Eco-friendly construction over the last two decades has quickly changed from a fad into a viable trend that defines commercial construction. Commercial construction in Illinois and other parts of the Midwest are showing increasing popularity with regard to green trends. Here is what you can expect if you are in the market for renovated or new construction during the coming year.
LEED Certification
Construction sustainability is a hot topic. It’s no longer sufficient to make commercial buildings energy efficient. The overall design is also important to the future of the planet. That’s part of what LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is all about. The U.S. Green Building Council has devised a rating system whereby new and renovated construction may be assessed with regard to energy efficiency and sustainability. Studies support the fact that LEEDS-certified buildings result in significant advantages for builders and building owners. LEEDS-certified buildings use less energy and water and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Eco-Friendly Building Materials
Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are contained within many different building products that include paint, drywall, furniture and more. The vapors contained in these products can affect air quality. Long-term exposure can cause a variety of health problems. Because of this, more builders have selected materials that don’t contain VOCs or have low levels, which include paints, furniture, textiles, carpeting and more. Not only do these products emit gases in the building where they installed, but their production also affects the environment. Which is why these products are important to construction sustainability in the United States.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), are also making an impact. These disclose a product’s list of ingredients and their health effect, which help to focus on the environmental impacts that such products have on construction.
Solar and Net-Zero Energy Buildings
Perhaps the biggest trend is zero-energy buildings. The structure creates as much or more energy than it consumes. Net-positive energy buildings often come from solar energy installations where solar energy panels are installed. Extra energy not used by buildings may be sold back to the power grid. Rooftop solar power systems can provide a considerable amount of energy for your commercial building that goes way beyond the amount needed to power light bulbs and other electrical components. There are many ways to use clean energy.
Try incorporating one or more of these initiatives into your construction to make it more eco-friendly. And, we can help achieve that with our knowledge of environmental/green trends, in commercial construction sustainability. So if you want to improve your current building or future building’s sustainability or receive a LEED certification then get in touch with us either by phone at 815-363-8493 or email!