Green+Buildings


 * Connecting People with Nature Indicators**
 * //Parks & Nature Recreation//** :: Natural Area Recreation :: Proximity to Parks
 * //Environmental Education//** :: Environmental Education Centers :: Community Colleges :: State Curriculum
 * //Environmental Choices//** :: Green Buildings :: Transportation Choices :: Waste and Recycling Practices

=**Green Buildings**=


 * What is this?**

This indicator shows trends in the number of Leadership in Energy and Environemtnal Design (LEED) certified and NC HealthyBuilt Homes in the Triangle area.

NC HealthyBuilt Homes is a partnership between the NC Solar Center, the NC State Energy Office , the NC Department of Administration , and local communities. In order for a home to be certified as HealthyBuilt, the home must be inspected during each step of the building process. The inspections ensure that building materials and processes reduce pollution and waste of natural resources. The program emphasizes energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and decreasing water usage. The US EPA Energy Star Program, Environments for Living , and System Vision are all recoginzed by NC HealthyBuilt as standards to be incorporated in certified homes.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) buildings work to improve energy efficiency, water use efficiency, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, improve indoor air quality, promote stewardship of natural resources, and promte awareness and sensitivity of people to their impact on their surroundings. Universities, community schools, community centers, dormitories, and corporations have started seeking LEED certification as a way to reduce their impact on the environment.

Syngenta Biotechnology, Research Triangle Park, NC. Certified LEED Silver. Photo from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/7465479


 * Why is this important?**

As these programs gain popularity in the Triangle, they reduce some of the environmental burden of continued regional growth. Organizations that encourage green building practices have been gaining popularity as people become aware of their effect on the environment. North Carolina HealthyBuilt Homes works with home builders and buyers to ensure that homes follow environmentally friendly proccesses from the manufacturing of materials through the life of the home. The U.S. Green Building Council has developed the LEED certificate program to encourage commercial builders to be environmentally conscious during the building and life of a structure.


 * //How to Make your Home Greener//**
 * //How to Make your Home Greener//**

We can all do our part to make our lives more environmentally friendly. Here are a few simple steps you can take around your house to make your life greener:


 * Switch to CFL Bulbs**: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs use 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer.


 * Adjust Your Thermostat**: Each degree below 68°F when running your heat will save 3-5% in energy and lower your bill - and reduce carbon emissions.


 * Go Low Flow**: Installing low flow toilets can save water and money. New toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush compared to the 3.5 used by pre-1994 models. Adjusting the float valve in your tank can also save water if you’re ready to remodel right now.

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 * Composting**: Compost your vegetable scraps, yard clippings, newspaper, cardboard tubes, and coffee grounds to create your own soil.


 * What does this measure show?**

The number of green certified buildings in the Triangle is on the rise (Figure 1). Prior to the recent economic recession, there had been a steady increase in the number of buildings joining the list. At the end of 2001, there were only three buildings in the Triangle region registered to receive LEED certification. By the end of 2009, this number had increased to 168 buildings seeking certification. The slight fall in numbers from 2008 to 2009 is likely due to the economic recession causing a decline in new construction and a reduction in funding for existing buildings to achieve LEED standards.

Seven homes in the Triangle area have been certified as HealthyBuilt—five in Wake county, one in Durham, and one in Johnston county. Most recently, several retailers joined the LEED for Retail pilot program in 2009.

**Figure 1.** Number of LEED-certified buildings in the Triangle.


 * Limitations & Further Research**

The LEED data should be used as a baseline for further studies. Tracking changes in the number of certificates and also the different types of certificates would show the progress of green building in the Triangle.

Triangle Sustainable Design Council is in the process of creating their own standards for green building certification for Triangle area buildings. Interviewing members of the Design Council would provide a better understanding of the green building market in the Triangle.


 * Author** Lauren Forbes :: 2010 April 27
 * Reviewers** Emily Ander, City of Raleigh :: Walter Thurman, NC State University


 * Technical Notes**

LEED Certification data was downloaded from the LEED website:@http://www.usgbc.org/. NC HealthyBuilt data was provided by personnel in the NC HealthyBuilt Homes Program office.

Click here for the spreadsheet: [|Green Building Data.xls]


 * Connecting People with Nature Indicators**
 * //Parks & Nature Recreation//** :: Natural Area Recreation :: Proximity to Parks
 * //Environmental Education//** :: Environmental Education Centers :: Community Colleges :: State Curriculum
 * //Environmental Choices//** :: Green Buildings :: Transportation Choices :: Waste and Recycling Practices