The report also found that an amazing one-third of all new nonresidential construction is green… of course, it should be higher, but according to the report it soon will be. It states that in five years, nonresidential green building activity is expected to triple, representing $120 billion to $145 billion in new construction – essentially 48 percent of the entire nonresidential market.
Unsurprisingly the main factors for going green are lower operating costs (eg. heating, cooling, lighting, water) and higher building values that generate an increased return on investment. There has also been an increase in local and federal government regulations and incentives, so it doesn’t just make good environmental sense — green building is also more affordable!
[...] and excitement that is surging through the green zeitgeist. The USGBC recently announced that green buildings are on the rise despite the depression, and Greenbuild 2010 just capped off a record attendance of over 27,000 people, proving that [...]