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Green Building

This indicator measures the market share (by percentage) of new commercial and residential construction that meet green building standards.

Green buildings are designed to last longer, use healthier materials, conserve water and energy, and cost less to operate. Green building efforts reduce construction wastes, and increase markets for healthy, sustainable building materials. 

 

Green building registration systems include the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED™ program for commercial buildings, and the BuiltGreen™ program for residential construction. These registration systems allow for accurate tracking of growth in the industry over time and for quality assurance of the buildings themselves.

      Download data: Market Share of Green Building Projects in Washington: 2004-2005.xls

Green building versus conventional construction is increasing in Washington. The market share of LEED™ registered and BuiltGreen™ new construction projects (compared to all new construction projects) grew from 4.6 percent in 2004 to 6.7 percent in 2005. There were 2,146 new green registered construction projects in 2004 and 3,722 in 2005.

Why should we be concerned about the market share of green buildings?

The amount of green building is an indication of the reduced resource and energy costs in building construction and operations, and less construction waste taking up landfill space.

What are the benefits of increasing the market share of green buildings?

• Reduced energy use
• Conserves water and other resources
• Reduced use of toxic materials
• Reduced construction and demolition debris

What are some Beyond Waste Actions being taken to increase green building in Washington?

Ecology (in partnership with other organizations) is:

• Offering a series of lectures to the public on the benefits of green building
• Promoting residential green building
• Providing technical assistance to developers and builders who use green building practices

Want more information on Green Building in Washington?

 

Department of Ecology's Green Building Web Site

Beyond Waste Plan - Increase Green Building

Construction and Demolition (C&D) Related Materials Recycled, Diverted and Disposed in Washington: 1992-2005.xls