The District of Columbia has more green buildings than other large U.S. cities on a per capita basis, according to the 2012 Green Building Report. D.C.’s policies have made it a leader in highly efficient building construction and renovation.
New goals will likely prompt the District to raise the efficiency bar even higher. To help guide policies for a new era of green design, D.C.’s Department of the Environment commissioned a study to assess costs and benefits associated with net zero energy, net zero water, and Living Buildings.
The Net Zero and Living Building Challenge Financial Study: A Cost Comparison Report for Buildings in the District of Columbia was conducted by International Living Future Institute, New Buildings Institute, and Skanska. The team’s analysis identified incremental cost premiums for deep energy and water conservation as well as for photovoltaic and water reuse systems that would bring a project to net zero.
The cost premium for energy efficiency was 1%-12% depending on building type, and rose to 5%-19% for net zero energy. “If the owner has sufficient tax appetite, tax credits and renewable energy credits make the return on investment approximately 30%, whereas the return on investment for energy efficiency alone was in the range of 5-12%,” the report says.
Read the full report at: http://newbuildings.org/net-zero-living-building-challenge-financial-study
Related Stories
| Nov 3, 2011
OSHA Publishes Information on Rights and Safety
OSHA recently published new and revised information that explains workers’ and employers’ rights, as well as how to protect workers from hazards in the construction industry.
| Nov 3, 2011
Sierra Club Critical of Albuquerque Mayor’s Push to Weaken Green Code
The mayor’s plan to move to a less environmentally friendly code would mean confusion for people in the construction industry and a loss of energy efficiency and money for consumers, said Shrayas Jatkar of the Sierra Club.
| Nov 3, 2011
Lax Code Enforcement Blamed for Deaths in Turkey’s Earthquake
Despite tough safety codes approved a decade ago after earthquakes killed 18,000 people, lax enforcement led to hundreds of deaths after a recent earthquake in Turkey.
| Nov 3, 2011
International Green Construction Code Will Provide Template for Local Codes
A uniform code for green construction is being readied for publication in March.
| Oct 31, 2011
NIST issues new code requirements
Buildings taller than 420 feet are now required to include an extra exit stairwell or a specially designed elevator that occupants can use for evacuations.
| Oct 28, 2011
Los Angeles County mulling building codes for improving health
An ordinance would amend county building codes to promote better walking environments, encourage more bicycling, improve access to healthy foods (farmers markets, community gardens), and enhance project review requirements to ensure that developers include healthy-lifestyle components in their building plans.
| Oct 28, 2011
Bipartisan opposition to federal 3% withholding for contractors
Both major political parties and the Obama Administration support repealing a law that would withhold 3% of all government contracts.
| Oct 28, 2011
OSHA requires training module on top causes of construction deaths
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) now requires a training module on the top four causes of death for construction workers.
| Oct 28, 2011
New York City requiring building energy use to be posted online
Owners of every New York City commercial and residential building larger than 50,000 sf will have to post each building’s energy use online by 2013.
| Oct 28, 2011
New ISO standard for escalator safety
A new ISO standard specifies safety requirements for escalators and moving walks.
