Environmental Science Degrees

These days green building is all the rage, offering a welcome relief from the structures of the past that took little notice of their impact on the world around them. A great deal of focus has been placed on individual homes and ways they can be more sustainably designed, but what about high rise office buildings? After all, these business structures use almost three quarters of the electricity consumed in the United States each year.

New proposals by the New Buildings Institute and the American Institute of Architects could start changing those numbers, however. This new model energy code could cut energy usage in commercial buildings significantly—in some cases by 25%. While that figure may not sound revolutionary, it could have a potentially large impact as commercial buildings are responsible for 40% of the United States’ carbon dioxide emissions.

The code isn’t in place yet and is still waiting for approval from the International Code Council. If it goes through, buildings could have to stick to these new regulations as early as 2012. This is just the first step in a series of desired changes as both organizations hope to produce buildings that are carbon neutral by 2030.

Some of the recommendations offered by the code involve making changes in material choice and building construction to maximize energy potential. This can mean taking a fresh look at things like building insulation, heating and cooling systems, lighting and even considering using a renewable energy source. In many cases, this doesn’t mean spending more or getting less, but redesigning and rethinking interior and exterior spaces to make them less wasteful and more long lasting.

These building codes shouldn’t frighten developers, as many buildings today have already met or exceeded these new codes. Additionally, there is a substantial benefit for businesses occupying the buildings in lower energy costs and higher value construction. Changes to the current energy recommendations are said to be entirely doable with present day technology and the new code is just one more motivating factor to get builders and designers alike to apply more sustainable methods to their construction.