Field Guide to Commercial Green Buildings
(Updated Sept. 2009)
Green buildings are popping up in just about every American city. And for good reason -- green design elements not only help save environmental resources, they also boost the bottom line and are good for human health and morale. More and more sophisticated buyers and companies leasing office space are willing to pay a premium for the benefits green buildings offer. This page provides REALTORS® with information on green buildings and their benefits. (V. Chawla, Information Specialist)
- The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) 2007 NAR Profile of Buyers’ Home Features Preferences reported that 46 percent of all buyers consider that energy efficiency is very important, and another 46 percent consider it at least somewhat important.
- A survey conducted by NAR in March of 2008 indicated that 87 percent of Realtors® think energy efficiency is the most important aspect of a “green” home to their clients.
- National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) research released in early 2008 indicates that clients are willing to pay for efficiency. Over half of those surveyed said they were willing to pay between $5,000 and $11,000 more for a home with lower utility bills.
*Taken from Energy Efficiency for REALTORS® and Homebuyers
What is a Green Building?
Gone green yet?, (Commercial Investment Real Estate, Nov./Dec. 2007).
A brief history of green building, (Building Design & Construction, Nov. 2003). Q
How Green Buildings Make You Money 
How the Federal Stimulus Package Can Help Your Building. (Buildings, Aug. 2009).Q
Harvesting Tax Benefits of Green Building Incentives. (Journal of Accountancy, Aug. 2009). Q
Sustainable Development: Property Managers Can Reduce Energy Use & Expenses Through Green Practices. (Journal of Property Management, May/June, 2009). Q
Insurers Offer Rewards for Going Green. (Wall Street Journal, Apr. 22 2009). Q
Save Money with New Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction. (Buildings, Feb. 2009). Q
2008).
Green Gains Clout With Commercial Lenders. (National Real Estate Investor, July 2008). Q
Buildings Must Be Green to Compete. (Buildings, June 2008). Q
Defining green, sustainable, intelligent and secure buildings, (The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate, University of San Diego).
Does green pay off?, (www.resourcesaver.org, Nov. 19, 2007).
The business case for green office buildings, (Energy Priorities, Nov. 15, 2007).
Converting Existing Buildings to Green
Old Can Be the New Green - Commercial Buildings Can, and Should, Become Sustainable. (Corp! Magazine, May 21, 2009).
"Green" Buildings Don't Have to Be New. (New York Times, Jan. 27,
Study explains the financial value of green buildings. (Building Design & Construction, June 25, 2009).
High Performance Green Building: What's It Worth? - (Cascadia Region Green Building Council, May 2009).
2008 Green Building Survey: Fighting Obsolescence. (National Real Estate Investor, Nov. 2008). Q
2007 Green Building Survey: Why green building has staying power, (National Real Estate Investor, Nov. 2007). Q
Tenants go for the green, (National Real Estate Investor, Nov. 2007). Q
Green downtown office markets: a future reality, (CB Richard Ellis, Summer 2007).
LEEDS
U.S. Green Building Council-LEEDS Program - LEEDS is an international recognized green building certification system, which provides a framework for building owners and contractors interested in building or converting commercial buildings into green ones.
What is LEEDS? - An overview of what LEEDS does.
Natural Resources Defense Council-LEEDS Certification - A list of tips on how to get the LEEDS certification.
Useful Websites
U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC) - The USBGC, the leading organization for green building in the US, administers the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System®. Their website features information on LEED certification, publications, information on workshops and other events, and more.
Energy Star - Buildings & Plants - This website is part of the EnergyStar site. This site gives a great introduction to commercial green guidelines and strategies, including strategies for the future.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Building Types-Green Buildings - This website is a part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website. It consists of a great overview on commercial green buildings including retail, hospital and school spaces as well.
Commercial Buildings: Green Opportunities for Leased Buildings - This website is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site. It contains many great tips for lessees of commercial space to go green.
BuildingGreen.com - The website for Environmental Building News features articles from the newsletter, directories, and other resources for builders. Most of the site requires a paid subscription, but many resources are free.
Environmental Design+Construction Magazine - Includes a searchable archive of articles covering all aspects of green buildings, plus product reviews, case studies, etc.
Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) - Organization representing sustainable building professionals.
World Green Building Council - International organization for green building professionals. Includes a list of links to other national green building councils around the world.
Greenroofs.com, (www.greenroofs.com).
Penn State Center for Green Roof Research, (hortweb.cas.psu.edu / research / greenroofcenter).
Greenroofs.org, (www.greenroofs.org).
North Carolina State University's BAE Greenroof Research, (www.bae.ncsu.edu).
For a comprehensive list of green building & sustainable development websites, visit the US Green Building Council's Green Building Links page.
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
Green Cities (Mobipocket)
Land Use Law for Sustainable Development (Adobe Reader)
Sustainable Energy Systems in Architectural Design (Adobe Reader)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
The Philosophy of Sustainable Design: The Future of Architecture, (Kansas City, MO: Ecotone Publishing, 2004).
Sustainable Property Development: A Guide to Real Estate and the Environment, (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2004).
Green Buildings Pay, (New York: Spon Press, 2003).
The Practice of Sustainable Development, (Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute, 2000).
Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate, (New York: John Wiley, 1998).
A Building Revolution: How Ecology and Health Concerns Are Transforming Construction, (Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute, 1995).
Field Guides & More
These Field Guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Green Homes & Green Mortgages
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The inclusion of links on this Field Guide does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked to this Field Guide complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.
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