Green Development

The buildings of the world consume the following:
  • 40% of the world's energy & other materials.
  • 25% of the wood harvested.
  • 17% of our water.
In the United States buildings account for:
  • 39% of total energy consumption.
  • 68% of total electricity use.
  • 38% of carbon dioxide emissions.
  • 136 million tons of construction and waste from demolition waste in the US.
  • 12% of water use.



Why does this matter?

Most of us spend at least 90% of our time indoors, where the air
is often twice -- and sometimes as much as a hundred times -- more polluted than outside air.



Some Interesting Facts

On the average, the 140 million cars in America are estimated to travel almost 4 billion miles in a day, and according to the Department of Transportation, they use over 200 million gallons of gasoline doing it.
  • Energy saved from one recycled aluminum can will operate a TV set for 3 hours, and is the equivalent to half a can of gasoline.
  • Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil.
  • Americans use 50 million tons of paper annually -- consuming more than 850 million trees.
  • By turning down your central heating thermostat one degree, fuel consumption is cut by as much as 10%.
Development Services

As the economy and population continue to expand, architects, developers and contractors face an extreme challenge to meet the demands for new and renovated facilities that are accessible, secure, healthy, and productive while minimizing their environmental impact. Recent answers to this challenge call for an integrated, synergistic approach that considers all phases of the facility life cycle. This approach, referred to as “Green Building” or “Whole Building” supports an increased commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation, and results in an optimal balance of cost, environmental, societal, and human benefits while meeting the mission and function of the intended facility or infrastructure. Green Earth Development is committed to the implementation of concepts and techniques that have been developed over the last 20+ years to bring about what we believe is a cultural revolution in the way we design, construct, and operate commercial properties in our country and around the globe.

Whether you choose to lease or own your facility, or would like to upgrade your existing building, Green Earth Development has the experience, and capabilities to assist in making your new or renovated building project a reality. Implementing “Green Building” practices, Green Earth Development provides the following building development services to public corporations, private companies, non-profit organizations, and individual business owners.
  • Site Selection/Feasibility Studies
  • Pre-Development Due Diligence Engage and Manage Project Team
  • Planning / Engineering / Design Management
  • Construction/ Contractor Supervision
  • Scheduling
  • Budgeting / Cost Management
  • Bid Evaluations / Contract Negotiations
  • Inspection Coordination
  • Project Close-Out Documentation
  • Client Satisfaction Review
1. Optimize Site Potential: Creating sustainable buildings starts with proper site selection, including consideration of the reuse or rehabilitation of existing buildings. The location, orientation, and landscaping of a building all affect the local ecosystems, transportation methods, and energy use. Siting for physical security has also become a critical issue in optimizing site design; the location of access roads, parking, vehicle barriers, and perimeter lighting must be integrated into the design along with sustainable site considerations.

2. Minimize Energy Consumption: On an annual basis, buildings consume over 40% of America's energy and produce nearly 40% of our greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, the vast majority of this energy is produced from nonrenewable, fossil fuel resources. With America's supply of fossil fuel dwindling, concerns for energy security increasing, and the impact of greenhouse gases on world climate rising, it is essential to find ways to reduce load, increase efficiency, and utilize renewable fuel resources in federal facilities.

3. Protect and Conserve Water: In many parts of the country, fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource. A sustainable building should reduce, control, or treat site-runoff, use water efficiently, and reuse or recycle water for on-site use when feasible.

4. Use Environmentally Preferable Products: A sustainable building should be constructed of materials that minimize life-cycle environmental impacts such as global warming, resource depletion, and human toxicity. In a materials context, life cycle includes raw materials acquisition, product manufacturing, packaging, transportation, installation, use, and reuse/recycling/disposal.

5. Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality: The indoor environmental quality of a building has a significant impact on occupant health, comfort, and productivity. Among other attributes, a sustainable building should maximize day lighting; have appropriate ventilation and moisture control; and avoid the use of materials with high-VOC emissions. Additional consideration must now be given to ventilation and filtration to mitigate chemical, biological, and radiological attack.

6. Optimize Operational and Maintenance Practices: Incorporating operating and maintenance considerations into the design of a facility will greatly contribute to improved working environments, higher productivity, and reduced energy and resource costs. Designers are encouraged to specify materials and systems that simplify and reduce maintenance requirements; require less water, energy, and toxic chemicals and cleaners to maintain; and are cost-effective and reduce life-cycle costs.

  • Establish a vision that embraces sustainable principles and an integrated design approach.
  • Develop a clear statement of the project's vision, goals, design criteria, and priorities.
  • Develop a project budget that covers green building measures. Allocate contingencies for additional research and analysis of specific options. Seek sponsorship or grant opportunities.
  • Seek advice of a design professional with green building experience.
  • Select a design and construction team that is committed to the project vision. Modify the RFQ/RFP selection process to ensure the contractors have appropriate qualifications to identify, select, and implement an integrated system of green building measures.
  • Develop a project schedule that allows for systems testing and commissioning.
  • Develop contract plans and specifications to ensure that the building design is at a suitable level of building performance.
  • Create effective incentives and oversight.
©2008, GREEN EARTH DEVELOPMENT