According to research, the modern man spends about 90% of his time indoors. Moreover, the research also states that nowadays people are more likely to suffer from allergies partly owing to the buildings they live in. These buildings leave their residents more vulnerable to harmful substances like asbestos. These, in turn, end up causing everything from fever to asthma to common-cold to even cancer. Therefore, we should try to switch to eco-friendly building materials that are suitable for both the environment and our health. Keeping this and many other things in mind, the construction industry is being fast taken over by green technology with a lot of talks about its benefits being held among building tycoons. At the heart of the concept lies a formidable construction punch list to ensure durability, health, and sustainability; which could eventually put less stress on humans as well as the environment.
Green technology aiming a lower carbon economy:
With the boom in the construction industry, its procedural nitty-gritty is undergoing a rapid refitting to meet habitat requirements. Cutting-edge technological concepts and headways like the internet of things, machine learning, robotics, Nano technology, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence have taken the world of construction in their grips.
Keeping pace with these high-tech tools, construction firms are also eyeing for performance improvement in the building lifecycle. Recycled fly ash, recycled steel, reclaimed woods, recycled news papers, agri-waste and water sourced from rainwater catch reservoir all are being considered on a large scale as the building blocks of the modern age “Green construction”.
Standards set by the housing industry from the real estate and construction companies are turning rigid. It is being rightly done so to bring about long term sustainability of the surroundings ensuring healthy living of the dwellers. Construction companies with green technology await financial rewards with improved efficiency and reduced costs as compared to conventional builders not executing green technology.
Green technology brings in the following benefits to the construction industry:
1. Environmental benefits:
Green technology causes a minimum of environmental impact. This minimizes the carbon footprint thus arresting global warming to a large extent. Perhaps the most notable example of this green technology has been set up by Norway with its Biological House, the first of its kind whose building materials were sourced from agricultural wastes. Green technology helps improve waste reduction and water conservation at construction sites together with lower energy dissipation.
2. A drop in expenses:
Initial installation costs of green buildings may run high. But, over the years, it gets more than offset by reduced recurring maintenance costs. Green resources that go into construction are efficient in bringing about an overall drop in outlay. For example, using solar energy is a typical feature of green building. According to US Department of Energy, it leads to a 70% less electricity consumption as against the conventional system.
Furthermore, studies have indicated at these green a building effectively reduce the operating costs by 13- to 15-percent and has also shown a 10- to 12-percent increase in values. Although you got to spend a bit more say about 3-5% more on design and construction, you can realise more savings on the next years as the long-term benefits offered by a sustainable design are that they conserve more electricity and water. So, even if they are slightly pricier to build, they would eventually save you a lot of money by conserving energy and water in the long run.
3. Employment opportunities:
The domain of green technology opens up portals for a range of job opportunities. For offering sustainable deliverables to construction industry, manpower with adequate training in green technology is imperative.
They should have the right knowledge to handle an environmental issue arising from the construction boom and they are expected to provide a quick solution. The job market in this sector is fast expanding and it will stay in high demand in the near future and beyond. Environmental health engineers, solar energy experts, efficient lighting experts, and green architects will do really well with a boom in green technology.
4. Tax reliefs:
Green buildings built for residential or commercial purpose are eligible for tax incentives. The reasons are obvious. Periodical evaluation will be done by competent auditors certifying how efficient these buildings are in maintaining the set performance standards. Tax credits will be awarded on the basis of assessments. The appraisal would take into account factors like installation of photovoltaic cells, solar heaters, geothermal power, heat dissipation power and wind system.
5. Benefits to the construction companies:
The operating costs of green buildings are more economical than regular ones. For example, the use of solar energy cuts down power and utility bills by almost 30%. Thus, construction companies adopting green solutions stand a far better chance of getting orders from clients where environmental sustainability is the current craze and a much- needed one.
Environment-friendly green buildings utilize 36% less energy, need fewer raw building materials and send less waste to landfills. Also, the price of building green is usually not too expensive; just about 5% higher than a regular building. Green buildings help conserve water and electricity and provide many other benefits. Researches have proven that even though green buildings can cost more. However, in reality these buildings actually cost less over a longer period of time, because they are able to conserve additional energy, the materials used are actually recycled materials; yes approximately 42% of this green material comes from recycled materials.
6. Green is en vogue
Higher energy efficiency and usage of recycled materials have long-term cost benefits. Government and private sectors requiring an expansion in their industrial units are looking for construction companies that are highly conversant with the tricks of green technology and that can construct green buildings for clients, thereby meeting the corporate and social responsibility.
Green buildings, green offices, zero-carbon buildings, sustainable construction, are appreciated. Yes, there is a great demand for environment-friendly smart buildings gaining ground. Today over 30% of the commercial offices and buildings especially MNC’s are supporting sustainable, eco-friendly materials for construction that supports green. Green growth is gaining momentum across developed and emerging economies; environment-friendly smart building construction is growing eight times in the global market.
Final Words
The challenge, however, exists to base decisions on valid data that would vouch for green technology in construction. For realizing the tangible benefits from environmental sustainability, we have to wait and watch. However, immediate benefits would accrue in finite shape where recycled materials are used. Of course, lower tax incidence on green buildings will do well to improve the company’s cash cycle.