How do we improve people’s health, reduce environmental impacts and lower buildings operation costs? New research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says green-certified buildings are the answer to not only realize energy savings but also social benefits.
Social benefits from Green-Certified Buildings
The study, HEALTHfx, looks at LEED®-certified buildings in six countries: India, China, Brazil, Germany, Turkey and the U.S. The results reveal that green-certified buildings have significant social value and save energy.
Green Certified Buildings: energy and social benefits
At the 2017 International Summit at Greenbuild in Boston, Massachusetts, a preview of the findings of the study was released. The study finds that in India, green-certified buildings realize $2.40 per square meter in energy savings, and $31.30 per square meter in health and climate cost savings, resulting in a total of $33.70 of savings per square meter. From 2000 to 2016, compared to “Conventional commercial buildings”, the green-certified buildings studied saved $72 million in energy costs, plus an additional $882 million in combined health and climate benefits, including $39 million from averting negative impacts of climate change, and $843 million from reductions in air pollution resulting in fewer deaths, hospital visits, lost days of work and school. This resulted in a total benefit of $954 million saved. Interestingly, the savings from social impacts ($882 million), including climate change and human impacts, are significantly higher than energy costs saving ($72 million).
Green Certified Buildings impact in India
BEE Project Experience
From BEE’s projects experience, our LEED buildings consume less energy and water, produce less waste, and have better indoor air quality. For example, the Naked Stables Resort demonstrates a 40{e3829ec1db02d54faaf9fa2de0d48db26af01d7a7944a63c3b26976124791cab} energy reduction and over 40{e3829ec1db02d54faaf9fa2de0d48db26af01d7a7944a63c3b26976124791cab} water reduction, and the Haworth Beijing Showroom (which was the first LEED v4 project in the world) achieved 93{e3829ec1db02d54faaf9fa2de0d48db26af01d7a7944a63c3b26976124791cab} decrease in process energy load, 31{e3829ec1db02d54faaf9fa2de0d48db26af01d7a7944a63c3b26976124791cab} electricity savings through smart lighting design, and 42{e3829ec1db02d54faaf9fa2de0d48db26af01d7a7944a63c3b26976124791cab} decrease in water usage. Our surveys also indicate that the indirect savings from factors such as improved productivities are even higher than direct costs.
