Green Construction: Sustainability is the Future of the Construction Industry

It is a well-known fact that the construction industry has been responsible for affecting the environment in a negative manner for centuries, but that is about to change for the better as more and more businesses in the sector are adopting the green initiative all across the US. Taking a closer look at the industry’s energy consumption and the current situation surrounding the construction business reveals reasons for the change and points towards a better future.

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The Huge Energy Consumption

According to the US Department of Energy, the construction business alone consumes about 40% of the total primary energy that is required to power the entire country annually. Considering the fact that this is equal to about 19% (97 quads) of the entire world’s annual energy consumption, that is a formidable number which needs to be brought down in order to reduce the tremendous pressure it is currently exerting on the environment.

Adoption of Energy Efficient Designs

In order for a construction to be energy efficient, it needs to be designed from the ground up with that perspective in mind. Through the efforts put in by modern engineering firms such as the Rex Engineering Group, MEP engineers are now designing and incorporating renewable energy systems into construction projects to provide maximum energy efficiency, without sacrificing on any of the expected performance. The adoption of such energy efficient, high-performance designs is, as a result, both directly responsible and essential for making the construction industry more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable.

The Introduction of Low-Impact Construction Materials

A huge portion of the power consumed by construction projects can be brought down by the use of low-impact, raw materials. Low-impact materials can include anything that doesn’t require a lot of energy to manufacture, such as clay, lime, cob, rammed earth, stone and of course, reclaimed high-impact materials. Not only are low-impact construction supplies energyefficient, but due to the recycled and biodegradable nature of the materials, they are also more ecofriendly in the long run.

Modular Nature of Modern Buildings

Modular buildings have been gaining momentum in the construction industry because they have multiple advantages that make them a more practical choice in certain settings. Some of the main advantages of the modular building can be listed as follows:

• Reduced construction time, transportation costs and waste production
• Consistent quality at a lower cost
• Wide range of usability
• A portable, replaceable and affordable environmentally friendly option

Stricter LEED Certification Requirements

LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design has clamped down on environmental protocols maintained by the construction industry in the United States. What this means is that LEED has made a lot of changes in its set building standards to make greener and more power-efficient construction mandatory.

A combination of changes in building standards, advancements in green architecture and an overall rise of general awareness regarding the harmful impact that the construction industry is having on the environment, has evidently sparked a shift in focus for the business in general and perhaps even points towards a greener and better future for all of us.