Busting the Myth that Green Costs More Green

Abstract

Buildings are one of the largest consumers of resources and
energy in this country, and according to the AIA (American Institute
of Architects) are responsible for almost half of all carbon emissions
in the United States. Since Americans spend nearly 90 percent of
their lives indoors, buildings are clearly important to our way of life.
The most common misconception about green building is that these
approaches cost more to implement than traditional strategies and
techniques of design and construction.
Any decision made in the early stages of programming and
design will have economic impacts on the overall building cost. How
many floors will our building have? Will we use marble in the lobby?
Can we use fancy fixtures in the bathrooms? But according to a Davis
Langdon study, there was “...no significant difference in the construc-
tion costs for LEED ® -seeking versus non-LEED ® buildings...” In ad-
dition to this widely referenced report, other independent studies by
the State of California and the GSA indicate that cost premiums are
minimal.
More importantly, first cost is only a small part of the total cost
of building ownership. Cost-of-ownership studies agree that first cost
only accounts for around 10 percent of all costs a building owner will
spend over the life of the building. The other 90 percent comes in the
form of operation and maintenance—two areas in which designing
for LEED ® certification can save enormously. Any additional costs
for building green are recouped in one to two years on average, with
exponential cost savings thereafter that leave traditional construction
far behind.