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What is Green Building?
Green Building practices promote construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and healthier for the environment. The City of San José’s Green Vision establishes sustainability as a City priority and the City's Green Building Policies further demonstrate the City’s commitment to protecting the environment. Sustainable or “green” building practices can reduce the tremendous impact that design, construction operation and maintenance of buildings has on both people and nature. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Center for Sustainable Development, buildings consume 40% of the world's total energy, 25% of its wood harvest and 16% of its water. The building industry is the nation's largest manufacturing activity, representing more than 50% of the nation's wealth and 13% of its Gross Domestic Product. Energy and material consumption in buildings contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emission which impact global climate change.
Sustainable building practices go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor environmental quality. Some of the key benefits are:
- lower energy and water utility costs
- preference for use of building materials with fewer chemicals and less impact on the environment
- enhanced health and productivity
- long-term economic returns
- reduced environmental impact
In addition to a Green Building Poicy which requires City buildings to be designed and built using Green Building principles, the City of San José's Green Building Policy for Private Sector New Construction encourages building owners, architects, developers, and contractors to incorporate meaningful sustainable building goals early in building design process. By using the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Rating System or Build It Green's GreenPoint Rated green building rating systems to document sustainable building features, project teams can publicize their progress. |
S. Richard Fedrizzi, president, chief executive officer, and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council, discusses how green building, energy efficiency, and green jobs will be the keys to economic recovery.
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Building Can Lay a Fast Foundation for Economic Recovery