Companies and corporations, as well as residential buildings, do their share in helping the environment. Some of them ban the use of plastic and Styrofoam products within their premises, while others ensure that they maintain greener surroundings. However, these are just simple things that everybody can do. When considering how to make a building green, a better idea is to actually make your building more environment-friendly to lessen its negative impact.
Green buildings can be started from scratch as new developments, or can actually be renovated buildings. They are usually energy efficient as these buildings effectively reduce the energy that they need for heating or cooling purposes. The design itself affects these factors, as well as the proper pieces of equipment to be used to efficiently maintain the coolness or warmth of the building.
Making your building green may actually entail renovation and construction. Hence, it may cost a significant amount of money. If your building is not yet green and you need funds for its renovation, consider the various types of commercial mortgages that are available. Think of it as an investment. Although at first, renovating a building to be greener would be more expensive because of the materials and equipment, you actually save money in the long run from reduced operating costs and expenses.
Factors Affecting the Building’s Energy Efficiency
If you’re looking at how to make a building green, one big factor that affects energy efficiency is a building’s actual architecture. The shape and the orientation of a building can affect a building’s provisions for warmth and air. It affects the air tightness, the insulation and the ventilation of the building. Other factors to consider include waste management and the use of electricity.
Benefits of Switching to High Efficiency Equipment in Commercial Buildings
• Save Energy: High efficiency equipment saves energy. The right equipment helps the building maintain a better cooling and heating system, allowing it to use less energy than it previously consumed. Greener air conditioning units, as well as heating systems tend to be more expensive, but in the long run they use less energy, gas or electricity.
• Save Money: There is always some misconception that going green is more expensive than the alternative. However, while the more efficient equipment might initially cost more, it is actually an investment. You spend less as time goes by. High efficiency lights and appliances may cost more, such as inverter air conditioning units or refrigerators, but they consume considerably less energy and electricity. At the end of the day, you save money because electricity bills reduce. In a few months, the additional cost of that expensive, yet highly efficient appliance, would already be equal to a few months energy cost savings.
• Improve Pollution and Waste Management: There are some buildings that have great designs and equipment for waste management, including recycling wastewater and garbage. When considering how to make a building green, switching to better equipment that can handle a commercial building’s waste not only can save hundreds of dollars per month, but also effectively reduces the waste that you release to the environment. Water conserving faucets and toilets conserve water and in turn also help to improve efficiencies.
