Green Building - as the name suggests - is the implementation and use of energy efficient building materials.
These materials can be divided into two types:
1) Renewables - These include recycled stone and metal - which can then be recycled again, in turn - plant materials like straw or bamboo, and naturally produced materials like clay.
2) Sustainables - This means the implementation of sustainable energy, like wind power, solar power, or biogas. It can also apply to cool roofs, absorption chillers, or hot water heating, which all increase the energy efficiency of a building or household.
Also important to the process of 'Green Building' is the reduction of waste and waste products. During the building process, every effort should be made to reduce non-renewable waste; anything that can be recycled is recycled under a 'Green Building' program, so that buildings themselves, but also their bi-products are energy efficient and eco-friendly.
If there are biogas facilities in place on site, even human waste can be transferred into liquid fertiliser, and re-used.
In Britain, the 'U.K Green Building Council' was set up to tackle the task of improving the production of green building. Their website delivers their aim in no uncertain terms:
"Our mission is to dramatically improve the sustainability of the built environment, by radically transforming the way it is planned, designed, constructed, maintained and operated.
The UK-GBC is helping to forge a new partnership between government, industry and other stakeholder groups. We believe government policy should be ambitious, based on expert advice, and delivered in the most efficient and effective way...
...To help industry and other decision makers play their part in creating more sustainable buildings, both new and existing, the UK-GBC will promote technical knowledge, encourage research and innovation and the spread of best practice."
The 'U.K Green Building Council' was first established in 2007, as a way to bring a sense of unity to the 'Green Building Movement'; to give the idea of developing sustainable and energy efficient building a banner under which to work, so that it might feel genuine and communal.
To underpin this, the group are looking to develop strategy and planning to Green Building, meaning that there is an accepted method of action. It is believed that this will give the concept a greater scope and audience.
There are a number of companies who are bucking the trend, dealing only in 'green friendly' building materials, so that individuals or companies who want to 'build green', have established suppliers that they can buy from.
One, the Green Building Store, has this to say on their products:
"Our commitment is to supply building products which promote energy-efficient, sustainable and healthy homes. Our hope is that whatever you want to do to your home, from redecorating to refurbishing, or even building a new home, our products can help you do it safely and sustainably."
The company deal in eco-friendly paints - comprised from natural raw materials - plus timber windows, water-saving toilets and baths and taps, and various types of natural insulation.
As one example among many, the Green Building Store is a company who make it easy to 'build green', offering energy efficient products for the average household.
Combined with the UK Green Building Council, who continue to campaign for Green Building on a national scale, the production of energy efficient and eco-friendly building is becoming easier and easier.
Green building, then, is the way forward.
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This post was written by Chris Woolfrey on July 30, 2008