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Sustainable Construction: Analysis of Its Costs and Financial Benefits

November 2016

DOI:10.21276/ijirem.2016.3.6.12

Authors:

Sumateja Reddy

Andhra University

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International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering & Management (IJIREM)

ISSN: 2350-0557, Volume-3, Issue-6, November-2016

DOI: 10.21276/ijirem.2016.3.6.12

Sustainable Construction: Analysis of Its Costs and

Financial Benefits

V. Sumateja Reddy

Student of Architecture, IGBC Accredited Professional and GRIHA Certified Professional,

Andhra University, Andhra Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT

Buildings consume a significant amount of our natural

resources and have a wide range of environmental impacts.

These economical and environmental concerns are a key

driver behind the sustainable design movement. Selecting eco

friendly building materials and methods are one way to

minimize a building’s economical impact. In fact, energy

efficiency reductions in the construction and operation of

buildings, offers one of the most significant opportunities to

reduce financial burden to owners. The main objective of this

paper is illustrated how the sustainable or green buildings

benefits and impact on the stakeholder.

Keywords: Buildings, CO2, Green Buildings, Goals,

Economical Benefits

I. INTRODUCTION

Buildings including construction, operations and

deconstruction impacts, use approximately 15% of the

world’s fresh water resources, 40% of the world's energy

and produce approximately 30% of the world's greenhouse

gas emissions. The analyst forecast global market to grow

at a CAGR of 9.6% during the period 2016-2020.To

prevent the worst effects of global climate change and

minimize other negative environmental impacts, it is

therefore important to address the environmental impacts

of buildings.

Key financial benefits of new green construction

generally relate to lower operational costs, lower energy,

waste and water costs, lower maintenance costs, and

increased productivity and health. The latter, while

difficult to measure/ prove, have come to be regarded as

the holy grail of green building given that labor costs for

most businesses comprise the overwhelming majority of

costs. Building green also presents opportunities for

incentives to offset any higher initial (capital) costs and

may result in increased occupancy rates and rental rates,

insurance discounts and higher property value.

“Green” or “sustainable” buildings use key resources

like energy, water, materials, and land much more

efficiently than buildings that are simply built to code.

They also create healthier work, learning, and living

environments, with more natural light and cleaner air, and

contribute to improved employee and health, comfort, and

productivity. Sustainable buildings are cost-effective,

saving taxpayer dollars by reducing operations and

maintenance costs, as well as by lowering utility bills

Figure 3 Financial Benefits of Green Buildings Summary

of Findings (per sft ) Source: Capital E Analysis Category

Net Present Value Energy Savings $5.80

Emissions Savings $1.20

Water Savings $0.50

Operations and Maintenance Savings $8.50

Productivity and Health Benefits $36.90 to $55.30

Subtotal $52.90 to $71.30

Average Extra Cost of Building Green (-3.00 to -$5.00)

Total Net Benefit $50 to $65

II. GOALS OF GREEN BUILDINGS

The basic goal of green building is attractive,

comfortable, affordable shelter that does no harm to the

Earth in its manufacture, or its use or disposal. This

overarching goal is driven by four further goals:

1. Reducing impacts on the Earth from constructing

buildings and their materials

2. Reducing impacts which arise during occupancy

3. Reducing the impact of the structure at the end of its life

4. Creating a more desirable human experience

Figure 1: Goals of Green Buildings

Incresed

building

valuation

and ROI

Reduce

solid

waste

Conserve

natural

resource

Decrese

greenhouse

gasses

Enhance

occupent

health

Improve

air and

water

quality

Sustainable Construction: Analysis of Its Costs and Financial Benefits

III. TRIPLE BOTTOM-LINE BENEFITS

Green building is not a simple development trend; it

is an approach to building suited to the demands of its

time, whose relevance and importance will only continue

to increase. The benefits of green building are manifold,

and may be categorized along three fronts: environmental,

economic, and social.

Figure 2: Benefits of sustainable construction

1. Environmental Benefits like Emissions Reduction.

Water Conservation, Storm water Management,

Temperature Moderation and Waste Reduction.

2. Economic Benefits like Energy and Water Savings,

Increased Property Values, Decreased Infrastructure

Strain, Improved Employee Attendance, Increased

Employee Productivity, Sales Improvements,

Development of Local Talent Pool.

Table.1

Green building benefits (USGBC)

26% Less energy

30% Less Indore waste

50% Less solid waste

33% Less CO2 emission

30% Less water usage

3.Social Benefits like Improved Health, Improved Schools,

Healthier Lifestyles and Recreation.

IV. THE ECONOMICAL IMPACT OF BUILDINGS

It is generally recognized that buildings consumes large

amount of water, wood, energy and natural resources used

in the economy. Green buildings provide a potential

promising to help address a way of challenges facing

globally, such as:

 The high cost of electric power.

 Worsening electric grid constraints, with associated

power quality and availability problems.

 Pending water shortage and waste disposal issues.

 Growing concern over the cost of global warming.

 The rising incidence of allergies and asthma,

especially in children.

 The health and productivity of workers.

 The effect of the physical school environment on

children’s abilities to learn and

 Increasing expenses of maintaining and operating state

facilities over time.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency and the USGBC, construction and operation of the

buildings results in the following consumption of

resources:

 72% of electricity resources

 39% of total energy used

 17% fresh water flows and

 Raw materials

As well, construction and operation of all buildings results

in the following generation of waste materials:

 25%-40% of municipal solid waste

 50% of CFCs

 35% of CO2 emission and

 Other air emissions and water discharge

A building is green in the true sense only when all the

processes related to the building, throughout its life cycle,

such as site planning, design, service design, construction,

and operation, are environmental friendly and economical

V. THE MAJOR FINALCIAL BENEFITS OF

BUILDING GREEN FOR NEW CNSTRUCTION

According to the Construction Marketplace

SmartMarket Report, commercial green buildings have

demonstrated an 8-9% decrease in operating cost, a 7.5%

increase in building value and a 6.6% return on investment

improvement. According to the Greening of Corporate

America SmartMarket Report, commercial green buildings

experience a 3.5% occupancy ratio increase and a 3% rent

ratio increase. In a comparison of ENERGY STAR

buildings and market comparables in the first quarter of

2008, ENERGY STAR buildings achieved 3.6% higher

occupancy rates. Green building is the practice of building

or renovating structures to be energy and resource efficient

throughout a building's life-cycle from sitting to design,

construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and

deconstruction. Green buildings use natural resources

efficiently and fewer in quantity and reduce wastage, this

leads to lower both utility bills and impact on the

environment. These benefits range from being fairly

predictable (energy, waste, and water savings) to relatively

uncertain (productivity/health benefits). Energy and water

International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering & Management (IJIREM)

savings can be predicted with reasonable precision,

measured, and monitored over time. In contra

productivity and health gains are much less precisely

understood and far harder to predict with accuracy.

main benefits of building green are included the following:

Figure 3: Economic

al benefits of green buildings

1. Reduce energy consumption

2. Decreased use of natural resources

3. Lower first costs

4. Lower churn cost

5. Annual water cost saving

6. Lower greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution

7. Improve attendance and i

mprove productivity

8. Lower

costs of facility maintenance and repair

9. Other benefits to the building owner and

10. Indirect benefits to society

1. Reduce energy consumption

Energy is a substantial and

widely recognized cost of building operations that can be

reduced through energy

efficiency and related measures

that are part of green building design.

Green building

energy savings primarily come from reduced electricity

purchases and secondarily from reduced peak energy

demand. On average, green buildings are 28% more

efficient than

conventional buildings and generate 2% of

their power on-site from photovoltaic’s

(PV).

On average 25-

30% more energy efficient

;Characterized by even lower

electricity peak consumption

;More likely to gen

erate renewable energy on

likely to purchase grid power generated from renewable

energy sources r

educe heating, cooling, and lighting loads

through climate-

responsive design and conservation

practices



Employ renewable energy sources such as

lighting, passive solar heating,

photovoltaic’s,

geothermal, and groundwater cooling

Financial

benefits

energy

consumptio

natural

resources

lower churn

cost

lower first

cost

reduce water

consumption

resale

value

reduce

material

use

lower

greenhouse

gas

International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering & Management (IJIREM)

ISSN: 2350-0557, Volume

DOI:

10.21276/ijirem.2016.3.6.1

savings can be predicted with reasonable precision,

measured, and monitored over time. In contra

st,

productivity and health gains are much less precisely

understood and far harder to predict with accuracy.

The

main benefits of building green are included the following:

al benefits of green buildings

6. Lower greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution

mprove productivity

costs of facility maintenance and repair

Energy is a substantial and

widely recognized cost of building operations that can be

efficiency and related measures

Green building

energy savings primarily come from reduced electricity

purchases and secondarily from reduced peak energy

demand. On average, green buildings are 28% more

conventional buildings and generate 2% of

(PV).

30% more energy efficient

electricity peak consumption

erate renewable energy on

-site; More

likely to purchase grid power generated from renewable

educe heating, cooling, and lighting loads

responsive design and conservation

Employ renewable energy sources such as

day

photovoltaic’s,

 Specify efficient HVAC

and

consider part-

load conditions and utility interface

requirements



Optimize building performance by employing energy

modeling programs and optimize system

strategies by using occupancy

other air quality alarms



Monitor project performance through a policy

of commissioning

, metering, annual reporting, and

periodic re-commissioning and



Integrate water saving technologies to

burden of providing potable water.

Decreased use of natural resources

Green buildings also utilize fewer materials, through

efficient design and elimination of unnecessary finish

materials.

3. Lower first costs

Sustainable design team inclu

ding the owners; designing

team; landscape designers; O&M staff; health, safety and

security experts; the green contractor; cost consultants;

occupant representatives needs work together from the

start, seeking an integrated design. The team develops

inno

vative solutions that meet energy, environmental, and

social goals while keeping cost

within

4. Lower churn cost

any sustainable buildings include a raised system that

creates an under floor plenum used for HVAC air

distribution

modular partitions, modular work stations

modular power cabling and data systems

reduce churn costs.

5. Annual water cost saving

Green building encourages innovative water

strategies that help projects use water wisely. Project

can follow an integrated process to begin assessing

existing water resources, opportunities for reducing water

demand, and alternative water supplies. Effective

strategies include:

Figure 4: Water cost saving

lower churn

cost

Water cost saving

recycling

rainwat

harvesti

high

efficiency

plumbing

International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering & Management (IJIREM)

3, Issue-6, November-2016

10.21276/ijirem.2016.3.6.1

524

and

lighting systems that

load conditions and utility interface

Optimize building performance by employing energy

modeling programs and optimize system

control

sensors CO

sensors and

Monitor project performance through a policy

, metering, annual reporting, and

commissioning and

Integrate water saving technologies to

reduce the energy

burden of providing potable water.

Decreased use of natural resources

Green buildings also utilize fewer materials, through

efficient design and elimination of unnecessary finish

ding the owners; designing

team; landscape designers; O&M staff; health, safety and

security experts; the green contractor; cost consultants;

occupant representatives needs work together from the

start, seeking an integrated design. The team develops

vative solutions that meet energy, environmental, and

within

budget.

any sustainable buildings include a raised system that

creates an under floor plenum used for HVAC air

modular partitions, modular work stations

and

modular power cabling and data systems

can significantly

Green building encourages innovative water

-saving

strategies that help projects use water wisely. Project

teams

can follow an integrated process to begin assessing

existing water resources, opportunities for reducing water

demand, and alternative water supplies. Effective

Figure 4: Water cost saving

Water cost saving

high

efficiency

plumbing

Sustainable Construction: Analysis of Its Costs and Financial Benefits

 Switch to high-efficiency plumbing fixtures like ultra-

low-flow showerheads and faucets, dual flush toilets

and no-water urinals.

 Install sub meters.

 Choose native and adapted plants

 Use xeriscaping.

 Select efficient irrigation technologies

 Water recycling or reuse measures and

 Methods reduce water use in HVAC systems

6. Lower greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution one set

of environmental benefits from greening buildings that can

be fairly easily estimated is a lower air pollutant and CO2

emissions. Emissions are reduced by decreasing energy

use through energy-efficient design, use of

renewable energy and HVAC system.

Table 2: Emission coefficients for energy

consumption in commercial buildings

Natural Gas Negligible 0.08 15.8

Electricity 0.97 0.45 55.62

Sustainable design principles can significantly reduce

these impacts

7. Lower absenteeism and improve productivity

Sustainable design futures improve performance in

attention and concentration level; improve performance on

logical thinking tasks; improve organizational level

performance; self rating of productivity.

8. Lower costs of facility maintenance and repair

Sustainable design aim s to increase durability and ease

of maintenance.

 Using durable, long lasting can decrease

maintenance cost and repairs

 Low VOC paints offers durability

 Using sustainable landscaping techniques

decrease cost and

 Managing storm water with natural methods

9. Other benefits to the building owner

 Better worker retention and recruitment

 Lower cost of dealing with complaints

 Decreased risk, liability, and insurance rates

 Greater building longevity and

 Better resale value

10. Indirect benefits to society- The value t society of

environmental preservation and pollution reduction in

municipal infrastructure requirements, local and

regional economic growth

Figure 5: Financial benefits

VI. CONCLUSION

Green building is the practice of building or

renovating structures to be energy and resource efficient

throughout a building's life-cycle from sitting to design,

construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and

deconstruction. The financial benefits of green buildings

include lower energy, waste disposal, and water costs,

lower environmental and emissions costs, lower operations

and maintenance costs, and savings from increased

productivity and health. This paper concludes that how the

sustainable construction is benefit to all stakeholders.

REFERENCE

[1] http://www.usgbc.org/articles/green-building-facts.

[2] usgbc economic impact study sept,2015

[3] gbcsa.org.za/greenstar/greenstar.php.

[4]Dodge Data & Analy.cs (2012). 2014 Dodge

Construc2on Green Outlook Report..

[5]http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/15-

living-walls-verticalgardens-sky-farms/1202.

[6]http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article.

[7]http://www.legrand.com/EN/green-building-

description_12850.html.

[8]http://high-performancebuildings.org/tcil.php

http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/media/weowebsite/20

15/IndiaEnergyOutlook_WEO2015.

[9]U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (October 28,

2009).Green Building Basic Information. Retrieved

Dec2009, from http://www.epa.gov/ greenbuilding/pubs

[10] Green building impacts worker productivity. (2012).

CAD/CAM Update, 24(5), 7-8.

[11] Pushkar, S., Becker, R., & Katz, A.(2005). A

methodology for design of environmentally optimal

buildings by variable grouping. Building and Environment

[12] Kats, Greg (2003, October) The Costs and Financial

Benefits of Green Buildings: A Report to California’s

Sustainable Building Task Force. Retrieved from:

h"p://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/design/costben

efit/report.pdf

Sustainable

Planning

Design &

construction

energy

conservation

Green

materials

Finalcial

benefits

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Jun 2021
J Eng Des Tech

Purpose The pertinent information about green buildings (GB) is laden with cost misperceptions (CM) that are paraded into adoption decisions without factual clarifications. The unsupported beliefs are fundamental to the disparaging low adoption of related technologies globally. The purpose of this paper is to explore the causes of CMs among construction stakeholders and why is it difficult to discredit this information? Design/methodology/approach The research adopted two-tier approaches involving a Delphi study and a questionnaire survey. Construction stakeholders and GB experts, totalling 415 were surveyed, while 12 professionals participated in the Delphi study. This study analysed data from 254 valid responses using Factor Analysis, Fussy Set Theory and Kruskal Wallis test to explain why CMs are prevalent. Findings The causes of CMs converge towards seven principal factors including low knowledge of GB practices, non-familiarity with performance metrics, inadequate evidence, poor-risk perceptions and reliance on the costs of exemplar projects. The results were explained using gaps in cost management, knowledge and sustainability accounting to show the critical improvements that can benefit GB adoption. Practical implications CMs are not abstract but develop from patterns that can be detected and understood within a specific context. Growing GB projects within a region would improve cost information, sustainability accounting, cost management and quality of evidence. GB cost information paraded into adoption decision processes are overestimated and overvalued beliefs of their financial implications. Tackling the important sources of CMs in the study is appropriate to improve rational decision-making aiding GB adoption. Originality/value This study untied causes of negative dispositions towards the cost of GB that distort stakeholders’ adoption decisions.

Dimensions of cost misperceptions obstructing the adoption of sustainable buildings

Article

Apr 2021

Purpose Across the globe, the dearth of certainty about the cost of sustainable buildings (SBs) remains a critical disincentive to their adoption. This study explored the factually incorrect knowledge about the cost of SBs and their implications on adoption. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted sequenced mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches involving a literature review, Delphi study and survey. Semi-structured and structured self-study questionnaires were administered to a random sample of green building experts, researchers and registered construction professionals with deep knowledge of SB. The dataset from 254 stakeholders was analysed for commonality, principal components and critical misperceptions using multivariate approaches. Findings The predominant misperceptions in the study linked low adoption of SB to cost premium, portray cost premium as a property of luxury sustainable features and suggest related practices are suitable for exemplary projects only. The critical misperceptions produced various misinterpretations that inhibit the adoption of SB through the dearth of policies, increased complexities and inflation of budget to curb perceived risks. Practical implications The study buttressed the imperative to improve cost information, knowledge, skills and stakeholders' risk perceptions to increase SB adoption. The results provide insight into the regional misperceptions and knowledge gaps that could explain the low adoption of SB in a typical emerging green market. Originality/value The study showed that the prevalent knowledge about the cost of SB among construction stakeholders are unsupported beliefs and directs attention to emerging issues critical to SBs' adoption in emerging markets.

The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings. A Report to California's Sustainable Task Force

Article

Jan 2003

G. Kats

A methodology for design of environmentally optimal buildings by variable grouping

Article

Aug 2005
BUILD ENVIRON

The main research objective was establishing a simple but reliable methodology for the building design stage that would yield environmentally optimal buildings. A three-step methodology is proposed: (1) design variable grouping—four distinct groups were recognized according to their stage of major influence (production and construction, operational energy, maintenance to demolition, and an Integrated Group relevant to several life cycle stages), (2) generating the within group optimization methodology, and (3) integration.This paper presents the methodology developed for the grouping procedure, and its testing and application on a simple generic office module. Sensitivity analysis highlights the significance of electricity production fuel.

A methodology for design of environmentally optimal buildings by variable grouping. Building and Environment) The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings: A Report to California's Sustainable Building Task Force. Retrieved from: h

Oct 2003

S Pushkar
R Becker
A Katz

Pushkar, S., Becker, R., & Katz, A.(2005). A methodology for design of environmentally optimal buildings by variable grouping. Building and Environment [12] Kats, Greg (2003, October) The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings: A Report to California's Sustainable Building Task Force. Retrieved from: h"p://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/design/costben efit/report.pdf