GEF

Unit 9  |  New Technology and Innovative Sustainability Approaches 200 Green building practices are become more common in architect’s designs. The green building sector aims to make buildings more sus- tainable through energy and water efficiency, the use of sustainable products and materials, improved indoor environ- mental quality, and landscaping using native plants. Green building is an industry with enormous growth potential. The percent of new single-family green homes has risen from 2 per- cent in 2005 to 23 percent in 2013. One issue that has prevented developers from prioritizing green building practices are higher up-front costs compared with conventional building. However, life-cycle costing , in which developers realize the long-term cost savings of sustainable building practices, is making green building more attractive. There are many ways to improve the sustainability of buildings. The most important factor in overall building sustainability is location. Siting new buildings close to public transit, infra- structure, and services can significantly reduce a building’s LIFE-CYCLE COSTING An accounting method that considers costs and cost sav- ings of products and services for their entire life cycle.