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Green Buildings in Michigan

Source: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

DEQ Green Buildings in Michigan PDF

'Green' building is an effort to improve the energy, environmental and health impacts of buildings. Such buildings may look like the building next door but are built and operate extraordinarily well. "'Green' buildings use resources like energy, water, materials, and land much more efficiently than buildings that are simply built to code. They create healthier working, learning, and living environments with more natural light and cleaner air, and they contribute to improved inhabitant health, comfort, and productivity. Sustainable buildings are cost-effective for developers by reducing construction costs and creating buildings that are in high demand. These buildings also save owners money by reducing operations and maintenance costs, lowering utility bills and increasing productivity."

There are several ways to define 'green' buildings.

  • LEED Buildings
  • Energy Star Buildings
  • Green Homes
  • Other Green Builinds not 'green' certification but have energy efficient, environmental and/or healthy features noted.

Green Roofs

Source: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

List of Michigan Green Roof Buildings from the DEQ, Word Doc

Green roofs, also called 'vegetative’, ‘living’, or ‘eco-roofs’, are living plants installed on top of conventional roofs. There are two types of green roof designs, extensive and intensive. Extensive roofs typically use sedum as the plant cover, are shallow and add a little additional roof weight. Intensive green roofs can support small trees and need up to 2 foot of soil or growth medium. This design does require a reinforced roof structure. Properly designed, all green roofs are stable, living ecosystems that can keep buildings cooler, save energy, extend the useful life of the roof, and add beauty and useable space.

Examples of Green Buildings in Western Michigan

Source: www.centerforsustainability.org

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified Buildings at GVSU

Other buildings include:

Factoids - Green Building Research

Source: U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health, and productivity.

In the United States alone, buildings account for:

  • 72% of electricity consumption,
  • 39% of energy use,
  • 38% of all carbon dioxide(CO2) emissions,
  • 40% of raw materials use,
  • 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually), and
  •  14% of potable water consumption.

More statistics on the built environment in the U.S. and the growing size of USGBC membership and LEED are available in our Green Building by the Numbers document.

Benefits of Green Building

Environmental benefits:

  • Enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity
  • Improve air and water quality
  • Reduce solid waste
  • Conserve natural resources

Economic benefits:

  • Reduce operating costs
  • Enhance asset value and profits
  • Improve employee productivity and satisfaction
  • Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Health and community benefits:

  • Improve air, thermal, and acoustic environments
  • Enhance occupant comfort and health
  • Minimize strain on local infrastructure
  • Contribute to overall quality of life