For the last two or so
decades, green construction has become more popular and common than ever
before. The trend is expected to continue in the future. Since the real estate
industry is becoming bigger and bigger every year, green and sustainable
construction is quite necessary for the conservation of the environment. There
are two main reasons why green construction has become the trend and these
includes:
• The need to reduce energy consumption because the construction of commercial,
industrial and residential has been accounting for more than 35 percent of
energy consumption in the United States. The green construction initiative will
assist in lowering of greenhouse gas emissions, reduction of industrial waste
and conservation of natural resources.
• Some people may not care about the green construction but in some states; it
has been made a law that every construction company must support green and
sustainable construction. For instance, Washington, Maryland, California, and
Colorado have made it a requirement for new public and private buildings to be
built or be renovated using green technologies and materials. While these new
laws may not be taken seriously right now, by the year 2030, it is possible
that all states will have similar laws that are fully enforceable.
How green constriction is achieved
• Use of Renewable Building Materials
Green building materials are those materials that are made from renewable
resources or can be recycled after their useful life. Other materials
considered as green include those manufactured from eco-friendly resources,
salvaged resources or waste contents. Almost every building is made of steel
and concrete, and the production of these materials accounts for more than 10
percent of total greenhouse emissions in the country every year. While
technology is used to come up with more eco-friendly ways to produce steel and
concrete, this goal is very far from being achieved through innovation, and
still, the materials produced cannot be termed as green yet.
Construction companies are being pushed from using steel and concrete to using
wood on major projects such as the construction of skyscrapers. For instance,
if you have a dock construction project, it is advisable that you use dock material made of timber or other green materials for
decking. This will help you abide by the green construction requirements. As
long as timber is sourced in a responsible manner whereby people plant more
trees as they cut some, then this will act as a renewable and sustainable materials for construction. The greenhouse gases
produced during mass timber production are far less as compared to what is
emitted during concrete and steel production.
Another green building material is recycled fiberglass for insulation. In other
countries, some construction companies are using hemp as part of the foundation
materials and also for insulation. Unfortunately, the United States does not
allow growth of industrial hemp that is usually mixed with lime to produce
hemcrete; a mixture similar to concrete. However, the recycled fiberglass has
been used by many companies in the country for insulation. The process involves
using old junks. For instance, most the soft blue insulations you see in modern
houses today are made from recycled jeans and denims. That is a good example of
green and sustainable insulation. Another green insulation is cellulose
insulation which is usually made of old papers. This is a better form of green
insulation as compared to fiberglass insulation because for one, it consumes
lesser energy to produce and secondly, it is made of 75 to 85 percent of
recycled materials. Fiberglass insulation is made of 30 to 40 percent recycled
materials.
• Renewable Energy
Green and sustainable construction is also made possible through the use of
renewable energy such as wind, geothermal and most importantly solar energy. Many
buildings have solar panels installed on them, and this includes commercial
buildings. In fact, even big companies such as Walmart and Apple are using
solar energy in their operations. A new initiative known as Zero Energy buildings is calling for companies to use
renewable energy through their operations using wind or solar power. This means
that every construction project will consume zero net energy and will not emit
greenhouse gases. While the initial cost of installing solar energy is
expensive, most companies are providing clients with flexible payment programs
for the installations. Again, the benefits of using solar energy will be
enjoyed in the long run.
Everyone has a responsibility to take care of the environment regardless of the
job they do or the level of their income. It doesn’t matter what you are
constructing because even a decking project can be completed using renewable
dock material. Use of renewable power such as solar energy in construction
might sound impossible, but as long you work with the right solar manufacturing
company, then you will enjoy the benefits in the long run.