About half of nonresidential buildings in 2015 will be green compared to the 15 percent that qualify today, according to a study by Good Energies, Inc., a venture capital firm based in New York.
In addition, green buildings only cost about 2 percent more than a comparable non-green building, according to the study, and owners typically recoup the extra cost within three to four years earning four to six times the invested cost over the course of 20 years.
The two-year independent study used the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy Environmental Design (LEED) standards to define what a criteria qualified a building as green. Although LEED certification wasn’t required, the buildings had to meet LEED standards.
For more news and information about green building, LEED or ABC’s Green Contractor Certification program that recognizes companies engaging in green practices in the office as well as on the jobsite, visit
www.greenconstructionatwork.com.