More Developers Embrace Eco-Friendly Buildings

NJBIZ

An increasing number of developers who want to want to give their projects an edge in the marketplace are adding sustainable components to their projects, according to Wayne DeFeo, executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

“A manufacturer at a recent [New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program] conference spoke about the concept of the ‘triple bottom line: people, planet, profits,’” said DeFeo. “Sustainable buildings that are designed around the triple bottom line can help builders boost their returns.”

Buildings and communities constructed to LEED specifications — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a USGBC certification system — “deliver savings because they’re more energy efficient and they improve the health and productivity of the people who work within them,” DeFeo added. “For example, for decades buildings were designed to be sealed up to conserve energy. But that also reduced the flow of fresh air, and more people became ill as a result. But a LEED-certified building will deliver fresh air and at the same time use an average of 30% less energy than a building that’s just designed to code.”

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