Green buildings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Green buildings - Essay Example For example, the solar panels installed in green buildings are very energy efficient because their source of energy never depletes. Quality of water and air in the green buildings is better than what it is in the non-green buildings. Levels of air pollutants indoor are generally much higher than their levels outdoor. Many of these pollutants, like the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) originate in the materials that are used in the construction of buildings, yet there are other pollutants like the smoke that is generated by humans. Likewise, Asbestos is a material that is used for insulation purposes. It is made up of extremely minuscule fibers that are light enough to float in the air and are taken to the lungs with breath where they can cause serious damage to the lungs. Till 1980s, Asbestos was widely used as a construction material. However, as people began to gain awareness of its potential threats to health, they abandoned its use in construction. Green building makes sure that no such materials are used so that the environment both inside and outside the building becomes conducive for better health. Green buildings reduce waste. They mostly make reuse of materials or use renewable materials including sustainable lumber and plant matter. Recycled metal and stone are some of the primary building blocks of green buildings. Some green buildings even reuse byproducts of industries such as foundry sand, combustion materials as well as debris. One potential outcome of green buildings is that they inculcate motivation in the occupants to save resources and not waste things. Green buildings have a proper mechanism of disposal of waste. In addition to that, â€Å"green building furthers the... Since the onset of urge in people to make the buildings greener, architects have been adding numerous piecemeal elements for saving water and reducing the use of electricity in buildings. The structure of green buildings is not much different from the traditional buildings. They do not have to be designed in such a way that would make them look different from the conventional structures. In fact, green buildings have to be very much like the ordinary structures. It is only the addition of certain elements and avoidance of others that lends the â€Å"green† tag to a building. Such elements include installation of a solar panel for capturing sunlight, storing and converting it into the mechanical power. It is more of the occupants’ style of living that makes a building greener than installation or removal of elements. Occupants of a green building are very prudent in their use of things. They tend not to waste water, gas, or electricity. A building can not be expected to be green if the occupants living in it adopt such practices that are not consistent with the requirements of sustainable living. Nevertheless, there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration while designing a green building. For example, there is sufficient water and heat proofing in the green buildings. In these structures, the roofs are covered with thick layer of soil to maintain a low temperature in the building and save it from the effect of hot weather. This obviates the need to install expensive and environment unfriendly HVAC equipment.