mixed use developments • Keep size in check--conserve resources by increasing density on buildable land • Design for diverse households; ADA-compliant
Energy Efficiency - Improved comfort and lower energy bills • Passive solar heating, overhangs on south windows, deciduous trees on west and south • Upgraded insulation, SIPs, advanced air infiltration reduction practices (air sealing), Low-E double-pane windows • Compact fluorescent lighting, low energy-using major appliances • High-efficiency furnace or zoned, hydronic radiant heat; Tankless water heater • Solar water heating, photovoltaic system (solar panels), wind turbines
Indoor Air Quality - Safe, pleasant and healthy homes • Low or no-VOC paint, wood finishes, & adhesives; avoid products with added formaldehyde • Mechanical ventilation system, heat recovery ventilation unit, sealed-combustion furnace and water heater • Range hood and bath fans vent to outside, bath fans controlled with a timer or humidistat • No wood-burning fireplace, or retrofit wood-burning fireplace with EPA certified wood stoves/inserts
Resource Conservation -Wise resource use for future generations • Reuse/recycling of C&D (construction & demolition) waste • High-volume recycled flyash in concrete (min. 25%) • Reclaimed lumber, flooring, millwork, and other reused or salvaged materials • FSC-Certified wood, engineered lumber, Advanced Framing techniques • Recycled-content decking, ceramic tiles, glass tiles or counters, carpet, etc. • Rapidly renewable flooring: cork, linoleum, bamboo, natural fiber carpet
Water Conservation • Ultra-low flush or dual-flush toilets, fixtures with below standard flow rates (showers<2.5gpm, faucets<2.2gpm) • Grey water system, rainwater harvesting system, low-water landscaping, native landscaping, high efficiency irrigation system, smart irrigation control, no irrigation