How can you compare green building options?

1 Green Building Standards

Green building standards are sets of rules or guidelines that define the minimum requirements or best practices for green building performance. They can cover aspects such as energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, materials selection, waste management, and site design. Some examples of green building standards are LEED, BREEAM, Green Star, and Living Building Challenge. Each standard has its own rating system, certification process, and scope of application. To compare green building options based on standards, you need to understand the goals, criteria, and benefits of each standard and how they align with your project's objectives, budget, and context.

2 Green Building Tools

Green building tools are software applications or online platforms that help you measure, analyze, and optimize the environmental performance of your building design. They can help you compare different green building options by providing data, feedback, and recommendations on various indicators such as energy use, carbon emissions, water use, lifecycle costs, and occupant comfort. Some examples of green building tools are EnergyPlus, eQuest, Ecotect, GBCalc, and Green Globes. Each tool has its own features, functions, and limitations. To compare green building options based on tools, you need to select the appropriate tool for your project's scale, complexity, and stage of development and use it consistently and accurately.

3 Green Building Strategies

Green building strategies are specific techniques or solutions that you can apply to your building design to improve its environmental performance. They can range from simple to complex, from passive to active, from low-tech to high-tech, and from individual to integrated. Some examples of green building strategies are passive solar design, natural ventilation, rainwater harvesting, renewable energy systems, green roofs, and biophilic design. Each strategy has its own advantages, disadvantages, and trade-offs. To compare green building options based on strategies, you need to consider the suitability, feasibility, and effectiveness of each strategy for your project's location, climate, function, and aesthetics.

4 Green Building Costs

Green building costs are the expenses associated with designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining a green building. They can include upfront costs, such as design fees, materials costs, labor costs, and certification costs, and ongoing costs, such as utility bills, maintenance costs, and repair costs. They can also include savings, such as reduced energy consumption, water consumption, waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions, and benefits, such as increased productivity, health, and satisfaction of occupants. To compare green building options based on costs, you need to calculate the lifecycle costs of each option and compare them with the lifecycle benefits. You also need to factor in the potential risks, uncertainties, and externalities that may affect the costs and benefits.

5 Green Building Impacts

Green building impacts are the effects that a green building has on the environment, society, and economy. They can be positive or negative, direct or indirect, short-term or long-term, and local or global. Some examples of green building impacts are reduced resource consumption, enhanced biodiversity, improved air quality, lower greenhouse gas emissions, increased employment, higher property values, and greater social equity. To compare green building options based on impacts, you need to identify the relevant indicators and metrics that can measure and quantify the impacts of each option. You also need to weigh the trade-offs and synergies among different impacts and stakeholders.

6 Green Building Decision

Green building decision is the process of selecting the best green building option for your project based on the comparison of different options. It is not a simple or straightforward process, as it involves multiple criteria, perspectives, and uncertainties. It also requires a balance between rationality and creativity, between analysis and intuition, and between science and art. To make a good green building decision, you need to use a systematic and transparent method that can help you evaluate and prioritize the options based on your project's goals, values, and constraints. You also need to involve and communicate with the relevant stakeholders, such as clients, users, designers, contractors, and regulators, and seek their input and feedback.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?