| As we mature as a species, most people realize we | | | | forty dollars per year. It is all a matter of |
| need to take care of our world. That being said, | | | | perspective. |
| most people think doing so is expensive. So, what | | | | Most experts agree that green construction cost |
| does green construction cost? | | | | ranges from nothing at all to a nominal cost. It is |
| The cost of green construction is a rather complex | | | | possible to go to the next level and increase costs |
| subject. It is an easily misunderstood subject also. | | | | by using exotic items in the building plan. In most |
| One reason for this is the idea of an integrated | | | | cases, this is not done, and the cost of the green |
| approach that considers the economic benefits of | | | | structure does not differ much from the cost of the |
| any green project in relationship to the cost. The up | | | | traditional building. Most builders are trying to do the |
| front costs of a project may be higher. Yet, these | | | | right thing today anyway. Even when they do not |
| costs are often balanced against the long term low | | | | consider what they are doing as green, they still try |
| operating costs of the building. It is further | | | | to do the right thing. They also have some very |
| complicated by the fact that many of the benefits | | | | strict codes they must follow. |
| of the green approach cannot be easily expressed in | | | | It is hard to compare recent projects. Green |
| dollar and cents. If our personal environment is safer | | | | construction planners do not normally do cost |
| and cleaner, and our health is better as a result, how | | | | estimates on their jobs comparing traditional costs. |
| do we quantify this? | | | | Traditional planners do not usually do cost estimates |
| In one example cost study done in California, $1578 | | | | on green construction costs for their projects. In a |
| was added to the cost of a home in order to bring it | | | | recent study of 33 properties in California that did |
| to a minimal green construction level. The additional | | | | compare costs, the cost of going green was about 2 |
| costs went into projects that made the home more | | | | percent higher. This amounted to about $3 to $5 per |
| energy efficient. The estimate was that at current | | | | square foot. |
| energy costs, the savings would be $185 per year. | | | | Green construction might very well be the wave of |
| The initial cost would be amortized over the length of | | | | the future. Many new projects take years from the |
| an 8 percent mortgage, and this would yield an | | | | initial planning to the completion of construction. It is |
| additional cost of $139 a year. So, the net result | | | | likely that code changes, and customer demands will |
| would really be a savings of $46 dollars per year. It is | | | | change over the next few years. What would be the |
| how one prefers to look at this example that they | | | | cost of scrapping a construction project and starting |
| would answer the question of cost. One approach | | | | over again? Green construction costs little, and |
| claims the green construction improvements cost | | | | sometime even saves. It is the wave of the future |
| over fifteen hundred dollars. Another approach claims | | | | though, and the bigger cost might come from |
| that the green improvements actually save over | | | | ignoring it. |