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Building “green”
can provide significant financial savings, as well as preserve the environment, and improve the health and productivity
of the residents of a green built home. Elements of building green may include using renewable sources of energy;
implementing energy-efficient practices; designing and operating buildings to use water efficiently; and choosing building
materials that are recycled, less toxic, energy-efficient, biodegradable, and/or more durable.
Both the State and
Federal governments, recognizing the value of building green, offer incentives and assistance to encourage this practice.
Washington State’s
Net-Metering
Law and the IRS/Federal solar tax credit are perfect examples of the considerable financial benefits to building using renewable energy technology, such as
solar and geothermal. And several private organizations are actively researching and promoting the benefits of this approach.
Life-cycle costs
of green buildings are lower due to savings on energy costs, the revenue generated from renewable energy buy-back programs;
and on such things as water consumption. Additional benefits and savings can come in the form of better health and greater
productivity of occupants. While the upfront costs of building green have tended to be higher in the past, they are now dropping
and, in many cases, are actually proving less expensive than those using conventional construction techniques.
State
& Federal Incentives & Programs
Resources for Washington State Incentives
Private Organizations
The U.S Green Building Council, a coalition of leaders from the building industry, oversees the
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System, voluntary national standards for developing
high-performance, sustainable buildings. Other organizations that work to encourage
and provide information about green building include The Green Roundtable and the
Solar Energy Industries Association. |
