Green construction continues to build steam in 2015

July 9, 2015

It wasn't long ago that commercial architects and engineers wrote off green building as the fad of the moment, another momentary trend devised to placate the growing clamor for environmentally conscious development. These projections regarding the future of sustainable construction couldn't be more wrong. In fact, data from Research and Markets predicted a 13 percent compound annual growth rate for the green building market from 2015 through 2020, according to Environmental Leader. Likewise, a McGraw Hill Construction Green outlook report projected that between 40 and 48 percent of nonresidential construction that occurs this year will incorporate green building practices.

Greener-friendly government policies and greater awareness among decision-makers about the business benefits of sustainable growth are poised to keep the green building market pointed in a positive direction for the rest of the year and beyond. A closer look at the market drivers that are having the biggest influence on green building will also reveal which building techniques and technology will be most necessary to facilitate this growth.

Multiple trends push green building further into the spotlight
According to Triple Pundit, there are seven trends responsible for facilitating the shift toward more sustainable construction strategies. Included on the list is a greater focus on zero-energy buildings - facilities designed to generate as much energy as the building consumes. Building projects can approach zero-energy status by changing the way the facility consumes electricity and offsetting fossil fuels with renewables. Incorporating green building techniques like thermal energy storage to store wind energy at nighttime, for example, is just one way that facilities can increase their reliance on renewables by integrating green technology.

Triple Pundit also emphasized the growing popularity of cool roofs and greater availability of sustainable construction materials as trends that will help green building to maintain its momentum throughout 2015. These advances have helped to address many of the caveats for green building that may have held weight in the past but are no longer relevant to today's market.

Research continues to focus on the business benefits
Another reason that green building is due for greater adoption this year is that recent research continues to reinforce that there are endless business advantages for operating a more sustainable facility. For example, the Financial Rewards of Sustainability report drafted by the University of Cambridge and the City University of New York demonstrated that the more sustainable a building is, the better it's investment will perform in the long run, both in terms of operational performance and investment risk exposure and volatility. The abstract states, "For real estate assets to maintain their competitive positioning, it is critical that their owners invest in measures that improve their sustainability."

According to Intelligent Building Today, positive long-term perks associated with sustainable design include better overall stability and property value for owners, along with higher performance on the stock market. This monetary list of benefits will make it easier to sell green building projects on the merits of their cost-effectiveness alone.