You see a rendering of a building going up around the corner with lush trees, dark green lawns, plants spilling off the green roof and think, “They must have thought this through.” In fact, that building may have one “sustainable” element, such as a green roof, while the building itself took over an entire green field site with a blacktop parking lot in back and ran out of tree budgets for a shady canopy. The high-performance HVAC system may have been value-engineered out, and the least expensive (but most carbon intensive) option was installed. Further investigation to truly uncover sustainable credibility is almost always warranted. A reputable certification will do much of the work for you. While LEED has its blind spots, if you see a Gold Certified building, you know they have at least exceeded common building practices to attain that status. There are numerous certification criteria floating around. Getting familiar with them can be a quick way to spot truly green buildings or products. When it comes to solar, electrification and other renewables, our current president may be the most consequential leader in recent history. With the war in Iran pushing oil prices up, countries around the globe are, or already were, starting to invest in alternative energy sources. Solar PV panels have become the go-to renewable energy option; they’re relatively easy to install, work across many types of buildings, and are increasingly paired with battery storage to smooth the ups and downs of energy production. As homes and businesses shift to electric systems, the grid can transition more quickly to cleaner sources of power. Once energy enters the grid, it’s all the same — buildings simply use electricity, regardless of how it was generated. Every new clean energy plant added to the system immediately helps reduce the overall carbon footprint of the power being used. When our buildings contribute 40% of the carbon emissions in the world, it makes sense to try and integrate proven renewable energy sources in the design and implementation of a building. Where you may find greenwashing with this proposition is that humans aren’t actually reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The drive for more electricity for our daily lives (never mind the increasing demand from AI and other industrial applications) pushes demand for all sources of energy, and we need to do more to offset our current and future energy needs. Choosing electricity over fossil fuels, as well as using more efficient equipment, appliances, cars, etc., will go a long way to making electricity truly green. In the end, it’s difficult to ascertain what is truly “green.” Just as you’ve seen protein content touted on all food packaging in recent years, claims of greenness will continue to saturate the building community where there is profit in doing so. The projects and products that stand out tend to be the ones where performance and narrative actually line up. Keep looking out for them, keep educating yourself and keep exceeding the baseline. Reach out today and let’s talk about your next project. ALDERS.COM A Leading Distributor of Specialty Building Materials 28 REFLEXION
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