It was groundbreaking when Washington, D.C., passed the Green Building Act 2006, which mandated that all private real estate developments must follow the LEED (Leader in Energy and Environmental Design), standards established by the United States Green Building Council. Building green was the new industry standard.
Builders “go green,”They build efficient buildings that consume less resources, improve indoor air quality and reduce environmental impact. To save money on energy, water, and waste management costs, green buildings have been adopted by cities. The number of American cities that have green building requirements has increased by 418 percent from 2003 to 2007.
How do buildings go green? The LEED system certifies buildings to be silver, gold, or platinum. Platinum buildings are the most in line with the USGBC’s environmental standards. These standards consider location, water conservation and energy consumption. They also take into account innovation, design, indoor health, design, and quality.
Green building is a combination of eco-friendly products like low-flow faucets and renewable energy sources. The best architects know that they should start with sustainable building blocks. Choosing strong, energy-efficient materials can reduce the energy used for ventilation, heating and cooling while still improving indoor air quality.
Alternative Construction Technologies, Inc. (ACTech) has created insulated structural panels from 75 percent recycled materials. The ACTech panel system proved to be up to 65 per cent more energy efficient than traditional building materials in tests. The system is more energy-efficient than traditional building materials, and can incorporate renewable energy like wind power and solar power to maximize their economies and efficiency.
These panels can improve indoor air quality and acoustics. They are also fire-safe and can withstand hurricane-force winds. This makes them a good choice for building materials in areas prone to natural disasters.
American cities need to combine green materials with environmentally-friendly energy sources in order to reduce their carbon footprint. A green building mandate is already in place for 14 percent of the US cities that have more than 50,000 inhabitants. Another 36 cities plan on implementing them.
Visit this site for more information on the ACTech Panel System. www.actechpanel.comCall 1-800-859-8813 ACTech trades on OTC Bulletin under the ACCY.
