Green Building

Next Steps for
an Emerging
Trend
Green
Building
in the Pacic Northwest:
OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY
AND THE PUBLIC
POLICY CENTER
OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY
AND THE PUBLIC
POLICY CENTER
Published
February, 2010
This report provides important and timely feedback on the perceptions of
developers, design professionals, the construction industry and members
of government within our local cities and counties. The impact of the built
environment is signicant, and this report outlines critical factors necessary
for market transformation: namely education, incentives and a holistic and
integrated approach to design and construction. We have the opportunity
to use this information to overcome barriers and establish common ground
to create more sustainable buildings with lower lifecycle costs and healthier
indoor environments that benet rather than burden our society.
Sharon Patterson
Chair of the Board, USGBC Idaho Chapter, LEED AP BD+C and Homes
The report is a thorough overview of many issues confronting the green
building market as it continues to grow and mature. It clearly illustrates
how the simple concept of sustainability has layers of complexity when the
various stakeholders look at it from their own perspective. The snapshot
it presents provides guidance to anyone who is attempting to apply
sustainable concepts to the built environment.
Bruce Poe, AIA, LEED AP
Modus Architecture
Boise State University
Principal Investigators:
SUSAN MASON, PhD, Director
Community and Regional Planning
Graduate Programs; Assistant Professor,
Public Policy and Administration;
Assistant Professor, Political Science
ANTHONY MARKER, PhD, LEED AP,
Assistant Professor, Instructional &
Performance Technology
REBECCA MIRSKY PhD, PE, LEED
AP, Associate Professor, Construction
Management
Students and Sta
KRISTOF BIHARI
SARAH CUELLAR
CATHERINE DICKINSON
ALICIA DILLON
MIKE JOURNEE
CHRIS LATTER
TWYLA PERKINS
ZULFIRA PULATOVA
MICHAEL ROGERS
JACQUELINE SPRATT
KEVIN TAYLOR
Research Sponsors
AVISTA
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITYS OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITYS PUBLIC
POLICY CENTER
CAPITAL CITY DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION
CITY OF BOISE PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
CITY OF BOISE PUBLIC WORKS
ENERGY POLICY INSTITUTE
IDAHO POWER
URBAN LAND INSTITUTE-IDAHO
DISTRICT COUNCIL
T
his report provides an understanding of why green building is important to
our communities, a brief look at the emergence of green building standards,
research evidence on the perceived pros and cons of green building, and original
research on green building in the Pacic Northwest. The original research is
an analysis of perspectives voiced in conversations, focus groups and surveys
with both members of the construction industry and local government on the
barriers and incentives to green building in their local communities. As nearly 500
construction industry members and just over 300 local governments participated
in the research, this report encompasses, perhaps for
the rst time, one of the largest examinations of the
aggregated voices of both the public and private sector
on factors that aect green building. Green house gas
emissions from commercial buildings are growing at a
faster than average annual rate 1.8% higher than either
transportation or residential emission rates. This trend
alone provides strong justication to take a close look at
the factors that may help change this dynamic.
Faculty and graduate students in the College
of Social Sciences and Public Aairs and
the College of Engineering assembled this
report. It consolidates information to provide a
deeper understanding of green building issues
and opportunities facing Pacic-Northwest
communities. The report provides both municipalities and construction
professionals information that may foster their green building goals.
Members of both groups indicate they want to engage in green building,
but in a nancially viable way. This report is a starting point for formally
identifying the next steps for making green building more likely.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the sponsors
who made this research possible.
Paper used for the production of this report is FSC Certied.
OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY
AND THE PUBLIC
POLICY CENTER
2
6 Figure 1: Mr. Ames, 9th grade physics student built a
27 x 27 X 27 cube
17 Table 1: Summary of Main Points from Reviewed
Research
18 Table 2: Ranking Values for Focus Group Responses
19 Table 3: City Planners and Public Works Professionals
Ranking of Factors that Encourage Green Building
Ranking of Incentives that Encourage Green Building
Ranking of Barriers to Green Building
Ranking of Tools that Encourage Green Building
21 Table 7: Members of the Development Communitys
Ranking Barriers to Green Building
23 Table 11: Comparison of the Top Five Factors for
Developers and Cities
25 Table 12: City and County Survey Response Rate by
State
26 Table 13: Construction Professional Survey Response
Rate by State
26 Table 14: Mayor/County Commissioner Support for
Green Building Practices
27 Table 15: Cities Perceptions of the Awareness of
Green Building by Developers
27 Table 16: Community Factors that Support Green
Building
29 Table 17: Use of Economic Tools to Promote Green
Building
29 Table 18: Policy and Guidelines for Green Building
30 Table 19: Factors and their degree of inuence on
green building policy
31 Table 20: Sta and LEED AP Accredited Sta by City,
County and MSA
32 Figure 2: Top Five Barriers for Green Building
32 Figure 3: Top Five Incentives for Green Building
33 Figure 4: Top Five Barriers for LEED
33 Figure 5: Top Five Incentives for LEED
35 Figure 6: Top Five Barriers
35 Figure 7: Top Five Incentives
37 Table 21: Summary of Construction Industry Survey
Data
38 Table 22: Adoption Level and Strategy
39 Table 23: Construction Industry Members and Stage
of Adoption
List of Tables and Figures
Figures and Tables
55
Contents
LxecuLlve Summury
SLuLemenL of Lhe Problem
1he Lmergence of Creen 8ulldlng und RuLlng
SysLems
WhuL ls Reully Known AbouL Lhe Pros und
Cons of Creen 8ulldlng Reseurch Lvldence
Reseurch MeLhods und llndlngs
locus Crous
Survey Purose Audlence und MeLhod
Locul CovernmenL Survey llndlngs und
Anulysls
ConsLrucLlon lndusLry Survey llndlngs und
Anulysls
NexL SLes
References
Aendlces
Aendlx ACreen 8ulldlng Survey
Aendlx 8ConsLrucLlon lndusLry Member
Survey
LlsL of 1ubles und llgures lnslde 8uck Cover
Next Steps for
an Emerging
Trend
Green
Building
in the Pacifc Northwest:

33. I have a large social and prof essional network that includes people outside my local area.
I strongly
disagree
I
disagree
I somewhat
disagree
I neither agree or
disagree
I somewhat
agree
I
agree
I strongly
agree
I dont know I pref er not to say

Section B: Demographics
The f ollowing demographic questions will help us better understand who has responded to our survey. We will combine your answers with those of
everyone else to give us a big picture view of the professionals involved in the construction industry regarding green building practices. We will not
identif y individuals. If there are any questions you do not wish to answer you may leave them blank; however, it will aid in our analysis if you would mark,
I pref er not to say, on the survey.
34. What is the highest degree either of your parents have earned:
High School
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Technical Certif icate
Masters Degree
Doctoral Degree
Post-Graduate Certif ications

I dont know.
I pref er not to say.

35. I participate in prof essional and social organization f unctions:
Never 1-2 times per year 3-4 times per year 5-6 times per year 1-2 per month 3-4 times per month 5-6 times per month

36. I travel f or prof essional purposes (e.g., business trips and conf erences):

37. I have contact with outreach representatives of organizations promoting green building practices:

38. Highest Level of Education you have completed:
High School
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Masters Degree
Doctoral Degree

I dont know.

39. Mark the main media sources you use f or inf ormation more than once a week, this would include both hardcopy and electronic sources:
Newspaper
Prof essional Blogs
Newsletters
Television
Podcasts
Internet video and radio
Books
Magazines
Trade Journals
Academic Journals
Webinars
Other ______________________

I dont know.

40. Mark the methods of communication you use multiple times during the week:
Email
Telephone
Cell Phone
Text Messaging
Social Networking Sites
Online Discussion Boards
Face-to-Face meetings
Teleconf erencing
Video Conf erencing
Other ______________________

I dont know.

42. Please estimate your annual income:
Less than $20,000
More than $20,000 but less than $30,000
$100,000 or more

I dont know.

20. am seeing obvious benef its to my use of green building practices both in terms of building perf ormance and in terms of financial results.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree
I dont know pref er not to say

22. actively encourage my colleagues and peers to adopt green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree
23. At which of the f ollowing stages of adoption would you expect to f ind most construction prof essionals with regard to green building
practices in general?
Unaware: Not yet aware of green building practices
Curious: Aware but dont yet have much information about green building
practices
Envisioning: knowledgeable but want to see them in action bef ore they try them
Tryout: Ready to actively get training on green building so they can use it on the
job
Using it: Already using it and want or need support to maintain its use
I dont know.
pref er not to say.

24. At which of the f ollowing stages of adoption would you expect to f ind most city planners with regard to using LEED certification
standards specif ically?
Unaware: Not yet aware of LEED building practices
Curious: Aware but dont yet have much information about LEEDb uilding practices
Tryout: Ready to actively get training on LEED building so they can use it on the job
I dont know.
pref er not to say.

25. enjoy experimenting with new technology even when do not need to.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

26. am NOT very concerned about the well-being of f uture generations.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree
dont know pref er not to say

27. am conf ident that science and technology actively benef it humanity.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

28. enjoy working through complex problems with no clear or immediate solution.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

29. aggressively seek more inf ormation about green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

30. can clearly imagine complex goals and the path to reach them.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

31. My prof essional colleagues DO NOT regularly seek my opinion about new developments in our f ield.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree
I don t know pref er not to say

32. There is still a great deal more have yet to accomplish in my prof essional lif e.
strongly somewhat neither agree or somewhat strongly
Appendix B
disagree disagree disagree disagree agree agree agree

C
reen bulldlng rucLlces use
envlronmenLully frlendly muLerluls
or sysLems ulled ln u hollsLlc und
lnLegruLed urouch Lo deslgn und
consLrucLlon Leudershl ln Lnergy
und LnvlronmenLul Leslgn LLLL ls one ruLlng
sysLem und one of only Lwo Creen Clobes belng
Lhe oLher LhuL huve been develoed by ugencles
uccredlLed by Lhe Amerlcun NuLlonul SLundurds
lnsLlLuLe PRNewswlreUSNewswlre 1he lurge
body of reseurch LhuL exlsLs on LLLLcerLled
bulldlngs mukes LLLL u useful frume of reference Lo
undersLund more ubouL green bulldlng ln generul us
well us LLLLcerLled bulldlngs seclcully
Reseurch reveuls LhuL on some green or LLLL
cerLled develomenL ro|ecLs Lhe ufronL cosLs
muy be hlgher buL noL neurly us hlgh
us unecdoLul evldence suggesLs 8elng
selecLlve ubouL Lhe susLulnuble deslgn crlLerlu und
feuLures used ln u bulldlng cun kee consLrucLlon
wlLhln budgeL und roduce greuLer longLerm
energy conservuLlon lncororuLlng green bulldlng
Lechnlques from Lhe lnceLlon of u ro|ecL und ln u
hollsLlc munner cun reduce cosLs us well us furLher
ussure beneLs wlll be used und reullzed by owner
und LenunLs ullke lumlllurlLy wlLh green bulldlng
sLundurds rovldes greuLer undersLundlng of cosLs
und beneLs lessenlng reslsLunce Lo green bulldlng
LducuLlon for bullders owners und LenunLs wlll go u
long wuy Lo encouruge green bulldlng
LuLu druwn from focus grous conducLed ln
8olse lduho und surveys wlLh clLles ln Lhe Puclc
NorLhwesL lduho Oregon ULuh und WushlngLon
reveul heulLhler bulldlngs und soclul resonslblllLy
ure currenLly Lhe blggesL lncenLlves for encouruglng
develoers Lo enguge ln green bulldlng rucLlces
whlle cosLs und uncerLulnLy ubouL reLurn on
lnvesLmenL ure Lhe blggesL burrlers ClLles wunLlng
Lo uddress Lhe blggesL burrlers see nunclul
lncenLlves us Lhe key Lo romoLlng green bulldlng
ln Lhe shorL Lerm Over Lhe long huul clLles see
educuLlon ubouL Lhe beneLs und rucLlces of green
bulldlng us essenLlul Lo ensurlng Lhe deslred reLurn
on Lhe lnvesLmenL und meeLlng communlLy gouls
u ersecLlve shured by develoers
1hls uer recommends severul besL rucLlces
ldenLled from u revlew of reseurch und lnLervlews
conducLed for Lhls reorL us well us from Lhe new
emlrlcul evldence guLhered here 1he sLruLegles
LhuL follow muy be urorluLe for communlLles
ln Lhe Puclc NorLhwesL lnLeresLed ln romoLlng
und suorLlng green bulldlng rucLlces 1he
recommenduLlons full lnLo four broud cuLegorles
LhuL lnvolve rovldlng
MurkeLlng Lo lncreuse ubllc demund for green
bulldlng
Pollcles und rocesses Lo suorL nunclul
uybuck for develoers
lnformuLlon demonsLruLlons und Lrulnlng Lo
encouruge Lhe udoLlon of green bulldlng
SuorL for currenL users of green bulldlng und
LLLL cerLlcuLlon Lo conLlnue Lhelr use und
udvocucy of green bulldlng
AlLhough Lhe bulk of Lhe leudershl for Lhe
recommenduLlons fulls on Lhe clLles success
ln meeLlng green bulldlng gouls wlll be besL
uccomllshed Lhrough ubllc und rlvuLe
urLnershls LhuL enuble boLh clLles und develoers
Lo lnlLluLe und udvunce green bulldlng rucLlces a
This report provides data from conversations, focus groups, and surveys with both
members of the construction industry and local governments about their perspectives
on the barriers and incentives for green building in their communities, primarily, in the
Pacifc Northwest. Nearly 500 construction industry members and just over 300 local
governments participated in the research, providing one of the largest and perhaps
the frst studies of the aggregated voices for both the public and private sector on
factors that afect green building.
Executive Summary
This report
consolidates
information
to provide
a deeper
understanding
of green
building
issues and
opportunities
facing Pacifc-
Northwest
communities.
Executive Summary
Education resources (education materials and training)

High prof ile champions locally
Marketability of green buildings
Public outreach/education
Other___________________________

I dont know.
pref er not to say.
7. f requently hear my colleagues and peers talking about green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

8. understand green building practices are.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

9. am 127 considering enrolling in a certif ication course f or a set of green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

10. enjoy working with green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

11. regularly discuss green building practices with my colleagues and peers.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

12. think green building practices have signif icant f inancial and environmental benef its f or our current society and f uture generations.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

13. would personally like to see the practice of green building practices expanded.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

14. f eel that have all the knowledge, resources, and support need to implement green building practices in the f uture.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

15. '2127 intend to f ind more inf ormation about green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

16. intend to try applying green building practices on a project.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

17. have earned certif ication in a set of green building practices and intend to seek out additional inf ormation to aid in my use of them.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

18. am currently using green building practices on a regular basis.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

19. '2127 plan to continue to use green building practices in the f uture.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree
Statement of the Problem

Greenhouse gas emissions from commercial buildings are accelerating at a faster average
annual rate than either transportation or residential building emissions. States are
grappling with making their communties more sustainable. In Idaho, one example of
how communities are tackling this problem is the Department of Veterans Afairs (VA)
Regional Of ce in Boise, which was recently awarded a gold rating by the independent
U.S. Green Building Council for reducing environmental impact in the construction and
design of its 25,000 square-foot facility
An automobile with gas mileage of 19-20
miles per gallon generates about 1.5 metric
tons of CO2

equivalent per year.
Buildings generate
about 2 million metric
tons of CO2 equivalent
per year.
2Million
1.5
Figure 1
What does
a ton of CO2
look like?
Containing a
metric ton of
invisible CO2
(2,204 pounds)
would require a
cube container
measuring 27
feet by 27 feet
by 27 feet, a
total of 19,683
cubic feet.
Right: Ninth
grade physics
students built
this model to
scale.
3ource: rllp://WWW.erer-
gyrace.cor/correrlary/
Wral_does_a_lor_ol_co2_
|oo|_|||e/
W
e conLlnue Lo Luke sLes Lo ussess
und reduce our envlronmenLul
lmucL SecreLury of veLeruns
Aulrs Lrlc K Shlnsekl suld
Lnsurlng Lhe susLulnublllLy of our
fuclllLles ucross Lhe counLry hels us uccomllsh our
rlmury mlsslon servlng veLeruns PRNewswlre
USNewswlre
How does meeLlng green bulldlng sLundurds
ensure susLulnublllLy Or more lulnly why
should we cure ubouL bulldlng emlsslons Curbon
dloxlde ls by fur Lhe mosL rollc comonenL of ull
greenhouse gus emlsslons seclcully uccounLlng
for mllllon of Lhe mllllon of meLrlc Lons
of curbon dloxlde equlvulenL M1CLL generuLed
ln Lhe US ln more Lhun ercenL of
Lhe green house gus emlsslons US Lnergy
lnformuLlon AdmlnlsLruLlon LlA And
resldenLlul und commerclul bulldlngs comblne Lo
uccounL for ercenL of ull energy consumLlon
und energyreluLed greenhouse gus emlsslons
unnuully muklng Lhem un obvlous focus of
greenhouse gus emlsslon reducLlon eorLs
1runsorLuLlon und lndusLry ure Lhe oLher mu|or
secLors of energy use buL nelLher conLrlbuLes us
much us bulldlngs Lo greenhouse gus emlsslons
LlA
Whlle Lhere ls no uveruge bulldlng Lo ullow for
comurlsons one wuy Lo Lhlnk ubouL Lhe lssue ls
by uslng LnvlronmenLul ProLecLlon Agency LPA
esLlmuLes whlch suy LhuL burnlng one gullon of
gusollne generuLes ubouL ounds of CO 8y
1
Erergy use accourled lor 5,91Z VTC0E ol lre ,021 VTC0E gerer-
aled |r 200Z (ElA, 2009)
Construction Industry Member Survey

Section A: General Questions
For the f irst set of questions, we are asking about green building practices in general. These practices could be any set of that you use in the course of
your work such as LEED and Energy Star among others. There are some questions specific to the U.S. Green Building Councils LEED certification
standards; we have made sure to bold text specif ic to LEED to help you recognize these questions more easily. Towards the end of this section, there
will be some questions about how you approach novel situations.
If there are any questions you do not wish to answer you may leave them blank; however, it will aid in our analysis if you would mark, I pref er not to
say, on the survey.
Please mark the response that best indicates your response.
1. Green building is becoming more important f or the competitive edge of my company.
I strongly
disagree
I
disagree
I somewhat
disagree
I neither agree or
disagree
I somewhat
agree
I
agree
I strongly
agree

2. LEED certification is becoming more important f or the competitive edge of my company.
I strongly
disagree
I
disagree
I somewhat
disagree
I neither agree or
disagree
I somewhat
agree
I
agree
I strongly
agree

3. Please mark the five most important barriers to the use of green building practices in your work?
Conf usion among green building programs
Availability of certif ied resources f or green building
Cost to retrof it existing buildings
Resistance by industry and trade unions
Process uncertainty
Building code issues and interpretation of codes
Perceived costs
Cost (real) up f ront vs. Return on investment
Neighboring city did not adopt green building policies
Misrepresentation green washing
Lack of regulatory f lexibility
Bad economy
Lack of consumer education
Need f or new suppliers
Learning Curve Costs
Complexity of certif ication
Lack of demand f or green buildings
Other ______________________

I dont know.

4. Please mark the five most important incentives to the use of green building practices in your work?
Expedited reviews (of green projects)
Healthier buildings
Reduced impact fees
Bank promoting green loans and/or appraisals
Recognition f or builders and developers
Citizens interest
Codes that encourage green building
Higher density/bonus and off sets f or green building
Social Responsibility
Lower lif e-cycle costs
Increased longevity of buildings
Polit ical vision
Regulations that provide predictability (risk mitigation)
Trained staff with green building expertise
Financial payback
Reduce Carbon
Other___________________________

I dont know.

5. Please mark the five most important barriers to the use of LEED certification standards f or buildings in your work?
Paperwork Load
Process uncertainty
Perceived costs

Bad economy
Other ______________________

I dont know.

6. Please mark the five most important incentives to the use of LEED certification standards for buildings in your work?
Healthier buildings
Reduced impact fees in general
Citizens interest
Polit ical vision
Regulations that provide predictability
LEED certif ication as a brand adds value
Trained Staff
Reduce Carbon
Appendix B
Appendix B
converLlng LhuL Lo mlles er gullon we cun esLlmuLe

LhuL un uuLomoblle wlLh gus mlleuge of mlles
er gullon generuLes ubouL one ound of CO
equlvulenL er mlle Uslng LhuL comurlson Lhe
uveruge erson generuLes meLrlc Lons of CO
er vehlcle unnuully US LnvlronmenLul ProLecLlon
Agency LPA ln comurlson Lhe umounL of
CO bulldlngs generuLe cun be soberlng Luch yeur
slnce bulldlngs huve generuLed uroxlmuLely
mllllon meLrlc Lons of CO equlvulenL LlAb
And lLs u growlng roblem emlsslons from
commerclul bulldlngs ure ucceleruLlng uL u fusLer
uveruge unnuul ruLe ercenL from Lo
Lhun elLher LrunsorLuLlon or resldenLlul bulldlng
emlsslons ercenL LlAc
As noLed ln Lhe recenL news ubouL Lhe vA

reglonul o ce ln 8olse susLulnublllLy refers Lo
develomenL LhuL meeLs currenL needs wlLhouL
comromlslng Lhe envlronmenL of fuLure
generuLlons PRNewswlreUSNewswlre 1o
LhuL end more Lhun clLy muyors Lo duLe huve
commlLLed Lo reduclng greenhouse gus emlsslons ln
Lhelr communlLles by ercenL or more below
levels by US Conference of Muyors CllmuLe
ProLecLlon AgreemenL 1he ugreemenL llsLs
u dozen sLruLegles Lo hel communlLles reuch Lhls
goul lncludlng
PrucLlclng und romoLlng susLulnuble bulldlng
rucLlces by uslng USC8C LLLL cerLlcuLlon
rogrum or slmllur rogrums
Provldlng educuLlon ubouL reduclng globul
wurmlng olluLlon
AdoLlng lunduse ollcles LhuL reduce sruwl
Muklng energy e clency u rlorlLy Lhrough
bulldlng codes
ReLroLLlng llghLlng
Conservlng by lncreuslng wuLer und
wusLewuLerum e clency
Lven us uwureness ubouL cllmuLe chunge grows und
more muyors slgn on Lo cllmuLe chunge ugreemenLs
u ground swell of chunge hus been slow Lo Luke
shue 1here ure communlLles muklng greuL
sLrldes such us SeuLLle und PorLlund buL Lhese
cuses Lend Lo be Lhe ouLllers und noL yeL Lhe norm
Concern LhuL Lhe currenL gouls of Lhe ugreemenL
muy noL be meL ls reul And Lhe erslsLence of Lhe
slugglsh economy one of Lhe worsL downLurns ln
generuLlons fuels Lhese concerns SLlll wheLher
good Llmes or bud meeLlng cllmuLe chunge gouls
und Lhe growlng lnLeresL ln green bulldlng us u
consLrucLlon lndusLry rucLlce mukes lL ls worLh
exumlnlng whuL works ln locul communlLles 1o
LhuL end Lhls reorL seeks Lo rovlde
A hlsLory of green bulldlng ruLlng sLundurds
CurrenL reseurch on LLLL one of Lhe mosL
wldely used green bulldlng sLundurds
New duLu druwn from clLles und consLrucLlon
lndusLry members seclcully for Lhls sLudy
An unulysls of Lhe duLu und recommenduLlons
for nexL sLes ln llghL of whuL ls ulreudy known
und ln con|uncLlon wlLh Lhe ndlngs from Lhls
orlglnul reseurch a
2
Tre correrc|a| seclor |rc|udes scroo|s, ollce ou||d|rg, ard
sropp|rg ra||s.
16. What are the most important incenti ves that encourage the adoption of green building in the city? (PLEASE CHECK
THE TOP FIVE)
Expedited revi ews (of green projects) High profile champions locally
Healthi er buildings Marketability of green buildings
Reduced impact fees Public outreach/education
Bank promoting green loans and/ or appraisals Social Responsibility
Recognition for builders and devel opers Lower life-cycle costs
Citizens interest Increased longevity of buildi ngs
Codes that encourage green buil ding Political vision
Higher density/bonus and offsets for green building Regul ations that provide predictability
(risk mitigation) Trained staff with green building expertise
Education resources Financial payback
(Education materials and traini ng) Reduce Carbon
Neighboring city did not adopt green buil ding policies Other___________________________

LEED Certification
17. What are the most important barriers to LEED certifi ed buildi ng in the city? (PLEASE CHECK THE TOP FIVE)
Confusion among green building programs Misrepresentation green washing
Availability of certified resources for green buildi ng Lack of regulat ory flexibility
Paperwork load Bad economy
Resistance by industry and trade uni ons Lack of consumer education
Process uncertainty Need for new suppliers
Building code issues and interpretation of codes Learning curve costs
Percei ved costs Compl exity of certification
Cost (real ) up front vs. Return on investment Lack of demand for green buil dings
Other___________________________

18. What are the most important incenti ves that encourage the adoption of LEED certificati on in the city? (PLEASE
CHECK THE TOP FIVE)
Healthi er buildings Marketability of LEED buil dings
Reduced fees in general Public outreach/education
Citizens Interest Increased longevity of buildi ngs
(risk mitigation) LEED certification as a brand adds value
Education resources Trained staff with green building expertise
(Education materi als and training) Reduce Carbon
Financial payback Other___________________________

19. Are there any topics not treated in this questionnaire that you feel are important for understandi ng more about what
makes green building practices more accepted by and accessible to cities, developers, planners and other stakehol ders ?
If so, please provide the information below or use additional sheets, if necessary.
A
luyerson mlghL suy LhuL u green
bulldlng uses envlronmenLullyfrlendly
muLerluls or sysLems or erhus LhuL
Lhe develoer lncororuLed rocesses
Lo reduce resource consumLlon
durlng consLrucLlon 1hough Lhese ure lmorLunL
churucLerlsLlcs erhus Lhe mosL owerful usecL
of u green deslgn ln Lhe bullL envlronmenL ls
LhuL rucLlLloners uly u hollsLlc und lnLegruLed
urouch Lo deslgn und consLrucLlon And Lhough
we muy huve veered from such urouches ln recenL
hlsLory Lhe conceL ucLuully duLes buck Lhousunds
of yeurs Lo Lhe orlgln of Lhe musLer bullder MosL
of clvlllzuLlons slgnlcunL works of urchlLecLure
from Lhe yrumlds of LgyL Lo Lhe clusslc cuLhedruls
of Luroe were deslgned und bullL by Lhe musLer
bullder Llnsmore 1hese bullderurchlLecLs
hud u furreuchlng vlew of Lhe enLlre bulldlng
from deslgn Lhrough consLrucLlon und llfeLlme
oeruLlons lncororuLlng funcLlonul usslve deslgns
for heuLlng coollng und llghLlng 1oduy Lhese
e clenL usslve deslgn feuLures whlch conslder
cllmuLlc seLLlng und solur orlenLuLlon ure mulnsLuys
of whuL ls consldered Lo be green bulldlng und
feuLure sLrongly ln Loduys green bulldlng ruLlng
schemes
Long before Lhe Lh cenLury however Lhe
musLer bullder hud ull buL dlsueured reluced
by deslgnerurLlsLs who recelved urchlLecLurul
commlsslons buL hud llLLle undersLundlng of Lhe
bulldlng urLs As Lhe seuruLlon of urchlLecLurul
deslgn und consLrucLlon becume more dlsLlncL
u new buslness enLerrlse emerged LhuL of Lhe
generul bulldlng conLrucLor Llnsmore
SLurLlng ln Lhe s Lhe uvullublllLy ln Lhe US
of cheu fossll fuels surred Lhe develomenL of
glussundsLeel sLrucLures LhuL could be heuLed
und cooled wlLh musslve heuLlng venLlluLlon und
ulr condlLlonlng sysLems Creen8ulldlngcom
New bulldlng Lechnologles lncludlng ulr
condlLlonlng lowwuLLuge uorescenL llghLlng
sLrucLurul sLeel und reecLlve gluss ullowed
urchlLecLs develoers und generul conLrucLors Lo
eschew Lhe LlmeLesLed meLhods of Lhe musLer
bullders ln fuvor of Lhese energy lnLenslve
Lechnologles
The Emergence of Green
Building and Rating Systems
Almost every day, in every major news outlet, there is some mention of the achievements
of a new green building. But there are still many people who are unsure of what really
makes a building green. This section talks about the defning characteristics of green
building design and construction, the origins of green design, and a brief history of how
we have arrived at todays standards and the LEED rating system.
3,000 B.C. 1,200 A.D.
1930 A.D. 1970 A.D.
Green Building and Rating Systems 3,000 B.C. to 2009 A.D.
Pyramids to Cathedrals -- Master builders
of antiquity were responsible for design
and lifetime construction.
Forward-thinking
architects,
environmentalists,
ecolgists begin
questioning
advisability of
energy intensive
building practices. Oil prices spike, calling
attention to nations use of fossel fuels.
Glass-and-steel structures
that could be heated
and cooled with massive
heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning systems
9. Has your city established policies or gui deli nes governi ng green buil ding? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)
No
Yes, informal/ unwritten (e.g., gi ven more leeway or considerati on)
Yes, formal/written (e.g., adopted as part of a comprehensi ve pl an or functional plan)
Dont Know/ Not sure

10. How important are the foll owi ng factors in terms of actually influencing policy on green buildi ng in your
city? Using the scale to the right, please indicate how much influence, if at all, the following factors
have on green buil ding policy in the city. (PLEASE CIRCLE THE BEST RESPONSE)

11. Is there a lead office or personnel speci fically responsible for green buildi ng proj ects or activities in the city? (PLEASE
CHECK ONE)
Yes
No
Dont Know/ Not sure
12. How many public works personnel or pl anners work speci fically for the city? (CIRCLE A NUMBER or 00
if you Dont Know) Dont Know
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ 00

13. How many support staff are there for the public works personnel or planners that work for the city?
(CIRCLE A NUMBER or 00 if you Dont Know) Dont Know
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ 00

14. How many of the staff are accredited as a LEED AP? (CIRCLE A NUMBER or 00 if you Dont Know)
Dont Know
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ 00

15. What are the most important barriers to the use of green buildi ng practices in the city? (PLEASE CHECK THE TOP
FIVE)
Cost to retrofit existing buildi ngs Bad economy
-Please turn the page over and continue the survey-
No Very Strong Dont
Influence Influence Know
a. Federal guidance on green buildi ng 1 2 3 4 5 0
b. State guidance on green building 1 2 3 4 5 0
c. International Code Council (ICC) or other code drafting body 1 2 3 4 5 0
d. Other neighboring cities engaging in green buildi ng 1 2 3 4 5 0
e. Other neighboring cities not engaging in green buildi ng 1 2 3 4 5 0
f. The championi ng of green buil ding by local business leaders 1 2 3 4 5 0
g. The support for green building by elected officials 1 2 3 4 5 0
h. Risk associated with getting the new code standard wrong 1 2 3 4 5 0
i. Risk that the current technol ogy is incorrect 1 2 3 4 5 0
j. Devel oper pushback (threat that they will take development
elsewhere to avoid new standards)

1

2

3

4

5

0
k. Political pushback from developers (encouraging l eaders not
to adopt new standards)

1

2

3

4

5

0
l. The implications of green buildi ng on global warmi ng 1 2 3 4 5 0
m. The Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Mayors agreement 1 2 3 4 5 0
Appendix A
8y Lhe s suburbun develomenL bused

on Lhese Lechnologles wus rumunL und some
forwurdLhlnklng urchlLecLs envlronmenLullsLs
und ecologlsLs begun Lo quesLlon Lhe udvlsublllLy
of such energy lnLenslve bulldlng rucLlces 8uL
lL wus Lhe OPLC oll emburgo of slklng
gusollne rlces und llnes uL gus sLuLlons LhuL
nully cuughL Lhe uLLenLlon of Lhe Amerlcun
ubllc und culled lnLo quesLlon Lhe nuLlons heuvy
rellunce on fossll fuels for LrunsorLuLlon und
bulldlngs 8ulldlng Leslgn ConsLrucLlon
SLlll lL would be unoLher Lwo decudes before Lhe
LPA und Lhe US LeurLmenL of Lnergy would
luunch Lhe LNLRCY S1AR rogrum und Lhe
ClLy of AusLln 1exus would lnLroduce Lhe rsL
locul green bulldlng rogrum ln PresldenL
CllnLon lnLroduced Lhe Creenlng of Lhe WhlLe
House lnlLluLlve 1hrough Lhe colluboruLlon
of envlronmenLullsLs deslgn rofesslonuls
englneers und governmenL o cluls numerous
oLheshelf lmrovemenLs led Lo ln
unnuul energy und wuLer suvlngs und reducLlons
ln lundsculng exenses wusLe munugemenL
cosLs und curbon emlsslons uL Lhe execuLlve
munslon 8ulldlng Leslgn ConsLrucLlon
1he success of Lhls lundmurk eorL led Lo u urry
of federul greenlng ro|ecLs und guve new llfe Lo
Lhe susLulnuble bulldlng movemenL
AL Lhe sume Llme Lhe eorLs by rofesslonuls
from u vurleLy of ubllc und rlvuLe comunles
orgunlzuLlons und ugencles lncludlng Lhe
Amerlcun lnsLlLuLe of ArchlLecLs Lhe Rocky
MounLuln lnsLlLuLe Lhe Currler CororuLlon
Hermun Mlller lnc Lhe LeurLmenL of Lnergy
und Lhe NuLlonul lnsLlLuLe of SLundurds und
1echnology ulong wlLh muny oLhers led Lo
Lhe develomenL of Lhe US Creen 8ulldlng
Councll USC8C whlch wus o clully
founded ln AfLer conslderlng und
re|ecLlng u vurleLy of bulldlng ruLlng
models lncludlng Lhe one LhuL hud
been develoed by Lhe ClLy of AusLln
Lhe USC8C membershl uroved
Lhe rsL verslon of LLLL cerLlcuLlon
requlremenLs ln drufLed u
reference gulde und luunched u lloL
rogrum Slnce lLs lnceLlon
Lhe LLLL ruLlng sysLem
hus undergone
vurlous
lLeruLlons
A key
churucLerlsLlc of
LLLL ls lLs evoluLlon
Lhrough u consensus
bused rocess led by volunLeer
commlLLees Over Lhe yeurs lL hus
chunged Lo conslder reglonul eecLs und
Lhe llfe cycle unulysls of bulldlng muLerluls
Luunched on Arll Lhe Lhlrd verslon
of LLLL LLLL reLulns Lhe fundumenLul
sLrucLure of Lhe revlous verslons buL rovldes
uvenues for lncororuLlng new Lechnologles und
rlorlLlzes energy use und CO emlsslons LLLL
lncororuLes ve seuruLe commerclul
und lnsLlLuLlonul bulldlng ruLlng sysLems new
consLrucLlon core und shell commerclul lnLerlors
exlsLlng bulldlngs oeruLlons und mulnLenunce
und schools OLher LLLL ruLlng sysLems exlsL for
homes nelghborhood develomenL reLull und
heulLhcure 1here ure currenLly ro|ecLs
urLlcluLlng ln Lhe LLLL sysLem comrlslng over
bllllon squure feeL of consLrucLlon suce ln ull
sLuLes und counLrles US Creen 8ulldlng
Councll a
1993 A.D. 1998 A.D. 2009 A.D.
Greening of the White House
by President Clinton.
U.S. Green Building Council
members approve frst version of
LEED certifcation
requireements.
Third version of LEED (LEED 2009)
retains fundamental structure of
previous versions, but provides
avenues for incorporating new tech
and prioritizes energy use and CO
2
emissions.
Perhaps
the most
powerful
aspect of a green
design in the built
environment is
that practitioners
apply a holistic
and integrated
approach to
design and
construction
Te Emergence of Green Building and Rating Systems

Section C. Economic Tool s Use
7. Has your city ever promoted green buildi ng or LEED certification? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)
No (If no, SKIP to question 8)
Yes

7a. Municipalities have a vari ety of educational and economic tools at their disposal. Using the scale to the
right, please indicate how frequently, if at all, that your City uses the following tools to promote green
buildi ng. (PLEASE CIRCLE THE BEST RESPONSE).

Section D. Policy Considerations
The following questions concern decision maki ng resources for green buildi ng.
8. Has your city established green buil ding as a goal or pri ority?
No
Yes, informal/ unwritten (e.g., resol ution or stated priority)
Yes, formal/written (e.g., created an ordi nance or office of sustainabl e devel opment)
Dont Know/ Not sure
-Please continue on the next page-
Frequ- Dont
Never ently Know

a. Tax Credits

1

2

3

4

5

0
b. Fee Reduction (reduce/rebate fees for buildings that meet or
exceed speci fied green standards)

1

2

3

4

5

0

c. Grants

1

2

3

4

5

0

d. Infrastructure Improvement (e.g., sewer or water)

1

2

3

4

5

0

e. Zoning (e.g., increased Fl oor Area Ratio for buildi ngs that
meet or exceed specifi ed green building standards)

1

2

3

4

5

0

f. Permitting Assistance (e.g., Fast-track or expedited review)

1

2

3

4

5

0

g. Codes that require specific green buildi ng standards

1

2

3

4

5

0

h. Low Cost Loans by paying some of the interest

1

2

3

4

5

0

i. Low Cost Loans by coveri ng a portion of the loan at
substantially reduced rate

1

2

3

4

5

0

j. Tax Increment Financing

1

2

3

4

5

0

k. Provide publicity for green buildi ngs (e.g., Mayoral praise,
ribbon cutting, general recognition)

1

2

3

4

5

0

l. Provide financial awards for green buil ding

1

2

3

4

5

0

m. Provide educational materials on green buil ding.

1

2

3

4

5

0

n. Provi de fi nancial reward once obtai n LEED certification

1

2

3

4

5

0

o. Provi de trai ning in green buildi ng technology

1

2

3

4

5

0

p. Partner to conduct demonstration projects on green buil ding

1

2

3

4

5

0

q. Other_______________________________

1

2

3

4

5

0

Appendix A
Green Building Survey
As our communities develop it is important to understand why some green buildi ng practices are more accepted by and
accessible to cities, developers, planners and other stakeholders. Your responses to this questionnaire are important for
understanding more about green buildi ng practices and standards which may affect the way our communities grow.

As you complete the survey please keep in mind that green building is a term used to describe materials and methods
that result in buil dings that use less energy, water, and resources; generate less waste; have l ess impact on the buil ding
site; and offer healthier indoor environments for the occupants.

Section A. General Questions
The following are general questions about factors that may influence a citys engagement in green buil ding practices.
1. Does your city Mayor support green building practices? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)

Does not Somewhat Neither supports Somewhat Supports Dont Know/
Support does not nor supports Not Sure
support does not support

2. How aware are most developers in your city with regard to green buil ding practices in general?
(PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Unaware: Not yet aware of green buildi ng practices
Curious: Aware but dont yet have much information about green buil ding practices
Envisioning: knowl edgeable but want to see them in action before they try them
Tryout: Ready to actively get traini ng on green buildi ng so they can use it on the j ob
Using it: Already using it and want or need support to maintai n its use
Dont Know/ Not Sure

3. How aware are most developers in your city with regard to using LEED certi fication standards
specifically? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Curious: Aware but dont yet have much information about LEED buildi ng practices
Tryout: Ready to actively get traini ng on LEED building so they can use it on the job
Dont Know/ Not Sure

Section B. Community Factors
The following questions are about local resources and information available that may influence green buil ding practi ces.
4. Is there a supplier of LEED certi fied materi als such as wood withi n a 500 mile radius of your city?
(PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Yes
No
Dont Know/ Not sure

5. Is there a developer or architect in your city that is familiar with and promotes green buildi ng?
(PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Yes
No
Dont Know/ Not sure

6. Are there buil dings in your city that are formally recognized as green buildi ngs that are not LEED certifi ed (e.g., Earth
Advantage, EnergyStar, Net Zero) in your city? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Yes 6a. (If yes, approximately how many) ___________
No
Dont Know/ Not sure

Appendix A
Pros and Cons of Green Building

What Is Really Known About the Pros
and Cons of Green Building? Research
Evidence
What is really known about green building practices and more specifcally, the efects
of implementing LEED standards? There has been a great deal of discussion and more
than a small amount of hype about green building. That discussion has coincided
with growing awareness about the impact of human activity on the global climate
and a growing urgency to conserve energy and curb emissions. Evidence and research
substantiate some of the discussion, while other discussion areas fall into the categories
of anecdote or hearsay. How does one separate fact from fction? There is a large body
of documented research available for LEED-certifed buildings (as opposed to data on
buildings designed and constructed using other green guidelines), so this section reviews
that research to see what is currently known about the pros and cons of building green
within the LEED framework.
Costs
1he US develomenL communlLy lurgely reLulns Lhe
erceLlon LhuL new or reLroLLed LLLLcerLled
green bulldlngs cosL more Lhun convenLlonully
consLrucLed bulldlngs 1hough Lhere cun be reul und
ercelved rsL cosL remlums muny bulldlng owners
urLlculurly ln Lhe ubllc secLor ure reullzlng long
Lerm suvlngs ln lower oeruLlng und mulnLenunce
cosLs us well us ln Lhe slgnlcunL cosLs ussocluLed
wlLh ersonnel or LenunL uLLrucLlon reLenLlon und
roducLlvlLy
First Costs
One of Lhe blggesL obsLucles Lo udoLlng green
bulldlng rucLlces ln generul und LLLL cerLlcuLlon
seclcully ls u erceLlon LhuL Lhose bulldlngs
wlll cosL more Lo consLrucL PeLer Morrls und Luvld
Lungdons urLlcle WhuL Loes Creen Reully
CosL usserLs
1he mosL common reuson clLed ln sLudles for noL
lncludlng green elemenLs lnLo bulldlng deslgns ls Lhe
lncreuse ln rsL cosL Peole who ure green uverse
ure huy Lo reluLe unecdoLes of remlums ln excess
of Lo muke Lhelr bulldlngs green 1he numbers
ure slmly noL however borne ouL by Lhe fucLs
us evldenced by muny sLudles of Lhe cosL of green
bulldlng Lven Lhough Lhere ls no oneslzeLs
ull unswer Lo Lhe cosL quesLlon lL ls cleur from Lhe
subsLunLlul welghL of evldence ln Lhe murkeLluce
LhuL reusonuble levels of susLulnuble deslgn cun be
lncororuLed lnLo mosL bulldlng Lyes uL llLLle or no
uddlLlonul cosL Morrls Lungdon
1he USC8C ln u NuLlonul 1rends for Hlgh
Performunce Creen 8ulldlngs reorL chlmed ln on
Lhls lssue us well clLlng Lhe lmorLunce of evuluuLlng
Lhe cosLs of u bulldlngs llfe cycle ruLher Lhun looklng
only uL rsL cosLs 1hey concluded
Of Lhe LoLul exendlLures un owner wlll muke over
Lhe sun of u bulldlngs servlce llfeLlme deslgn und
consLrucLlon exendlLures Lhe soculled rsL cosLs
of u fuclllLy uccounL for |usL ercenL ln conLrusL
oeruLlons und mulnLenunce cosLs uccounL for
ercenL of Lhe LoLul llfecycle cosLs UnforLunuLely
declslonmukers rurely use llfe cycle cosL unulysls
Lo llnk culLul und oeruLlng exenses 1herefore
energy suvlngs decreused worker ubsenLeelsm und
hlgher roducLlvlLy ure noL unlversully uccounLed for
ln Lhe cosL equuLlon USC8C
However LhuL sume sLudy udmlLLed LhuL Lhere were
sLlll reul und ercelved hlgher rsL cosLs ussocluLed
wlLh lncororuLlng green deslgn feuLures
Whlle muny green bulldlngs ure deslgned und
consLrucLed uL comuruble or even lower cosLs Lhun
convenLlonul bulldlngs envlronmenLul erformunce
feuLures cun udd cosLs Lo deslgn und consLrucLlon
exendlLures Accordlng Lo green bulldlng
rofesslonuls such lnlLlul cosL lncreuses generully
Rogers L Lluslon of lnnovuLlons Lh ed New York NY lree Press

Suhu L PuLerson R C Locul governmenL eorLs Lo romoLe Lhe 1hree Ls of susLulnuble
develomenL Survey ln medlum Lo lurge clLles ln Lhe UnlLed SLuLes 1ournul of Plunnlng LducuLlon
und Reseurch
SmlLh A 8ulldlng momenLum NuLlonul Lrends und rosecLs for hlgherformunce green bulldlngs
ReorL by Lhe US Creen 8ulldlng Councll for Lhe US SenuLe CommlLLee on LnvlronmenL und
Publlc Works USC8C WushlngLon LC
Sulllvun L M Locul governmenLs us rlsk Lukers und rlsk reducers An exumlnuLlon of buslness
subsldles und subsldy conLrols Lconomlc LevelomenL OuurLerly
1urner C lrunkel M Lnergy erformunce of LLLL for new consLrucLlon bulldlngs New 8ulldlngs
lnsLlLuLe ReLrleved on OcLober from hLLwwwnewbulldlngsorgdownlouds
LnergyPerformunceofLLLLNC8ulldlngsllnulbdf
1urner C LLLL bulldlng erformunce ln Lhe Cuscudlu Reglon A osL occuuncy evuluuLlon reorL
Cuscudlu Reglon Creen 8ulldlng Councll PorLlund OR
1orcelllnl P Leru M CrlLh 8 Long N Pless S 1udko R Cruwley L Lessons leurned
from eld evuluuLlon of slx hlgherformunce bulldlngs Amerlcun Councll for un LnergyLclenL
Lconomy Summer SLudy on Lnergy Lclency ln 8ulldlngs Puclc Crove CA
U S Conference of Muyors CllmuLe ProLecLlon CenLer US Conference of Muyors CllmuLe ProLecLlon
AgreemenL ReLrleved Muy from hLLwwwusmuyorsorg cllmuLeroLecLlon
US Lnergy lnformuLlon AdmlnlsLruLlon Lmlsslons of greenhouse guses reorL ReLrleved 1une
from hLLwwweludoegovolufggrLlndexhLml
US Lnergy lnformuLlon AdmlnlsLruLlonb Lmlsslons of green house guses ln Lhe UnlLed SLuLes
ReLrleved Lecember from hLLwwweludoegovolufurchlveggrLlndexhLml
US Lnergy lnformuLlon AdmlnlsLruLlonc Lnergy ln 8rlef ReLrleved OcLober from hLL
LonLoeludoegovenergylnbrlefgreenhouseguscfm
US LnvlronmenLul ProLecLlon Agency Lmlsslon fucLs greenhouse gus emlsslons from u Lylcul
ussenger vehlcle ReLrleved AugusL from hLLwwweugovOMScllmuLef
hLm
US LnvlronmenLul ProLecLlon Agencyb Creen bulldlng hlsLory ln Lhe US ReLrleved 1unuury
from hLLwwweugovgreenbulldlngubsubouLhLm
US Creen 8ulldlng Councll AbouL USC8C ReLrleved on 1unuury from hLLwwwusgbc
orgLlsluyPugeusxCMSPugelL
US Creen 8ulldlng Councll 8ulldlng momenLum NuLlonul Lrends for hlgherformunce
green bulldlngs ReLrleved on Lecember from hLLwwwusgbcorgLlsluyPuge
usxCMSPugelL
PRNewswlreUSNewswlre Shlnsekl Aluuds 1o RuLlng by lndeendenL Crou WASHlNC1ON
Lec ReLrleved Lecember from hLLwwwredorblLcomnewsbuslness
envlronmenLulcerLlcuLlonuwurdedLobolsevubeneLsoce
WuLson R Creen bulldlng lmucL reorL ReLrleved on Lecember from hLLwww
greenblzcomreseurchreorLgreenbulldlnglmucLreorL
Yudelson AssocluLes Creen bulldlng lncenLlves LhuL work A look uL how locul governmenLs ure
lncenLlvlzlng green develomenL ReLrleved on Lecember from hLLwwwnuloorg
founduLlongreenlncenLlvesdf
runge from un uveruge of Lo ercenL deendlng

on Lhe deslgn und exLenL of udded feuLures USC8C

Yudelson found LhuL of survey
resondenLs LhoughL LhuL green bulldlng currled
u four ercenL or more cosL remlum ln
Lhe sume sLudy ercenL of resondenLs clLed
ercelved cosL lncreuses us Lhe blggesL burrler Lo
green bulldlng und ercenL ercelved LhuL Lhey
hud noL recelved un udequuLe umounL of ubllclLy
or new buslness for Lhelr declslon Lo bulld green
Yudelson We cun seculuLe LhuL Lhls
muy be more of un obsLucle ln Lhe UnlLed SLuLes
where Lhe develomenL model shows u Lendency
Lo develo u bulldlng und Lhen sell lL shorLly ufLer
consLrucLlon ln Lhls urouch develoers seek
Lo mlnlmlze shorLLerm consLrucLlon cosLs u
fronL becuuse Lhey lnLend Lo sell Lhe bulldlng
lmmedluLely 1hls shorL Lurnuround sules model
meuns LhuL develoers Lhemselves do noL en|oy
Lhe longerLerm bulldlng e clencles resulLlng from
lower oeruLlng und mulnLenunce cosLs und Lhus
ure noL moLlvuLed Lo lncororuLe green deslgn
feuLures LhuL rovlde longLerm cosL suvlngs
Longer-term Cost Savings and Proftability
CounLer Lo Lhe shorLLerm develomenL model
Lhe US develoer ln Lhe ubllc secLor who owns
und mulnLulns u new bulldlng ls ln u oslLlon Lo
reullze Lhe lower oeruLlng und mulnLenunce cosLs
LhuL cun resulL from bulldlng green ln uddlLlon
Lhe more hollsLlc urouch LhuL LLLL cerLlcuLlon
romoLes resulLs ln oLher slgnlcunL buL less
ucknowledged cosL beneLs us well lor exumle
one Cullfornlu sLudy looked uL Lhe economlc lmucL
of green bulldlng ollcles uL u unlverslLy 1he
uuLhors found LhuL Lhe unlverslLy ulreudy emloyed
muny susLulnuble rucLlces ln Lhe consLrucLlon of lLs
bulldlngs ulLhough Lhe rucLlces vurled wldely from
ro|ecL Lo ro|ecL 1he unlverslLys muln reuson for
udoLlng green bulldlng rucLlces wus Lo oseL Lhe
ro|ecLed fuLure lncreuses ln elecLrlcul consumLlon
und energy ruLes 1o evuluuLe fuLure lmucLs Lhe
unlverslLy chose Lo Luke u sysLems urouch Lo
green bulldlng exLendlng Lhe Llme frume ugulnsL
whlch lL meusured economlc cosLs und beneLs
1he reorL recommended LhuL Lhe unlverslLys
ollcy lnclude u requlremenL LhuL cumus deslgn
sLundurds lncororuLe u mlnlmum number of
susLulnublllLy uLLrlbuLes such LhuL ull new bulldlngs
wlll uchleve Lhe equlvulenL of u cerLled ruLlng uslng
Lhe LLLL sysLem 8ude 1o uchleve Lhls
goul Lhe sLudy recommended LhuL Lhe unlverslLy
lnclude erformunce meusures ln Lhe ro|ecL
rogrummlng und budgeLseLLlng rocesses 8ude

AL Lhe Llme Lhe reorL wus ubllshed Lhere wus no
munduLe Lo documenL Lhe cosLs of seclc deslgn
feuLures meunL Lo uchleve green ruLlngs 1herefore
Lhere ure no comrehenslve duLu reecLlve of
Lhe robuble cosL of seclc green meusures
8ude However Lhere wus evldence
Lo suggesL LhuL Lhe unlverslLy could uchleve LLLL
cerLlcuLlon wlLhouL lncreuslng currenL sLundurd
bulldlng budgeLs 1he greuLesL lnlLlul culLul
exenses ure reluLed Lo energy e clency und wuLer
conservuLlon
A cosL revlew by Lungdon ln wus qulLe
Lhorough 1hls sLudy wus noLuble becuuse lL noL
only lncluded hundreds of bulldlngs buL ulso
becuuse lL Look Lhe unusuul sLe of cuLegorlzlng
The U.S.
developer in the
public sector
who owns and
maintains a
new building is
in a position to
realize the lower
operating and
maintenance
costs that can
result from
building green.
The California universitys main reason for adopting
green building practices was to ofset the projected future
increases in electrical consumption and energy rates.
References
8ude M leuslblllLy sLudy for u green bulldlng ollcy for Lhe UnlverslLy of Cullfornlu Preured by
Mlchuel 8ude Oce of Lhe PresldenL Leslgn ConsLrucLlon Servlces Muy
8lrL 8 Newshum C PosLoccuuncy evuluuLlon of energy und lndoor envlronmenL quullLy ln
green bulldlngs A revlew hLLwwwnrccnrcgccuob|lrcdocubsnrccdf
8ourlund L lncremenLul cosL meusuruble suvlngs LnLerrlse green communlLles crlLerlu
ReLrleved from hLLwwwgreenblzcomreseurchreorLlncremenLulcosL
meusurublesuvlngs
8ulldlng Leslgn und ConsLrucLlon WhlLe uer on susLulnublllLy Reed 8uslness lnformuLlon
November
Cole R Creen bulldlngs und gruy occuunLs Puer resenLed uL Lhe AlAUSC8C Conference on
MulnsLreumlng Creen ChuLLunoogu 1N OcLober
Llnsmore H RoberL 1r 1he unclenL musLer bullder un essuy MusLerbullder lellowshl for Lhe 8ullL
LnvlronmenL lnc hLLwwwmusLerbullderfellowshlcomugehLml
LormunL L lmlemenLlng Humun Performunce 1echnology ln orgunlzuLlons ln H SLolovlLch L
Kees Lds Hundbook of humun erformunce Lechnology nd ed Sun lrunclsco
CA 1ossey8ussPfeler
llsk W HeulLh und roducLlvlLy gulns from beLLer lndoor envlronmenLs und Lhelr lmllcuLlons for
Lhe US LeurLmenL of Lnergy Proceedlngs of Lhe Lvlslon Conference OcLober
WushlngLon LC
Creen8ulldlngcom Creen bulldlng Llmellne urchlved hLLweburchlveorg
webhLLwwwgreenbulldlngcomgreenHlsLoryhLml
Heerwugen 1 Creen bulldlngs orgunlzuLlonul success und occuunL roducLlvlLy 8ulldlng Reseurch
und lnformuLlon
lnLervlews lnLervlews conducLed by 1ony Murker und Susun Muson durlng All lnLervlewees
were ussured condenLlullLy und Lherefore ure noL noLed by nume
1eson 1r L 1 1he udoLlon of susLulnuble develomenL ollcles und Lechnlques ln US clLles how
wlde how dee und whuL role for lunners 1ournul of Plunnlng LducuLlon und Reseurch
KuLs C Creenlng Amerlcus schools cosLs und beneLs Avulluble uL hLLwwwcuecom

ewebedlLrolLemsOldf
Lungdon L 1he cosL of green revlslLed Reexumlnlng Lhe feuslblllLy und cosL lmucL of susLulnuble
deslgn ln Lhe llghL of lncreused murkeL udoLlon ReLrleved on Lecember from hLL
wwwusgbcorgLlsluyPugeusxCMSPugelL
Lewls P C Looklng ouLwurd or Lurnlng lnwurd MoLlvuLlons for develomenL declslons ln
Cullfornlu cenLrul clLles und suburbs Urbun Aulrs Revlew
Lockwood C 1he dollurs und sense of green reLroLs 1olnL sLudy by LelolLLe und Churles
Lockwood ReLrleved on Lecember from hLLwwwdelolLLecomusseLsLcom
UnlLedSLuLesLoculAsseLsLocumenLsusreLollursSenseReLroLsdf
Morrls P Lungdon L WhuL does green reully cosL PRLA OuurLerly ReLrleved on Lecember
from hLLwwwcusLuLemnusoeugreenbulldlngcosLcfm
References

resulLs by bulldlng Lye As u resulL Lhe sLudy
ullows reuders Lo comure cosLs for ucudemlc
bulldlngs llbrury bulldlngs luboruLory bulldlngs
communlLy cenLers und umbuluLory cure fuclllLles
Perhus more lmorLunLly Lhe sLudy evuluuLed
cosLs ussocluLed wlLh euch of Lhe LLLL credlL ureus
Lhus ullowlng develoers Lo lLer for oLenLlully
exenslve credlLs eurly ln Lhe deslgn rocess
ln u sLudy Lockwood ulso evuluuLed
commerclul reLroL cosLs ln hls reorL he usserLs
LhuL
A growlng number of comunles ure lmlemenLlng
green reLroLs of Lhelr bulldlngs Lo suve money
lmrove roducLlvlLy lower ubsenLeelsm und
heulLhcure cosLs sLrengLhen emloyee uLLrucLlon
und reLenLlon und lmrove Lhelr cororuLe
susLulnublllLy reorLs und brund equlLy ull uL u
reluLlvely modesL cosL However Llmlng ls lmorLunL
for comunles seeklng Lo use green reLroLs us u
olnL of comeLlLlve dlerenLluLlon Lockwood

Lockwoods menLlon of Llmlng ls erhus un
lmorLunL fucLor lnnovuLors ln u murkeL usuully
derlve u remlum eurly ln Lhe rocess lor lnsLunce
Lhose comunles who rsL roduced elecLronlc
culculuLors were uble Lo demund u hlgher remlum
unLll Lhose devlces becume more commonluce
UlLlmuLely Lockwood ls suggesLlng LhuL Lhose
who ure qulcker Lo lmlemenL green reLroLs on
Lhelr bulldlngs muy huve Lhe udvunLuge of beLLer
comeLlLlve dlerenLluLlon wlLh corresondlng
rewurds
YeL unoLher sLudy looked uL Lhe lncremenLul
cosL suvlngs of LnLerrlse Creen CommunlLles
CrlLerlu un lnvesLmenL culLul und develomenL
orgunlzuLlon LhuL devlses soluLlons for uorduble
houslng und communlLy revlLullzuLlon 8ourlund
As un orgunlzuLlon LnLerrlse hus
lnvesLed more Lhun bllllon slnce Lo hel
nunce more Lhun uorduble homes
ln communlLles nuLlonwlde LnLerrlse Creen
CommunlLles CrlLerlu requlres houslng develoers
Lo lmlemenL munduLory us well us u requlred
number of oLlonul crlLerlu 1hls sLudy found LhuL
When conslderlng Lhe beneLs reveuled ln our sLudy
Lhe uveruge cosL er dwelllng unlL Lo lncororuLe
Lhe energy und wuLer crlLerlu wus reLurnlng
ln redlcLed llfeLlme uLlllLy cosL suvlngs
dlscounLed Lo dollurs
ln oLher words Lhe energy und wuLer conservuLlon
meusures noL only uld for Lhemselves buL ulso
resulLed ln suvlngs of Llmes over Lhe ro|ecLed
llfeLlme cosLs Moreover wuLer cosL suvlngs shured
ln Lhls reorL ure ulmosL cerLulnly underreorLed
glven LhuL Lhey were unuble Lo obLuln comleLe
duLu on sewer fee suvlngs whlch ure u dlrecL resulL
of wuLerconservuLlon meusures 8ourlund
AnoLher longLerm fucLor Lo conslder ls LhuL some

cosLs ussocluLed wlLh green bulldlng ueur Lo be
Lled Lo u leurnlng curve Once exerLlse wlLh green
bulldlng rucLlces und Lhe cerLlcuLlon sLundurds
ure develoed cosLs muy go down However Lhe
leurnlng curve cun resenL u slgnlcunL burrler on lLs
own Whlle green develoers cun muke reul gulns ln
Energy and water
conservation
measures not only
paid for themselves
but also resulted in
savings of 2.5 times
over the projected
lifetime costs.
by lnformuLlon needs exressed by bullders und

develoers und could be rovlded on u regulur
or semlregulur busls us new bulldlng Lechnlques
ure develoed und sLurL Lo become ucceLed
lnLervlews
Cuse SLudles Levelolng euslly uccesslble cuse
sLudles showlng nunclul uybuck und reLurn
on lnvesLmenL for green bulldlng ro|ecLs
urLlculurly ln locul or reglonul conLexLs 1hese
cuses should be creuLed und dlssemlnuLed
ln close cooeruLlon wlLh members of Lhe
consLrucLlon lndusLry 1o Lhe exLenL osslble
focus should be on Lhose feuLures of green
bulldlng LLLL cerLlcuLlon LhuL reullsLlcully
rovlde Lhe mosL oslLlve lmucL on Lhe nunclul
ouLcomes of Lhe ro|ecLs 1hose feuLures
mlghL Lhen be Lhe sub|ecL of lnformuLlon und
demonsLruLlon eorLs llsLed ubove
1rulnlng ln Lhose cuses where Lhe knowledge
und sklll gus of consLrucLlon lndusLry members
cunnoL udequuLely be uddressed uslng
lnformuLlon or demonsLruLlons clLles uLlllLles
und consLrucLlon lndusLry ussocluLlons muy
work Lo LogeLher or ulone Lo develo LurgeLed
Lrulnlng Lo uddress more comlex sklll undor
knowledge gus AnoLher oLlon ls Lo conLrucL
wlLh ouLslde rovlders of Lrulnlng LhuL meeL
Lhe seclc needs of consLrucLlon lndusLry
members 1rulnlng becuuse lL ls exenslve und
erlshuble ln nuLure should only be used when
less exenslve oLlons ure unsulLuble ln Lhose
cuses when Lrulnlng ls culled for lL should be
develoed by cuuble lnsLrucLlonul deslgners Lo
ensure lL meeLs Lhe lnLended leurnlng ouLcomes
und uvolds rovldlng lneecLlve soluLlons LhuL
merely wusLe urLlclunLs Llme
Provide Support for Current
Users of Green Building and LEED
Certifcation
ln order Lo mulnLuln suorL und mulnLuln eurly
udoLers of green bulldlng und LLLL clLles should
conslder rovldlng Lhe followlng klnds of suorL
LoculReglonul Creen 8ulldlngs Suller LlsLs
ConsLrucLlon lndusLry members ln Lhelr focus
grous und survey resulLs ldenLled dlculLy
ln ndlng or noL knowlng of reglonul green
bulldlng sulles us one obsLucle Provldlng
und mulnLulnlng onllne llsLs of Lhe sullers
und locuLlons of green bulldlng sulles would
be one wuy Lo suorL Lhose who huve ulreudy
embruced green bulldlng rucLlces
LoculReglonul Creen 8ulldlng ConLrucLor und
SubConLrucLor LlsLs ConsLrucLlon lndusLry
members ln Lhelr focus grous ldenLled
dlculLy ln ndlng skllled und knowledgeuble
conLrucLors und subconLrucLors us one
obsLucle Lo udoLlng green bulldlng rucLlces
Provldlng und mulnLulnlng onllne llsLs of relluble
conLrucLors und subconLrucLors would be
one wuy Lo suorL Lhose who huve ulreudy
embruced green bulldlng rucLlces 1hls mlghL
be done uslng exlsLlng mechunlsms by huvlng
lndusLry ussocluLlons work wlLh rovlders of
servlce lnformuLlon such us Angles LlsL or by
creuLlng Lhelr own uccesslble dlrecLorles LhuL
ullow for consumer feedbuck
1hls klnd of llsL

for conLrucLors subconLrucLors und sullers
of Lhe green bulldlng lndusLry would go u long
wuy Lowurd muklng LhuL lnformuLlon noL only
uccesslble buL ulso eusler Lo rlorlLlze
Professlonul AssocluLlons wlLh Creen 8ulldlng
lnformuLlon Provldlng llsLs of rofesslonul
ussocluLlons LhuL huve neLworks und
communlLles LhuL ure ulreudy shurlng green
bulldlng rucLlces would suorL Lhose ulreudy
lnvolved ln green bulldlng
8esL PrucLlce lnformuLlon on Creen 8ulldlng
LLLL CerLlcuLlon Provldlng u cleurlnghouse
of besLrucLlces on green bulldlng 1hls mlghL
be rovlded by rofesslonul ussocluLlons clLles
unlverslLles or oLher Lhlrd urLy rovlders
Culendurs of LoculReglonul LvenLs CenLrullzed
culendurs rovldlng uccess Lo locul or reglonul
green bulldlng demonsLruLlons und Lrulnlng
1hese mlghL be mulnLulned by uny lnvolved ln
cooeruLlon wlLh lnLeresLed sLukeholder grous a
8
Arg|e's L|sl |s a lr|rd parly verdor lral co||ecls |rlorral|or aooul
corlraclors, serv|ce prov|ders, ard doclors. Trose oe|rg eva|ualed oy
lre|r cuslorers do rol pay lo oe or lre ||sl. 3|r||ar|y, lre dala co||ecl|or
lor lre ||sl |s slardard|zed ard lrere are ro aroryrous rev|eWs.
lncreuslng shorLLerm roLs by curefully evuluuLlng

und selecLlng LLLL credlL ureus LhuL wlll huve Lhe
muxlmum reLurn Lhey muy ulso nd reudy nunclul
urgumenLs Lo uvold green bulldlng rucLlces due Lo
Lhe burden ussocluLed wlLh leurnlng someLhlng new
Balancing Short- and Long-term Interests
Accordlng Lo Lungdon Muny ro|ecLs ure uchlevlng
LLLL cerLlcuLlon wlLhln Lhelr budgeLs und ln Lhe
sume cosL runge us nonLLLL ro|ecLs Lungdon
CosLs ure reluLed Lo buL seuruLe from
beneLs Muny beneLs derlved from green bulldlng
rucLlces do noL ueur on shorLLerm ledgers buL
develoers und owners muy be uble Lo reullze Lhem
durlng Lhe llfeLlme of Lhe home or commerclul
bulldlng
WhuL Lhe Lrend Lowurd longLerm gulns from green
bulldlng does suggesL ls LhuL Lhose oeruLlng
bulldlngs over Lhe long Lerm cun execL Lo see
greuLer gulns 1ylcully Lhese Lyes of owners
federul sLuLe und locul governmenLs us well us
oLher longllved lnsLlLuLlons muy see Lhe greuLesL
reLurn on lnvesLmenL Also develoers relylng on
shorLLerm sules models cun ucLlvely murkeL such
beneLs Lo oLenLlul owners owners who muy be
very lnLeresLed ln longLerm oeruLlng e clencles
once Lhey ure mude uwure of Lhem Lo hel oseL
uny uddlLlonul rsL cosLs
lrom unoLher ersecLlve Lungdon suggesLs LhuL
ln muny ureus of Lhe counLry Lhe conLrucLlng
communlLy hus embruced susLulnuble deslgn und
no longer sees susLulnuble deslgn requlremenLs
us uddlLlonul burdens Lo be rlced ln Lhelr blds
Lungdon
Building Performance
A key reuson LhuL ro|ecL ersonnel udoL LLLL
sLundurds und ursue LLLL cerLlcuLlon ls Lo
reullze oLenLlul energy suvlngs ln Lhe bulldlngs
duyLoduy oeruLlonul cosLs Whlle lL ueurs LhuL
green bulldlng rucLlces do lndeed rovlde some
energy conservuLlon suvlngs Lhe cuse LhuL LLLL
cerLlcuLlon dlrecLly correluLes wlLh energy suvlngs
ls noL yeL wuLerLlghL
ln fucL ucLuul energy suvlngs ln some LLLLcerLled
bulldlngs huve been dlsuolnLlng 1hls muy be due
ln urL Lo Lhe nuLure of LLLL cerLlcuLlon lLself
Some bulldlng deslgners ursue LLLL cerLlcuLlon
seclcully Lo guln muxlmum energy suvlngs
However lL ls feuslble for ro|ecL ersonnel Lo
deemhuslze Lhe ursulL of energy e clency und
guln LLLL cerLlcuLlon by lnsLeud emhuslzlng
Lhe ursulL of credlLs ln slLe selecLlon wuLer use or
oLher ureus 1huL suld even when bullders do seek
Lo uchleve lncreused energy e clencles ln Lhelr
bulldlngs Lhey muy noL ulwuys reuch lnLended
conservuLlon levels 1o sLudy Lhls lssue Lhe USC8C
hus sLurLed Lo requlre ull new LLLL bulldlngs Lo
collecL oeruLlng duLu ufLer consLrucLlon ln un
eorL Lo connecL Lhe unLlcluLed e clencles Lo Lhe
bulldlngs duyLoduy oeruLlonul cosLs ln shorL
whlle Lhere ls some solld evldence LhuL Lhose green
bulldlng ro|ecLs LhuL lnclude u focus on energy
e clency do rovlde energy suvlngs reseurchers
conLlnue Lo guLher evldence
Human Performance
A develoer who cun reullze uL leusL u mlnlmul
nunclul guln muy nd uddlLlonul lncenLlves Lo
ursue green bulldlng deslgn und develomenL by
exumlnlng exLernullzed cosLs LhuL ure LrudlLlonully
overlooked WhuL ure some of Lhe reul cosLs of noL
lncludlng green bulldlng sLruLegles lnLo Lhe deslgn
of fuLure bulldlngs on Lhe eole who work ln Lhose
bulldlngs And whuL cun Lhe develoer udherlng Lo
u shorLLerm sules model do Lo druw uLLenLlon Lo
Lhese beneLs ln u wuy LhuL oseLs rsL cosLs lL ls
cerLulnly feuslble Lo romoLe Lhe greuLer good of
your communlLy whlle mulnLulnlng roLublllLy
WuLson usserLs LhuL Lhe consLrucLlon
und oeruLlon of bulldlngs requlres more energy
Lhun uny oLher humun ucLlvlLy 1he lnLernuLlonul
Lnergy Agency esLlmuLed ln LhuL bulldlngs
used ercenL of rlmury energy consumed
globully uccounLlng for neurly u quurLer of Lhe
worlds greenhouse gus emlsslons ln uddlLlon Lo
cosL und beneL comurlsons und energy suvlngs
reluLed Lo bulldlng erformunce green bulldlng
hus oLher dlrecL und lndlrecL economlc beneLs
lncludlng occuunL suLlsfucLlon und lmrovemenLs
ln emloyee roducLlvlLy erformunce und
reLenLlon 8ude Sulurles reresenL
While green
building
projects
that include
a focus
on energy
ef ciency
do provide
energy
savings,
researchers
continue to
gather the
evidence.
Lo u leuslng orgunlzuLlons boLLom llne
Lhrough reduced emloyee lllness und greuLer
roducLlvlLy 1he longLerm nunclul beneL cun
be murkeLed Lo consumers of green bulldlng
suce us u wuy Lo lncreuse Lhe remlum of green
bulldlng urchuses und leuses
lL muy be roLuble Lo focus on Lhe ruld
reLurns on lnvesLmenL LhuL cun be reullzed from
energy und wuLer eclency meusures ln green
bulldlngs whlch cun evenLuully exceed uny
uddlLlonul ufronL cosLs for green deslgn und
consLrucLlon us well us whuL feuLures Lo look
for ln green roerLles Lo uchleve Lhese gouls
1hls lnformuLlon muy be urLlculurly eecLlve
for Lhose consumers lnLenL on urchuslng or
leuslng bulldlng suce for longer erlods
of Llme
Some secondury beneL mlghL be gulned from
romoLlng Lhe urchuse leuse or renLlng of
green bulldlngs for reusons of u conLrlbuLlon
Lo greuLer soclul resonslblllLy ln Lhe form of
lmroved quullLy of llfe for Lhe communlLy und
lLs resldenLs
8y worklng ln Lundem clLles Lhe consLrucLlon
lndusLry und reul esLuLe ussocluLlons muy be
uble Lo creuLe enough murkeL demund Lo begln
overcomlng Lhe neguLlve lnerLlu cuused by Lhe
oor economy und begln Lo develo u crlLlcul
muss of demund for green bulldlngs ucross
murkeL secLors
lL muy ulso be useful Lo work wlLh locul reglonul
und even nuLlonul reul esLuLe ussocluLlons Lo
lnclude green bulldlng feuLures us seurch crlLerlu
on Lhe mulLlle llsLlng servlce MLS Lhrough
whlch consumers seurch for roerLy LhuL meeL
Lhelr crlLerlu lnLervlews reveuled Lhls Lo be
romlslng rucLlce ln PorLlund Oregon
Policies and Processes to Support
Financial Payback
As Yudelson suggesLs clLles counLles
und MSAs should work wlLh consLrucLlon lndusLry
members boLh lndlvlduully und ln concerL wlLh
rofesslonul ussocluLlons Lo creuLe ollcles und
rocesses LhuL hel rovlde nunclul lncenLlves Lo
udoL green bulldlng rucLlces Any such ollcles
should lnclude Lhe deLulled lnuL of consLrucLlon
lndusLry members Lo lncreuse Lhelr ucceLunce und
buyln lnLervlews reveuled such ollcles
mlghL lnclude buL would noL be llmlLed Lo
lusL 1rucklng lusL Lrucklng ermlLs for green
bulldlng rucLlces lnLervlews
lncenLlves for New ConsLrucLlon ClLles und
uLlllLles mlghL rovlde lncenLlves Lo develoers
who bulld Lhe lnfrusLrucLure Lo suorL Lhe luLer
uddlLlon of renewuble energy wuLer suvlng
und oLher green nunclully beneclul bulldlng
feuLures lnLo Lhelr new bulldlngs
lncenLlves for Lhe PurchuseLeuse of Creen
8ulldlngs ClLles mlghL conslder rovldlng
nunclul lncenLlves Lo consumers who urchuse
green bulldlngs when Lhose bulldlngs resulL ln u
decreused loud on uLlllLles und oLher munlclul
resources 1hls Lye of lncenLlve muy ulso be
beneclul Lo creuLlng u synerglsLlc demund
Lhrough murkeLlng eorLs
lncenLlves for ReLroLs ClLles und uLlllLles mlghL
rovlde lncenLlves Lo consumers who reLroL
exlsLlng bulldlngs wlLh renewuble energy
usslve energy suvlng sLruLegles wuLer suvlng
und oLher green feuLures LhuL resulL ln reduced
resource use 1hls Lye of lncenLlve muy ulso
be beneclul Lo creuLlng u synerglsLlc demund
Provlde SuorL for LLLL Pro|ecLs ClLles
mlghL conslder rovldlng LLLL uccredlLed
rofesslonuls on Lhelr own sLu Lo rovlde
suorL Lo consLrucLlon lndusLry members Lo
reduce Lhe cosLs ussocluLed wlLh Lhe
lnlLlul leurnlng curve on green bulldlngs
uddlLlonul cosLly uerwork loud
ldenLlcuLlon und lunnlng for Lhe mosL
murkeLuble green bulldlng feuLures
Information, Demonstrations, and
Training
Work wlLh consLrucLlon lndusLry ussocluLlons Lo
lun develo und dellver
ConsLrucLlon ProcessProcedure lnformuLlon
Seclc und LurgeLed lnformuLlon on Lhe
beneLs of green bulldlng Lo dlrecLly meeLlng
Lhe needs of consLrucLlon lndusLry members
MurkeLlng lnformuLlon lnformuLlon und
osslbly Lrulnlng for dlrecLly meeLlng Lhe
needs of members of Lhe reul esLuLe lndusLry
on oLenLlul feuLures und nunclul heulLh und
soclul resonslblllLy beneLs of green bulldlngs
1hls oLlon would need un lndeendenL
rofesslonul needs ussessmenL Lo verlfy boLh lLs
feuslblllLy und deslrublllLy
Professlonul LemonsLruLlons Professlonul
demonsLruLlons of green bulldlng Lechnlques us
requesLed by consLrucLlon lndusLry members
1hese demonsLruLlons should be drlven dlrecLly
Next Steps
uroxlmuLely ercenL of Lhe money ow

Lhrough u bulldlng Lhe resL belng umorLlzed
consLrucLlon cosLs oeruLlons und mulnLenunce
lncludlng uLlllLles WuLson Whlle
develoers Lylcully huve less of u sLuke ln emloyee
roducLlvlLy wlLhln u bulldlng Lhls suggesLs u
owerful murkeLlng olnL develoers cun muke wlLh
oLenLlul bulldlng owners Lo recou bulldlng cosLs
by lncreuslng Lhe vulue of Lhelr bulldlng
1here ls reluLlvely sLrong evldence LhuL bulldlng
churucLerlsLlcs und lndoor envlronmenLs
slgnlcunLly lnuence Lhe occurrence of
communlcuble reslruLory lllness ullergy und
usLhmu symLoms slck bulldlng symLoms und
worker erformunce SmlLh reorLs
An lncreuse of ercenL ln roducLlvlLy meusured
by roducLlon ruLe roducLlon quullLy or
ubsenLeelsm cun rovlde suvlngs Lo u fuclllLy LhuL
exceeds lLs enLlre energy blll lL ls eusy Lo see why
Lhls ls Lhe cuse by comurlng Lhe reluLlve oeruLlng
cosLs for commerclul buslness On uveruge
unnuullzed cosLs for ersonnel umounL Lo er
squure fooL comured wlLh er squure fooL for
brlcks und morLur und er squure fooL for energy
A modesL lnvesLmenL ln sofL feuLures such us
uccess Lo leusunL vlews lncreused duyllghL fresh
ulr und ersonul envlronmenL conLrols cun qulckly
LrunsluLe lnLo slgnlcunL boLLomllne suvlngs
1heoreLlcul und llmlLed emlrlcul evldence lndlcuLe
LhuL exlsLlng Lechnologles und rocedures cun
lmrove lndoor envlronmenLs ln u munner LhuL
lncreuses heulLh und roducLlvlLy Avulluble
exlsLlng reseurch ullows only rough esLlmuLes
of Lhe mugnlLude of roducLlvlLy gulns LhuL
oeruLors mlghL reullze by rovldlng beLLer
lndoor envlronmenLs However us llsk
suys Lhe ro|ecLed gulns ure very lurge lor Lhe
UnlLed SLuLes Lhe esLlmuLed oLenLlul unnuul
suvlngs lus roducLlvlLy gulns ln dollurs
ure uroxlmuLely bllllon Lo bllllon 1he
oLenLlul suvlngs und roducLlvlLy gulns ure lurger
Lhun Lhe LoLul esLlmuLed cosL of energy used ln
bulldlngs lor Lhe UnlLed SLuLes Lhe esLlmuLed
oLenLlul unnuul suvlngs und roducLlvlLy gulns ure
Lo bllllon from reduced reslruLory dlseuse
Lo bllllon from reduced ullergles und usLhmu
Lo bllllon from reduced slck bulldlng
syndrome symLoms und Lo bllllon from
dlrecL lmrovemenLs ln worker erformunce LhuL
ure unreluLed Lo heulLh
1udlLh Heerwugon ln u sLudy she conducLed ln
suggesLed LhuL green bulldlngs cun rovlde
boLh cosL reducLlon beneLs und vulue udded
beneLs 1he emhusls Lo duLe however hus been
on cosLs ruLher Lhun on beneLs 1he need for
more duLu on vulue udded beneLs underscores Lhe
lmorLunce of sLudles LhuL focus on Lhese humun
und orgunlzuLlonul fucLors She goes on Lo suy
lL ls ulso lmorLunL Lo recognlze LhuL Lhe beneLs
of green bulldlngs ure more llkely Lo occur when
Lhe bulldlng und orgunlzuLlon ure LreuLed us un
lnLegruLed sysLem from Lhe sLurL As olnLed ouL by
Cole lL ls enLlrely osslble Lo huve u green
bulldlng wlLh gruy occuunLs due Lo u luck of
sysLems lnLegruLlon und luck of Lrulnlng on how
Lo use Lhe Lechnologles ln Lhe mosL e clenL und
eecLlve wuy Cruy occuunLs ure ulso more llkely
Lo be found ln bulldlngs LhuL green lndlvlduul
sysLems ruLher Lhun Lhe envlronmenL us u whole
or ln bulldlngs whlch focus rlmurlly on Lechnology
Lo Lhe excluslon of bulldlng feuLures LhuL wleld
Lhelr eecLs Lhrough soclul und sychologlcul
mechunlsms And nully lL ls osslble for gruy
orgunlzuLlons Lo exlsL ln green bulldlngs Lhereby
usslng u slgnlcunL oorLunlLles for hlghlevel
beneLs resulLlng from resource e clency und
rocess lnnovuLlon LhroughouL Lhe orgunlzuLlon
Heerwugon
Whlle some of Lhe lmllcuLlons on bulldlng energy
e clency us u resulL of Lhe growlng knowledge
ubouL roducLlvlLy gulns from beLLer lndoor
envlronmenLs ure uncerLuln one mlghL suose
LhuL quunLled und demonsLruLed roducLlvlLy
gulns could sur Lhe develomenL of energy
e clency meusures LhuL huve u oslLlve lmucL on
humun erformunce
A UnlverslLy of Cullfornlu sLudy suggesLs LhuL Lhe
greuLesL lnlLlul culLul exenses on green ro|ecLs
reluLe Lo uchlevlng hlgher levels of energy e clency
und wuLer conservuLlon LxLernul cosLs ussocluLed
wlLh cerLlcuLlon sysLems mosL noLubly hlgh
consulLlng fees ulso udd slgnlcunLly Lo overull
ro|ecL cosLs 1hese ure cosLs LhuL Lhe develoer
normully shoulders so lL should be llLLle surrlse
LhuL develoers reslsL Lhese udded cosLs However
us ulreudy esLubllshed some of Lhe greuLesL gulns
from green bulldlng come Lhrough lncreused
emloyee roducLlvlLy und Lhose gulns ure reullzed
There is relatively
strong evidence
that building
characteristics
and indoor
environments
signifcantly
infuence the
occurrence of
communicable
respiratory
illness, allergy
and asthma
symptoms,
sick building
symptoms,
and worker
performance.
1he recommenduLlons full lnLo four broud
cuLegorles
MurkeLlng Lo Lhe ubllc Lo lncreuse demund
Pollcles und rocesses for develoers Lo suorL
nunclul uybuck
enuble greenbulldlng rucLlces
LLLL cerLlcuLlon Lo conLlnue green bulldlng
rucLlces
recommenduLlons fulls rlmurlly on Lhe clLles
success ln meeLlng green bulldlng gouls wlll only
be reullzed by ubllcrlvuLe urLnershls ln
Lerms of Lhe wllllngness of boLh grous Lo Luke
some lnlLluLlve Lo udvunce green bulldlng ln our
communlLles 1he nexL sLes ln Lhls secLlon ure
lnLended Lo hel clLles counLles uLlllLles MSAs
develoers bulldlng owners urchlLecLs und oLher
consLrucLlon lndusLry members romoLe green
bulldlng ln generul und ln wuys LhuL ure beneclul
Lo ull lnvolved
Marketing to the Public
8oLh clLles und consLrucLlon lndusLry members
llsLed Lhe creuLlon of uddlLlonul murkeLlng eorLs
resumubly Lo generuLe uddlLlonul consumer
demund us someLhlng LhuL could drlve Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng One recommenduLlon
Lhen ls LhuL clLles uLlllLles und consLrucLlon
lndusLry members should work wlLh exlsLlng
neLworks ln consLrucLlon lndusLry ussocluLlons und
reul esLuLe ussocluLlons Lo murkeL green bulldlngs of
ull Lyes Lo oLenLlul governmenL commerclul non
roL und resldenLlul consumers Whlle Lhls sLudy
dld noL exumlne consumer vlews on green bulldlng
Lhe llLeruLure on Lhe dluslon of lnnovuLlons
suggesLs
8ulldlngs LhuL comly wlLh lndoor envlronmenLul
quullLy sLundurds und guldellnes LhuL ure urL
of mosL green bulldlng ruLlng sysLems Lend
Lo rovlde heulLhler occuunL envlronmenLs
und Lhese heulLh beneLs cun udd dlrecLly
Next Steps
Based on the gaps and similarities in perspectives and capacities of cities
and construction industry members discovered in this study, several
best practices are identifed that may be appropriate strategies for
communities in the Pacifc Northwest.
noL by develoers buL by Lhe bulldlngs LenunLs

1hls suggesLs LhuL when murkeLlng Lhose bulldlngs
Lo oLenLlul LenunLs develoers und owners cun
seL u remlum on lndoor envlronmenLs deslgned Lo
lncreuse roducLlvlLy 1he resulL would oLenLlully
be u wlnwlnwln slLuuLlon umong develoers
who muy be uble Lo reullze remlums from green
bulldlngs owners collecLlng lncreused revenues
for leused suce und LenunLs gulnlng lncreused
e clency und roducLlvlLy resulLlng ln u slgnlcunL
lmucL on Lhelr orgunlzuLlons boLLom llne
8ulldlng sLukeholders ure lncreuslngly recognlzlng
Lhe myrlud beneLs of green bulldlngs beyond
energy cosL suvlngs ln urLlculur Lhls Lrend ueurs
Lo be drlvlng some of Lhe exonenLlul growLh ln Lhe
green bulldlng lndusLry ln Cunudu 1here ls currenLly
u sLrong buslness cuse for green bulldlng ln Cunudu
LhuL emhuslzes u more hollsLlc longerLerm
vlew of reul bulldlng cosLs Leveloers cun furLher
sLrengLhen Lhls buslness cuse Lhrough focused
collecLlon of evldence on Lhe beneLs of Lhelr
bulldlngs und educuLlng bulldlng sLukeholders ubouL
roducLlvlLy cosLs Lhey muy noL be conslderlng lor
exumle
Cood duyllghLlng muy lncreuse roducLlvlLy by
ercenL reLull sules by ercenL und school
LesL scores by ve ercenL
lncreused venLlluLlon muy lncreuse roducLlvlLy
by four Lo ercenL
8eLLer quullLy venLlluLlon cun reduce slckness by
nlne Lo ercenL
lncreused venLlluLlon conLrol muy lncreuse
roducLlvlLy by us much us Lo ercenL
lrom u humun erformunce sLundolnL green
bulldlngs cun oer numerous unlque beneLs when
comured Lo convenLlonul bulldlngs und Lhere ure
sLrong lndlcuLlons LhuL Lhese beneLs subsLunLlully
ouLwelgh Lhe reluLlvely smull lncreuse
ln consLrucLlon cosLs
Performance
Measurement
Much of Lhe debuLe over Lhe move
Lowurd green bulldlng rucLlces hus Lo
do wlLh develolng u seL of sLundurd
bulldlng erformunce meusures
und when Lo begln meusuremenL
One reorL concludes LhuL uddlng
susLulnuble bulldlng meusures ufLer Lhe deslgn
dlrecLlon of Lhe ro|ecL hus been esLubllshed ls
Lylcully fur more exenslve Lhun lncororuLlng Lhem
from Lhe ouLseL 8ude
8lrL und Newshum conclude LhuL eurly
generuLlons of greencerLled lncludlng buL noL
llmlLed Lo LLLL commerclul bulldlngs now huve
severul yeurs of occuuncy behlnd Lhem und enuble
us Lo exumlne lf Lhey ure llvlng u Lo execLuLlons
1helr uer revlews severul of Lhe osLoccuuncy
evuluuLlons LhuL reseurchers huve erformed
1he roblem Lhey run lnLo wus LhuL only u llmlLed
number of such evuluuLlons were uvulluble ln Lhe
ubllc domuln 1hls uccess roblem mude lL more
dl culL Lo druw solld concluslons However Lhey
Lell us LhuL Lrends suggesL LhuL green bulldlngs
on uveruge seem Lo be dellverlng reduced energy
use however u lurge sreud ln erformunce ls
ofLen observed meunlng LhuL lndlvlduul bulldlngs
do noL ulwuys erform us execLed OccuunL
suLlsfucLlon wlLh some usecLs of Lhe lndoor
envlronmenL ueurs Lo huve lmroved comured
Lo convenLlonul bulldlngs buL Lhere ure ureus where
execLed lmrovemenL Lrends ure noL reullzed
Progress in Adopting LEED
Standards
When evuluuLlng LLLL sLundurds udoLlon lL
ls worLhwhlle Lo exumlne wheLher ro|ecLs LhuL
seek LLLL cerLlcuLlon ure ucLuully successful ln
uchlevlng cerLlcuLlon
As of ubouL slx ercenL of new commerclul
consLrucLlon ro|ecLs ulled for LLLL cerLlcuLlon
Of Lhese ullcunLs only ercenL ulLlmuLely
guln cerLlcuLlon WuLson Some
ro|ecLs uurenLly uly for cerLlcuLlon ln order
Lo guln uccess Lo lncenLlves such us fusL Lrucklng
on ermlLs wlLhouL uny reul lnLenLlon of followlng
Lhrough wlLh cerLlcuLlon OLhers muy lnLend
Lo follow Lhrough wlLh cerLlcuLlon buL run lnLo
obsLucles und never uchleve nul urovul 1hough
Lhe hlgh uLLrlLlon ruLe ls dlscouruglng lL ls lmorLunL
Lo kee ln mlnd LhuL Lhe lnlLlul slx ercenL gure
looks only uL ro|ecLs seclcully ursulng LLLL
cerLlcuLlon 1he gure does noL encomuss
ro|ecLs whose ersonnel ursue oLher energy
cerLlcuLlon nor Lhose who use green bulldlng
rucLlces buL for vurlous reusons choose Lo uvold
cerLlcuLlon ulLogeLher
. . . adding
sustainable
building measures
after the design
direction of the
project has been
established is
typically far more
expensive than
incorporating
them from the
outset
or ure lnsu clenL ln Lye or quunLlLy Lo moLlvuLe

Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry As u resulL consLrucLlon
lndusLry members muy sLlll vlew udoLlon of green
bulldlng rucLlces us u rogresslve move on Lhelr
urL LhuL rovldes heulLh und soclul beneLs lor
Lhose develoers bulldlng green wlLhouL uddlLlonul
lnducemenLs muy be seen us Lhe rlghL Lhlng Lo
do und cun meeL Lhe currenL demund for green
bulldlngs by seclc segmenLs of Lhe murkeL YeL
lf suly does noL kee u wlLh currenL demund
Lhere muy be u need for uddlLlonul or more robusL
nunclul lncenLlves Lo lncreuse Lhe number of green
bulldlngs unLll Lhere ls un overull lncreuse ln demund
UlLlmuLely Lhls meuns Lhere ls more Lhun one wuy
Lo uLLrucL demund for green bulldlng from boLh
u develoers und u communlLys ersecLlve ln
communlLles where Lhere ure resources LhuL cun hel
guurunLee more green bulldlngs nunclul lncenLlves
muy be Lhe qulckesL mosL dlrecL wuy Lo uchleve
green bulldlng gouls However ln communlLles
where few nunclul lncenLlves exlsL one wuy Lo
fosLer green bulldlng ls Lo hel develoers sreud
Lhe word of Lhelr vulue Lo lndlvlduuls ln Lerms of
heulLh und envlronmenLul gouls Lo husLen Lhe
murkeL LrunsformuLlon for greuLer demund ln green
bulldlngs Cleurly communlLles LhuL cun uord
Lo rovlde lncenLlves or huve munduLes for green
bulldlngs could ulso beneL from generul educuLlon
und romoLlon of Lhe beneLs of green bulldlng us
well
Conslderlng boLh ndlngs from Lhe surveys ln
comblnuLlon wlLh Lhe focus grou duLu boLh
educuLlon und nunclul lncenLlves cun luy u key
role ln meeLlng green bulldlngs gouls 1ubles und
hlghllghL Lhe develoers ersecLlve of Luklng u
longLerm vlew of green bulldlng runklng consumer
deslremurkeL demund luck of educuLlon und
consumer educuLlon us very lmorLunL elLher rsL
or second on Lhelr llsL und clLy rofesslonuls ln 1uble
runked educuLlon us Lhe Lo Lool for encouruglng
green bulldlng AL Lhe sume Llme 1ubles und
suggesL develoers runked reduced fees und
reLurn on lnvesLmenL us Lhelr No lncenLlve und
cerLlcuLlon cosLs Lhelr Lo burrler ln 1ubles und
clLles equully noLe Lhe lmorLunce of cosL beneLs
und lncenLlves LhuL cun lower cosLs for develoers
less dlrecLly Lhun reduced fees such us exedlLed
urovul rocesses und denslLy bonuses und
uwureness of Lhe ufronL cosLs und Lhe economys
oLenLlul eecL on encouruglng green bulldlng
llnunclul lncenLlves ure ln Lheory u shorLLerm
Lool for romoLlng green bulldlng becuuse boLh
develoers und clLles reullze Lhe vulue of green
bulldlng buL undersLund u murkeL lLem cunnoL und
should noL be subsldlzed for longLerm susLulnublllLy
ln Lhe end lncreuslng consumer demund ls Lhe only
sure wuy Lo guurunLee reLurn on Lhe lnvesLmenL
AlLhough clLles muy recognlze LhuL subsldles ure
noL feuslble for longLerm susLulnublllLy clLles
ulso ure moLlvuLed Lo use nunclul lncenLlves Lo
geL Lhe bull rolllng becuuse of ollLlcul necesslLy
Lo meeL communlLy needs und rlorlLles All Lhe
whlle clLles demonsLruLe Lhey vulue Lhe lmorLunce
und role of educuLlon for ull sLukeholders for Lhe
urose of meeLlng longLerm gouls ConsLrucLlon
rofesslonuls ulso huve u role Lo luy ln murkeLlng
und educuLlon und demonsLruLe LhuL Lhey Loo
recognlze lLs vulue for longLerm susLulnublllLy ln
Lhe murkeL luce
Perhus noL us sullenL Lo Lhe overull ouLcomes buL
sLlll noLeworLhy ls Lhe dlscreuncy beLween Lhe
locul governmenL resondenLs und Lhe consLrucLlon
rofesslonuls ln Lhelr resecLlve bellef of Lhe
develomenL communlLys uwureness of green
bulldlng Regurdlng consLrucLlon rofesslonul
uwureness clLles und counLles Lend Lo underesLlmuLe
Lhe number of consLrucLlon rofesslonuls who
ure Lrylng ouL und uslng green bulldlng rucLlces
ClLy esLlmuLes lndlcuLe LhuL only ercenL of
consLrucLlon rofesslonuls ure Lrylng ouL und uslng
green bulldlng rucLlces us comured Lo Lhe
ercenL reorLed by consLrucLlon rofesslonuls
Lhemselves AlLhough Lhe MSAs reorL much
more use und exerlmenLuLlon Lhun Lhe
resondenL duLu from consLrucLlon rofesslonuls
ln Lhe Puclc NorLhwesL lL ls dl culL Lo generullze
Lhe resonse from Lhe Puclc NorLhwesL Lo ull
MSAs 1he dlerences beLween locul governmenL
und consLrucLlon rofesslonuls ure noLeworLhy
becuuse Lhey suggesL Lhe crlLlcul muss necessury
Lo meeL u murkeL LrunsformuLlon ln green bulldlng
ln Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry ls furLher ulong Lhun
unLlcluLed by clLles AddlLlonully survey duLu
reveul u full ercenL ulso ueur olsed Lo move
Lo Lhe nexL sLuges of Lrylng ouL und uslng green
bulldlng Lechnlques ln Lhe end Lhe slmllurlLles
gus und dlerences beLween Lhe develoers und
locul governmenL ersecLlves und cuuclLy for green
bulldlng hel ldenLlfy some key nexL sLes a
Research Methods and Findings
In the end,
increasing
consumer
demand is the
only sure way to
guarantee the
return on the
investment.
Community and Developer Incentives

Whlch green bulldlng lncenLlves huve roven mosL
eecLlve 1he llsL of oLenLlul lncenLlves cun be long
buL Lhere ure u few LhuL seem Lo huve beLLer Lruck
records Lhun oLhers SuggesLed lncenLlves for clLles
Lo romoLe green bulldlng rucLlces umong Lhe
develomenL communlLy lnclude oerlng WuLson
Lower uLlllLy connecLlon fees

AcceleruLed ermlL urovul
LenslLy bonuses
Curbon rlclng
lmroved bulldlng codes
ConsLrucLlon worker Lrulnlng
rogrums
MurkeL educuLlon
However Yudelsons survey
reseurch concluded LhuL develoers
ure uwure of Lhese lncenLlves buL
donL ulwuys use Lhem One reuson
ls LhuL Lhe Llmlng of develomenL
declslons und Lhe resonse Llme of
locul governmenL donL ulwuys mesh
LogeLher lrom Lhe develoers olnL
of vlew money ls lmorLunL ln Lhe form
of Lux reducLlons buL equully or more
lmorLunL ure
A fusLer Llme Lo murkeL
More cerLulnLy ln Lhe develomenL
urovul rocess
AddlLlonul exlblllLy Lo udd more
suce lf murkeL condlLlons wurrunL
Yudelson
lurLhermore ercenL of resondenLs

suld locul governmenL lncenLlves ure
necessury Lo ucceleruLe green bulldlng
develomenL 1o muke Lhese lncenLlves
us eecLlve us osslble governmenLs
should lnvolve Lhe develoers ln
Lhe dlscusslon ubouL lncenLlve
develomenL Yudelson olnLs ouL LhuL
Lhls ls lmorLunL due Lo Lhe dlverglng
moLlvuLlons umong Lhe develomenL
communlLy lor exumle
ArchlLecLs clLed murkeLlnggood ubllclLy us Lhe
mosL slgnlcunL reuson Lo bulld green
Leveloers clLed denslLy bonuses us Lhe mosL
slgnlcunL reuson
A Summary of What the
Research Tells Us
1he reseurch oers severul concluslons for
governmenLs und Lhe develomenL communlLy us
summurlzed ln Lhe Luble below a
Table 1: Summary of Main Points from Reviewed Research
3
Trese |lers Were rol |r a ou||eled ||sl |r lre source
docurerl oul are d|sp|ayed |r ou||els rere lor ad-
d|l|ora| c|ar|ly.
roblems buL lnsLeud muy be wulLlng for Lhe

rlghL Lools und lnformuLlon Lo sLurL Lhls roblem
solvlng rocess 1he key Lo Lhls comes ln Lhe form
of welldeslgned Lools und lnformuLlon AdoLlng
u usercenLered urouch LhuL ldenLles seclc
user needs wlll hel reduce und mlnlmlze Lhe
osslblllLy of user re|ecLlon uL Lhe luLer sLuges of
lmlemenLuLlon Accordlng Lo Rogers u slgnlcunL
orLlon of lnnovuLlons full uL Lhe lmlemenLuLlon
use sLuge becuuse Lhey were noL deslgned bused
on Lhe needs of Lhe end user Creen bulldlng
rucLlLloners LhuL ure mosL successful Lend Lo use un
lnLegruLed deslgn urouch where key sLukeholders
usuully Lhose who mosL qulckly udoL someLhlng
new ure broughL ln durlng Lhe eurly sLuges of
Lhe deslgn 1hese eole ure hlghly moLlvuLed Lo
urLlcluLe und ensure LhuL Lhe deslgn wlll besL
serve Lhelr eers becuuse u good deul of Lhelr
rofesslonul und ersonul reuLuLlon ls deendenL
on Lhe success of Lhe lnnovuLlon ln oLher words
lf Lhose who choose Lo udoL green bulldlng und
LLLL cerLlcuLlon cun show Lhe rocesses Lo be
subsLunLlve und meunlngful Lhen us u resulL Lhey
look good whlch rulses Lhelr ublllLy Lo furLher
lnuence oLhers wlLhln Lhelr soclul neLwork
Rogers suggesLs LhuL eole wlLh u hlgher
level of uwurd moblllLy ure more llkely Lo be
lnnovuLors und wlll Lherefore be qulcker Lo udoL
someLhlng new Assumlng LhuL Lhe resondenLs ure
reusonubly reresenLuLlve of Lhe lurger ouluLlon
we cun ro|ecL LhuL enough rofesslonuls ln Lhe
lndusLry ure oen und lnLeresLed ln develolng Lhelr
sklll seL Lo |usLlfy lnvesLlng ln u comrehenslve seL of
suorLlve resources und Lools However uddlLlonul
reseurch would need Lo be conducLed before Lhls
ussumLlon cun be vullduLed Clven Lhe uvulluble
duLu u ouluLlon LhuL Ls Lhe demogruhlc role
wlll be su clenLly lnnovuLlve so LhuL un lnvesLmenL
ln develolng resources und Lools for Lhem would
be worLhwhlle ln buslness Lerms Lhls would be u
culculuLed rlsk well worLh Luklng
1hls lncome role lndlcuLes LhuL more Lhun hulf
of Lhe resondenLs full ln Lhe mlddle Lo uer
mlddle lncome bruckeLs Rogers olnLs Lo Lhe
uvullublllLy of muLerlul resources us belng u sLrong
lndlcuLor of lnnovuLlveness 1huL ls Lhe more
muLerlul resources you huve Lhe less rlsk uverse
you ure becuuse Lhe consequences of fullure wlll
noL lmucL you us much us Lhey would someone
wlLh fewer resources
Local Government and
Construction Industry
Members Survey
Conclusions
Perhus Lhe mosL noLuble ndlngs ure evldenL
when conslderlng Lhe lnformuLlon ln boLh Lhe
locul governmenL surveys und Lhe consLrucLlon
rofesslonul duLu 1here ls u generul consensus by
clLles counLles MSAs und consLrucLlon lndusLry
members LhuL reul und ercelved cosLs us well us
cosLs Lo reLroL und Lhe bud economy ure sullenL
burrlers Lo green bulldlng ln generul und LLLL
cerLlcuLlon seclcully
An uddlLlonul burrler Lo more wldesreud udoLlon
of LLLL cerLlcuLlon by boLh communlLles und
consLrucLlon rofesslonuls ls Lhe uerwork
loud und ln Lhe cuse of MSAs Lhe comlexlLy of
cerLlcuLlon 1here ueurs Lo be u slgnlcunL
dlsconnecL beLween clLles counLles und MSAs
comured Lo Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry members
ubouL Lhe lncenLlves LhuL romoLe green bulldlng
1he only fucLors LhuL boLh grous ugree on were
Lhe nunclul uybuck und murkeLublllLy of green
bulldlng lL ls ulso noLeworLhy LhuL clLles generully
nd nunclul uybuck Lhe No lncenLlve und
runk murkeLublllLy fourLh whereus consLrucLlon
lndusLry members runk murkeLublllLy Lhlrd und
nunclul uybuck fLh ln Lerms of lncenLlves LhuL
encouruge LLLL cerLlcuLlon clLles und MSAs
ugree wlLh consLrucLlon lndusLry members only
on Lhe fucLor of murkeLublllLy whlle MSAs und
consLrucLlon lndusLry members ugree LhuL LLLL
cerLlcuLlon does udd brund vulue LeslLe Lhe
muLchus nunclul lncenLlves ure runked hlgher by
clLles und lower by consLrucLlon lndusLry members
1hls suggesLs LhuL clLles muy need Lo reLhlnk
Lhelr sLruLegles Perhus hlghllghLlng Lhe heulLh
und soclul resonslblllLy of green bulldlngs wlll
do more Lo udvunce green bulldlng Lhun nunclul
lncenLlves AddlLlonully Lhls evldence suggesLs LhuL
clLles currenL urouch of noL relylng on nunclul
lncenLlves buL ruLher low cosL lnducemenLs such us
ubllclLy demonsLruLlon ro|ecLs und educuLlon
ls un urorluLe sLruLegy ln Lhls wuy Lhey muy
hel fosLer Lhe murkeL LrunsformuLlon of demund
for green bulldlngs whlch ln Lurn lncreuses Lhe
llkellhood of u nunclul uybuck for u develoer
AlLernuLlvely one mlghL conclude lL muy be LhuL Lhe
nunclul lncenLlves oered Lo duLe ure noL known
Green
building
practitioners
who are most
successful
tend to use
an integrated
design
approach
Focus Groups
locus grous were conducLed ln 8olse lduho
wlLh Lwo key sLukeholder urLles clLy lunners
und ubllc works rofesslonul us well us bulldlng
develoers und owners 1he goul wus Lo exumlne
Lhe dlerences und commonullLles ln Lhe resonses
beLween Lhe focus grous wlLh Lhe ob|ecLlve of
evenLuully undersLundlng more ubouL Lhe lncenLlves
und burrlers Lo green bulldlng for boLh clLles und Lhe
develomenL communlLy
Focus Group Questions
locus grou urLlclunLs were usked Lo resond Lo
Lhe followlng quesLlons wlLhln Lhe conLexL of green
bulldlng rucLlces ln generul und Lhen for LLLL
cerLlcuLlon sLundurds seclcully
WhuL ure Lhe overull fucLors LhuL encouruge
green bulldlng
WhuL lncenLlves or lnformuLlon encouruge Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng
WhuL ure Lhe seclc burrlers Lo Lhe udoLlon of
green bulldlng rucLlces
WhuL Lools or suorL would encouruge you Lo
udoL green bulldlng rucLlces
Are Lhere uny oLher Lhlngs LhuL mlghL lmucL
Lhe udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces
Focus Group Methodology
An uduLuLlon of nomlnul grou Lechnlque ls used
us un ulLernuLlve Lo brulnsLormlng us our rocess
for collecLlng resonses Lo Lhe ubove oenended
quesLlons AL Lhe end of Lhe rocess Lhere ls u
rlorlLlzed llsL of soluLlons or recommenduLlons
Seclcully ufLer Lhe concluslon of euch focus
grou we LubuluLed Lhe resulLs of Lhe runklngs
uccordlng Lo Lhe followlng scheme
1he olnLs for euch fucLor were Lhen udded und
Lullled Lo come u wlLh Lhe nul runklng us shown ln
Lhe Lubles followlng
Focus Group Results
1o geL un lnlLlul lcLure of Lhe oLenLlul dlerences
und commonullLles of clLy rofesslonuls und
bulldlng develoers four focus grous were
conducLed Lhe rsL Lwo wlLh clLy lunners und
ubllc works ersonnel und Lhe second Lwo wlLh
develoers consLrucLlon lndusLry members und
urchlLecLs Luch Lye of sLukeholder hud Lwo
seuruLe focus grous Luch grou generuLed
Lhelr own ldeus und runklngs As u resulL Lhe ldeus
fucLors generuLed by Lhe seuruLe focus grous
for euch of Lhe quesLlons ofLen do noL muLch
exucLly Where Lhey dld muLch exucLly Lhe resulLs
were comblned Where Lhere wus uny slgnlcunL
dlerence le LducuLlon und Consumer
LducuLlon Lhey ure lefL seuruLe 1he followlng
Lubles show resonses Lo euch of Lhe quesLlons
llsLed rsL by hlghesL olnL vulue und second
where olnLs were equul ulhubeLlcully
City Projessiono/s Ouestion Whot ore the
overo// joctors thot encouroge green bui/ding
ClLy lunners und ubllc works rofesslonuls hud
u broud sreud of resonses on Lhls quesLlon us
lndlcuLed by Lhe muny lLems wlLh low score LoLuls
As u resulL Lhere were fewer fucLors LhuL sLood ouL
In conducting original research, focus groups and interviews were used to develop survey
questions that would provide empirical evidence to better sort out the barriers and
incentives that exist for green building and LEED initiatives.
To get an initial
picture of
the potential
diferences and
commonalities of
city professionals
and building
developers, four
focus groups
were conducted.
Table 2: Ranking Values for Focus Group Responses
resondenLs nd enough beneL Lo deslre greuLer

udoLlon
1hese lnformuLlon references comblned wlLh
eurller duLu on neLworklng Lend Lo lndlcuLe
LhuL u sLrong soclul neLwork exlsLs buL one LhuL
ls deendenL on ersonLoerson lnLerucLlon
boLh orully und ln wrlLLen communlcuLlon 1hls
ls suorLed by Lhe duLu LhuL mosL of Lhese
rofesslonuls huve subsLunLlve soclul conLucL wlLh
Lhelr eers wlLhln Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry 1he
lmllcuLlons for uslng soclul neLworklng Lools Lo
suorL Lhls lndusLry need Lo be consldered ln
Lerms of muxlmlzlng Lhe reexlsLlng neLworklng
sysLems ln oLher words Lhose udvocuLlng Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces should work
wlLh Lhe communlcuLlon und neLworklng Lools LhuL
ure ulreudy ln luce 1he lnLroducLlon of uny klnd
of new onllne soclul neLworklng Lool wlll Luke Llme
und u good deul of murkeLlng ln Lhe LrudlLlonul
sources such us Lrude |ournuls und newsuers
before Lhose new neLworklng Lools cun ussume
un lmorLunL role us boLh u source of lnformuLlon
und u communlcuLlon Lool 1he more cosL eecLlve
meLhod for LrunsmlLLlng lnformuLlon ubouL Lools
und resources comlng onllne for consLrucLlon
rofesslonuls would be Lo creuLe uwureness uslng
Lhe soclul und rofesslonul
orgunlzuLlons LhuL ulreudy
serve Lhe needs of Lhe
consLrucLlon lndusLrys
members
LormunL bullL on
Rogers work Lo roose
ve renumed sLuges LhuL
eole go Lhrough when
conslderlng Lhe udoLlon
of someLhlng new 1uble
Luch sLuge hus u corresondlng sLruLegy Lo
muxlmlze Lhe sLuges success WhuL Lhese resulLs
suggesL ls LhuL green bulldlng udvocuLes do noL
need Lo worry ubouL udverLlslng buL lnsLeud
cun focus Lhelr eorLs on rovldlng lnformuLlon
demonsLruLlons Lrulnlng und suorL Any
murkeLlng LhuL needs Lo occur cun be done uslng Lhe
reexlsLlng soclul neLworks wlLhln Lhe consLrucLlon
lndusLry duLu resenLed eurller ln Lhls reorL
suorLs Lhe noLlon LhuL Lhls murkeL ls llkely Lo
occur us u selfsusLulnlng vlrul cumulgn of erson
Loerson conLucLs However Lhls duLu emhuslzes
Lhe need for welldeslgned und robusL resources us
soclul neLworks ure equully qulck Lo sreud neguLlve
ussessmenLs us oslLlve
Neurly hulf of ull resondenLs lndlcuLe u deslre Lo
lnLroduce green bulldlng rucLlces on u ro|ecL
buL only one ouL of ve lndlcuLe LhuL Lhey huve
Lhe knowledge resources or suorL Lo be Lruly
eecLlve ln Lheory LhuL leuves u slgnlcunL orLlon
of consLrucLlon rofesslonuls us u vluble murkeL for
LlghLly LurgeLed Lrulnlng rogrums und resources
A breukdown of Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry members
by sLuge suggesLs Lhe followlng dlsLrlbuLlon ucross
Lhe sLuges of udoLlon
1hls suggesLs LhuL eorLs Lo generuLe Lhe udoLlon
of green bulldlng ure besL LurgeLed uL rovldlng
1uble
lnformuLlon for Lhose |usL geLLlng sLurLed
LemonsLruLlons of rucLlce und nunclul reLurn
for Lhose ucLlvely conslderlng green bulldlng
1urgeLed Lrulnlng for Lhose reudy Lo sLurL
SuorL for Lhose ulreudy uslng green bulldlng
us well us for Lhose who ure llkely Lo become
ucLlve users us oLher sLruLegles become
eecLlve
lL ls lnLeresLlng Lo noLe LhuL whlle only ubouL one
fLh of Lhe resondenLs see obvlous beneLs Lo
green bulldlng more Lhun onequurLer suggesL
LhuL Lhey encouruge Lhelr eers und colleugues
Lo use such rucLlces 1hls muy suggesL LhuL Lhey
see oLenLlul longLerm beneLs Lo green bulldlng
undor LhuL Lhey feel Lhe soclul beneLs muke
green bulldlng worLh ursulng AnoLher osslble
lnLerreLuLlon ls LhuL Lhey deslre u more level
luylng eld where u beLLer overull undersLundlng
of Lhe buslcs of green bulldlng wlll ullow comeLlLlve
dlerenLluLlon vlu seclulLy
Neurly LhreequurLers of resondenLs lndlcuLed
Lhey huve u greuL deul more Lo uccomllsh ln
Lhelr rofesslonul llfe 1hls muy suggesL why over
oneLhlrd of Lhe members of Lhls grou ure noL
shylng uwuy from Lhe comlexlLy of ulylng new
Lechnology Lo solvlng dl culL und chullenglng
Table 23: Construction Industry Members and Stage of Adoption
numerlcully ln Lhe runklngs 1he rlmury fucLors

LhuL urLlclunLs llsLed were codes und ordlnunces
LhuL requlre green bulldlng cosLbeneL duLu Lhe
lower llfecycle cosLs of green bulldlng und Lhe
murkeLublllLy of green bulldlngs 1hese were seen
us Lhe rlmury fucLors LhuL encouruge udoLlon
1he nexL fucLors und muy be connecLed
slnce ubllc ouLreuch und educuLlon mlghL be
seen us leudlng Lo lncreused consumer demund
for green bulldlng 1he lusL cuLegory of fucLors uL
Lhe Lo of Lhls llsL ueurs Lo be ollLlcul lLems
und suggesL LhuL lunners und ubllc works
rofesslonuls see u need for boLh ollLlcul vlslon
und suorL for green bulldlng
City Projessiono/s Ouestion Whot incentives
or injormotion encouroge the odoption oj green
bui/ding proctices
WlLh regurd Lo lncenLlves und lnformuLlon Lhe
sreud on Lhe resonses Lo Lhls quesLlon wus
nurrower Lhun for OuesLlon ClLy lunners und
ubllc works rofesslonuls ercelved LhuL fusL
Lrucklng und urovul of green ro|ecLs wus un
lmorLunL lncenLlve Lo udoLlon 1huL resonse
ueurs Lo doveLull wlLh Lhe second mosL
lmorLunL fucLor denslLy bonuses ln LhuL boLh
huve u oLenLlul nunclul lmucL on develoers
1hls ls furLher suorLed by lLem lncreused ROl
on green bulldlngs ln fucL golng down Lhls llsL
from Lo Lo boLLom Lhere wus u cleur emhusls on
nunclul lncenLlves elLher Lhrough reduclng cosLs
or rovldlng oslLlve lncenLlves for green bulldlng
llnully clLy lunners ulso suw Lhe fucLor of soclul
resonslblllLy us u ercelved lncenLlve for udoLlng
specic borriers to the odoption oj green bui/ding
proctices
LeslLe Lhe lurger number of resonses Lo
Lhls quesLlon clLy lunners und ubllc works
rofesslonuls were sLlll uble Lo ldenLlfy some
common fucLors LhuL ose u burrler Lo Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces llrsL und
foremosL were Lhe ufronL cosLs ussocluLed
wlLh green bulldlng 1huL comblned wlLh Lhe
downLurn ln Lhe economy suggesLs Lhe uddlLlonul
lmorLunce of nunclul fucLors Second Lo Lhe
nunclul fucLors clLy rofesslonuls llsLed leur of
Lhe unknown us u burrler whlch when comblned
wlLh ReslsLunce Lo chunge lnLegruLlon
Table 3: City Planners and Public Works Professionals Ranking of
Factors that Encourage Green Building
Table 4 : City Planners and Public Works Professionals Ranking of
Incentives that Encourage Green Building

un ucknowledgemenL of Lhe vulue of green bulldlngs
Lo socleLy us u whole ruLher Lhun un lndlcuLlon
of lndlvlduul moLlvuLlon ConsLrucLlon lndusLry
rofesslonuls ln generul see Lhelr rofesslon us
rovlders of Lhe bullL envlronmenL us u beneL Lo
humun socleLy 1hey en|oy seelng solld evldence
of Lhelr lubors und vlew LhuL evldence us Lhelr
legucy Provldlng u heulLhy bullL envlronmenL
LhuL beneLs socleLy muy Lherefore be seen us u
worLhy und udmlruble goul 1he rlmury lncenLlves
for udoLlng LLLL cerLlcuLlon suggesLs LhuL
Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry sees LLLL us rovldlng
heulLhler bulldlngs LhuL meeL u soclul need 1hls ln
Lurn ls seen us lncreuslng murkeLublllLy und brund
vulue Lo Lhose bulldlngs whlle lowerlng oeruLlng
und mulnLenunce cosLs
1wo of Lhe burrlers Lo Lhe udoLlon of LLLL
cerLlcuLlon us u sLundurd ure slmllur Lo Lhose
for green bulldlng ln generul lncludlng concerns
surroundlng cosLs However ln Lhe cuse of LLLL
cerLlcuLlon uerwork rocess comlexlLy und
confuslon umong green bulldlng rogrums suggesL
LhuL consLrucLlon lndusLry members muy feur LhuL
oLenLlul schedule und cosL lmucLs wlll resulL from
uncerLuln deslgn und consLrucLlon sLundurds 1hls
comblned wlLh Lhe rlsk of commlLLlng Lo u sLundurd
LhuL sLlll lucks unlversul lndusLry suorL suggesLs
LhuL LLLL cerLlcuLlon muy be ercelved us rulslng
rsL cosLs wlLhouL rovldlng u corresondlngly sure
uyo uL Lhe olnL of sule
When we look uL Lhe burrlers und lncenLlves on
LLLL cerLlcuLlon LogeLher we sLurL Lo see whuL
muy be u uLLern of wunLlng Lo ucceL LLLL us
u cerLlcuLlon sLundurd Lemered by u luck of
condence LhuL Lhe lncenLlves oered oseL Lhe
ercelved ufronL cosLs 1he resulL urLlculurly
ln u Llme when Lhe economy ls seen us oor muy
be LhuL LLLL ls seen us Loo rlsky wlLhouL more
convlnclng roof of uybuck
Accordlng Lo LvereLL Rogers u reseurcher
who lnvesLlguLed how lnnovuLlons muke Lhelr
wuy lnLo socleLy sLrong soclul neLworks ure one
lndlcuLor LhuL eole fuced wlLh someLhlng new wlll
full lnLo Lhe cuLegory of lnnovuLors Lhose eole
mosL oen Lo Lrylng someLhlng new OnequurLer Lo
onehulf of Lhe resondenLs full lnLo Lhls lnnovuLor
cuLegory of Rogers dluslon model 1huL suggesLs
LhuL Lhese members ure uL leusL oLenLlully
lnLeresLed ln wllllng Lo look lnLo und erhus
udoL chunglng consLrucLlon rucLlces lL furLher
suggesLs u oLenLlul oorLunlLy Lo Luke udvunLuge
of Lhese soclul neLworks Lo romoLe green bulldlng
Lo dlssemlnuLe lnformuLlon und Lo rovlde
demonsLruLlons Lrulnlng und suorL 1rulnlng
rogrums LhuL seclcully Lle Lhe consLrucLlon
lndusLry Lo green consLrucLlon rogrums sonsored
by munlclullLles und reglonul uLlllLles muy hel
drlve Lhls chunge 8y ueullng Lo Lhe lnnovuLors
ln Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry clLles und uLlllLles
cun glve Lhose lnnovuLors Lhe Lools Lhey need Lo
LrunslLlon lnLo ucLlve chunge ugenLs who ln Lurn
cun hel ull slower udoLers ulong ln Lhe rocess
lf green bulldlng udvocuLes cun mulnLuln buyln
from Lhese consLrucLlon lndusLry chunge ugenLs
Lhey oLenLlully cun hel drlve Lhe develomenL of u
crlLlcul muss ln Lhe eurly udoLer cuLegory
On Lhe fuce of lL Lhe conLrudlcLlon ln Lhls resulL
seems counLerlnLulLlve However lL muy be LhuL
consLrucLlon lndusLry members feel
LhuL Lhey ulreudy huve Lhe knowledge
necessury Lo emloy green bulldlng
rucLlces uL u level uL whlch Lhey feel
condenL of resulLs lf LhuL ls Lhe cuse
Lhen Lhese ndlngs muy suggesL Lhe
need Lo rovlde suorL mechunlsms
for Lhelr exlsLlng level of knowledge
und exerLlse ruLher Lhun lndeLh
Lrulnlng SubsequenLly suorL mlghL
Lhen roLubly come ln Lhe form of lnformuLlon
demonsLruLlons und smuller Lusk or Lechnlque
focused Lrulnlng oorLunlLles us green bulldlng
rucLlces conLlnue Lo chunge drlvlng new sklll und
knowledge needs lL muy be worLh noLlng LhuL ln
un lndusLry und reglon of Lhe counLry where one
mlghL execL greuLer reslsLunce Lo chunge und
reslsLunce Lo green bulldlng ln urLlculur hulf of Lhe
Table 22: Adoption Level and Strategy
lLem suggesLs osslble room for chunge

munugemenL sLruLegles
A chunge munugemenL sLruLegy for exumle
mlghL enLull clLles uddresslng cosL concerns LhuL
ure hlgh ln Lhls lnsLunce clLles would be wlse
Lo emhuslze Lhe nunclul beneLs of green
bulldlng whlle dlrecLly uddresslng cosL worrles
1o uddress feurs of Lhe unknown Lhey cun Lry
Lo dellver lnformuLlon demonsLruLlons und
Lrulnlng ln convenlenL forms und venues und ln
euslly dlgesLlble chunks lf Lhese sLruLegles ure
closely coordlnuLed wlLh Lhe end users sLuges
of udoLlon llsLed elsewhere ln Lhls reorL Lhen
Lhey ure llkely Lo be more eecLlve ln muklng
frlghLenlng unknown fucLors of green bulldlng
more ucceLuble Lhus enubllng consLrucLlve
dlulogue on soluLlons
1he nul burrler llsLed by clLy lunners und
ubllc works rofesslonuls wus ollLlcul
mlndseL
City Projessiono/s Ouestion Whot too/s or
support wou/d encouroge you to odopt green
bui/ding proctices
When resondlng Lo Lhe quesLlon ubouL
Lools or suorL clLy lunners und ubllc
works rofesslonuls cleurly runked educuLlon
for ull sLukeholders munlclul sLu rlvuLe
develoers und Lhe ubllc uL lurge us Lhe mosL
lmorLunL ln fucL Lhe comblnuLlon of lLems
und LoLuls olnLs |usL for educuLlon und
Lrulnlng 1he second mosL lmorLunL fucLor
llsLed by lunners deulL wlLh ollLlcul wlll und
locul leglsluLlve suorL lLems und
show u comblned ollLlcul und leglsluLlve
fucLor LhuL ulls ln olnLs OLher fucLors on
Lhe llsL could be ulled ln for furLher suorL
of Lhese cuLegorles buL even wlLhouL dolng
so educuLlon und ollLlcul suorL gurner u
comblned ouL of osslble olnLs
City planners and public
works professionals
perceived that fast
tracking and approval
of green projects was an
important incentive to
adoption.

Barriers to Green Buildings
Table 6: City Planners and Public Works Professionals Ranking of Tools
that Encourage Green Building
ercenL lndlcuLed LhuL Lhelr

lncome wus ln Lhe runge of
Lo llfLeen
ercenL decllned Lo lndlcuLe
Lhelr lncome
llnully oen ended commenLs
reveuled severul Lhemes
1he mosL commonly clLed
commenL wus LhuL green
bulldlng needs Lo look uL Lhe
meusuruble beneLs und
rovlde emlrlcul duLu showlng
Lhe energy suvlngs und cosLs
AnoLher reoccurrlng concern
wus wlLh green wushlng und
Lhe osslblllLy LhuL uerwork
und cerLlcuLlon rocesses
muke Lhese eorLs unyLhlng
buL green und ulLlmuLely druw
lnLo quesLlon Lhe leglLlmucy
of green bulldlng rogrums
llnully develoers ulso
lndlcuLed Lhere should be more
recognlLlon of rogrums oLher
Lhun LLLL
Analysis
ln summury lL comes us no
surrlse LhuL Lhe rlmury
burrlers Lo udoLlng green
bulldlng rucLlces cenLer ulmosL
enLlrely uround cosLs 1he
Lhlrd fucLor bud economy ls
ulso cosLreluLed slnce we cun
ussume LhuL u bud economy
reduces roLublllLy 1he llkely
resulL of Lhls ls un lncreuse
ln cuuLlon rlsk uverslon
for Lrylng someLhlng new
1he fLh burrler confuslon over green bulldlng
rogrums ls ulso reluLed Lo cosL ln LhuL consLrucLlon
lndusLry members ure llmlLed ln Lhe resources
Lhey cun devoLe Lo leurnlng new Lechnlques und
sLundurds 1he luck of consensus on u green
bulldlng sLundurd meuns LhuL Lhey cunnoL commlL
Lo u slngle sLundurd wlLhouL uLLlng Lhemselves
uL rlsk for noL commlLLlng Lo whlchever sLundurd
emerges from Lhe uck us Lhe sLundurd for green
bulldlng 8ecuuse of Lhls uncerLulnLy consLrucLlon
lndusLry members muy declde Lo uvold sendlng
Llme money und oLher resources commlLLlng Lo
u sLundurd LhuL could be reluced Lhus renderlng
Lhelr exendlLure u less recoveruble cosL
WlLh regurd Lo lncenLlves Lhe resonses were
somewhuL unexecLed 1he Lo Lwo lncenLlves
llsLed were heulLhler bulldlngs und soclul
resonslblllLy 1hls suggesLs LhuL consLrucLlon
lndusLry members ure concerned ubouL rovldlng
bulldlngs LhuL meeL brouder socleLul needs und
gouls However Lhe nexL Lhree lncenLlves suggesL
LhuL Lhe Lo Lwo soclully orlenLed lncenLlves need
Lo be suorLed by murkeL demund und nunclul
beneLs 1he runklng of Lhe lncenLlves muy reecL
Table 21: Summary of Construction Industry Survey Data
Bui/ding eve/opers Ouestion Whot ore the

1he rlmury fucLors ldenLled und rlorlLlzed here
suggesL LhuL rsL members of Lhe develomenL
communlLy ercelved LhuL consumer demund drove
Lhe udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces 1he second
und Lhlrd fucLors comblned demonsLruLed lnLeresL
ln u sLrong reLurnonlnvesLmenL ROl suorLed
by hlsLorlcul evldence LhuL ROl cun be uchleved ln
Lhe locul murkeL 1hls wus followed by u ercelved
need for uddlng vulue Lo cusLomers und educuLlng
develoers und sullers
Bui/ding eve/opers Ouestion Whot lncentives
bui/ding proctices
lL ls cleur ln Lhe resonses Lo Lhls quesLlon LhuL
members of Lhe develomenL communlLy vlewed
nunclul conslderuLlons us Lhe rlmury drlver for Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces AfLer nunclul
lncenLlves u sense of soclul resonslblllLy cume ln
us second mosL lmorLunL 1he Lhlrd hlghesL fucLor
wus ProducL lnformuLlon und Lrendlng whlch
ueurs Lo colnclde wlLh Consumer deslre MurkeL
demund ln OuesLlon Resonses und suggesL
u erceLlon umong develoers LhuL Lhe lmucL of
Lhe urovul rocess wlLh munlclul lunners wus
lmorLunL boLh ln rovldlng conslsLenL guldellnes
und feedbuck us well us ln Lhe seed of Lhe revlew
rocess
proctices
1he rlmury resonses Lo Lhls quesLlon of burrlers
deulL wlLh Lhree fucLors 1he rsL of Lhese wus
Lhe cosL of cerLlcuLlon 1hls wus urLlculurly Lrue
wlLh cerLlcuLlon requlremenLs by seclc green
bulldlng sLundurds such us LLLL 1he second fucLor
wus Luck of LducuLlon for consumers sullers
und conLrucLors 1he Lhlrd cuLegory of lmorLunL
resonses seemed Lo deul wlLh erceLlons
ussocluLed wlLh Lhe descrlLors Lhemselves
mlsconceLlons skeLlclsm und ercelved cosLs
1hese muy suggesL LhuL Lhe urLlclunLs recognlzed
LhuL Lhere wus u dlsconnecL beLween Lhe reullLles
of green bulldlng und how green bulldlng wus
ercelved by vurlous grous Here Loo Lhe lmucL
of cosL concerns wus evldenL us boLh CerLlcuLlon
cosL und Percelved cosLs were umong Lhe ve
mosL lmorLunL fucLors
Table 8: Members of the Development Communitys Ranking of
Members of the developer community perceive
that consumer demand is driving the adoption
of green building practices.

resonslblllLy murkeLublllLy of green bulldlngs

lower llfecycle cosLs und LLLL cerLlcuLlon us u
brund udds vulue
Social Networks and Adoption of Green Building
Neurly ercenL of resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey
frequenLly heur Lhelr colleugues Lulk ubouL green
bulldlng rucLlces und undersLund green bulldlng
rucLlces lorLyelghL ercenL of resondenLs
reorLed huvlng u lurge soclul und rofesslonul
neLwork 1wenLyelghL ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey ure
conslderlng enrolllng ln u rofesslonul uccredlLuLlon
course for green bulldlng 1hlrLyseven ercenL
lndlcuLed Lhey en|oy worklng wlLh green bulldlng
rucLlces und ercenL regulurly dlscuss green
bulldlng rucLlces wlLh Lhelr eers und colleugues
More Lhun ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey belleve green
bulldlng rucLlces huve slgnlcunL nunclul und
envlronmenLul beneL for socleLy would llke Lo
see green bulldlng rucLlces exunded yeL do
noL lnLend Lo nd more lnformuLlon ubouL green
bulldlng rucLlces LlghLyve ercenL lndlcuLed
Lhey ure noL concerned ubouL Lhe wellbelng of
fuLure generuLlons und ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey
belleve sclence und Lechnology ucLlvely beneL
humunlLy
Disseminating Information and Making
Connections
When usked ubouL sources of lnformuLlon Lhe
resondenLs Lo ve sources reorLed ln order
were Lrude |ournuls newsuer Lelevlslon
muguzlnes und Lhe lnLerneL 1he Lo
communlcuLlon meLhods were emull
cell hone Lelehone fuceLofuce
meeLlngs und LexL messuglng
Stage of Adoption
When conslderlng consLrucLlon
rofesslonuls uwureness of green
bulldlng rucLlces only ercenL
reorLed belng unuwure 1he lurgesL
ercenLuge of resondenLs
lndlcuLed Lhey ure curlous Lhe nexL
lurgesL cuLegory wus envlslonlng
Lhe use of green bulldlng rucLlces
Neurly u quurLer Lhough were
Lrylng ouL or uslng green bulldlng
rucLlces 1he duLu reecLed u very
slmllur uLLern wlLh regurd Lo how
uwure consLrucLlon rofesslonuls
belleve clLy lunners ure wlLh regurd
Lo LLLL cerLlcuLlon sLundurds Whlle ercenL of
resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey lnLend Lo Lry ulylng
green bulldlng rucLlces on u ro|ecL only
ercenL of resondenLs reorLed LhuL Lhey feel llke
Lhe huve Lhe knowledge resources und suorL
Lo lmlemenL green bulldlng rucLlces NlneLeen
ercenL of resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey huve eurned
u cerLlcuLlon ln green bulldlng rucLlces und
lnLended Lo seek ouL uddlLlonul lnformuLlon Lo
uld ln Lhe use of green bulldlng rucLlces 1wenLy
Lwo ercenL of resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey ure
currenLly uslng green bulldlng rucLlces on u
regulur busls und ercenL lun Lo conLlnue uslng
green bulldlng rucLlces ln Lhe fuLure Neurly u
quurLer of resondenLs suy Lhey uggresslvely seek
more lnformuLlon ubouL green bulldlng rucLlces
AddlLlonully only ercenL of resondenLs
reorLed seelng obvlous beneLs Lo Lhelr use of
green bulldlng rucLlces YeL ercenL lndlcuLed
LhuL Lhey encouruge Lhelr colleugues und eers Lo
A llLLle over ercenL of resondenLs reorLed LhuL
Lhey en|oy exerlmenLlng wlLh new Lechnology
1echnology ln Lhls cuse ls dened us Lhe
ullcuLlon of besL rucLlces Lo solvlng consLrucLlon
lndusLry roblems und ercenL reorLed Lhey
en|oy worklng Lhrough comlex roblems lorLy
Lhree ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey cun lmuglne comlex
gouls und Lhe uLh Lo reuch Lhem Neurly Lhree
quurLers of resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey huve u greuL
deul more Lo uccomllsh ln Lhelr rofesslonul llfe
Demographics
1he demogruhlcs reveuled LhuL Lhe hlghesL
level of educuLlon uchleved by Lhe urenLs of Lhe
mu|orlLy of consLrucLlon rofesslonuls ls hlgh
school followed by Lhose huvlng u buchelors
degree und Lhose wlLh un ussocluLes degree
or musLers degree 1he hlghesL level
of educuLlon of Lhe resondenLs Lhemselves
wus u buchelors degree followed by hlgh
school Only ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey never
urLlcluLe ln rofesslonul or soclul orgunlzuLlons
und ercenL never Lruvel for rofesslonul
uroses A full ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey never
huve conLucL wlLh ersons or orgunlzuLlons
reresenLlng green bulldlng rucLlces
ln Lerms of lncome ercenL of Lhe resondenLs
reorLed Lhelr lncome Lo be or more
followed by ercenL lndlcuLlng Lhelr lncome wus
more Lhun buL less Lhun und
. . . green
building needs
to look at the
measurable
benefts and
provide empirical
data showing the
energy savings
and costs.

Member Survey,
Findings and Analysis
A second survey wus conducLed Lo obLuln
lnformuLlon ubouL Lhe fucLors LhuL encouruge
Lhe udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces ln Lhe
eyes of Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry see Aendlx
8 for consLrucLlon lndusLry member survey ln
Lhe survey urLlclunLs were usked ubouL
Cenerul consLrucLlon lndusLry fucLors
LhuL mlghL suggesL some level of exlsLlng
lncllnuLlon for green bulldlng
ConsLrucLlon lndusLry cuuclLy ln Lerms
of seclc envlronmenLul suorLs und
ersonnel fucLors
1owurd LhuL end Lhe followlng seclc
quesLlons wlLh consLrucLlon lndusLry members
were uddressed
green bulldlng
WhuL ure Lhe seclc burrlers Lo udoLlon of
WhuL lncenLlves or lnformuLlon encouruge
WhuL Lools or suorL would encouruge Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces
WhuL ls Lhe demogruhlc muke u of Lhe
survey resondenLs
Findings
Incentives and Barriers
1he survey reveuled LhuL ercenL of Lhe
resondenLs belleved green bulldlng ls becomlng
more lmorLunL for Lhe comeLlLlve edge of
Lhelr comuny wlLh ercenL of resondenLs
lndlcuLlng LhuL LLLL cerLlcuLlon ls seclcully
becomlng lmorLunL for Lhe comeLlLlve edge
of Lhelr comuny As seen ln llgure Lhe ve
mosL lmorLunL burrlers Lo green bulldlng were
reul cosLs ercelved cosLs bud economy Lhe
cosL Lo reLroL exlsLlng bulldlngs und confuslon
umong green bulld rogrums 1he duLu on
lncenLlves und burrlers for LLLL cerLled bulldlngs
lllusLruLes LhuL Lhe blggesL burrlers for consLrucLlon
lndusLry members were uerwork loud reul cosL
ercelved cosL comlexlLy of cerLlcuLlon rocess
und confuslon umong green bulldlng rogrums
1he ve mosL lmorLunL lncenLlves for green
bulldlng us seen ln llgure were heulLhler
bulldlngs soclul resonslblllLy murkeLublllLy
of green bulldlngs lower llfecycle cosLs und
nunclul uybuck 1he Lo ve lncenLlves for LLLL
cerLlcuLlon ln order were heulLhler bulldlngs soclul

Tools that Encourage Green Building
Table 9: Members of the Development Communitys Ranking
Barriers to Green Building
Local government
professionals felt strongly
about the education of the
public with regard to the
value of green building.
Return on investment and
consumer demand were
some of the most salient
factors for construction
professionals.
g
Whot too/s or support wou/d
encouroge you to odopt green
bui/ding proctices
Consumer educuLlon Loed
Lhe llsL of ercelved Lools or
suorL LhuL members of Lhe
develomenL communlLy suw
us lmorLunL Lo udoLlng green
b lldl l b b

Focus Groups - Comparison
Comurlng unswers beLween Lhe Lwo
grous on euch quesLlon muy be helful
ln furLher communlcuLlon und develolng
useful sLruLegles und
ollcles regurdlng green
bulldlng 1uble shows
Lhe Lo ve resonses for
clLy lunners und ubllc
works rofesslonuls
und members of Lhe
slde by slde for euch
quesLlon 8y undersLundlng
Lhe dlerlng ersecLlves
of Lhe Lwo sLukeholder
grous on euch quesLlon lL
muy be osslble Lo begln Lo
undersLund how Lo brldge
Lhe gus beLween Lhem
ln revlewlng 1uble
lL ls evldenL LhuL clLy
lunners und ubllc works
rofesslonuls reorLed
ve dlsLlncL elemenLs us
lmorLunL Lools reLurn on
lnvesLmenL erformunce
murkeLublllLy und ollLlcul
wlll und educuLlon
Members of Lhe
runked consumer demund
reLurn on lnvesLmenL und
bulldlng erformunce uL
Lhe Lo of Lhelr llsL und
Lhen runked cusLomer
vulue und educuLlon of
us lmorLunL 1he rlmury
dlerences ure LhuL clLy
rofesslonuls recognlzed
LhuL Lhey need ollLlcul suorL Lo Luke
on new lnlLluLlves und members of Lhe
develomenL communlLy recognlzed
Lhe lmorLunce of cusLomer vulue und
consumer demund for green bulldlng Lo
ensure longLerm feuslblllLy AddlLlonully
members of Lhe develomenL communlLy
olnLed Lo Lhe need for Lhelr own us well us
Lhelr sullers educuLlon ln green bulldlng
ClLy rofesslonuls felL sLrongly ubouL Lhe
educuLlon of Lhe ubllc wlLh regurd Lo Lhe
vulue of green bulldlng Whlle educuLlng
Lhe ubllc muy feed Lhe develoers
need for consumer demund of Lhe green
bulldlng roducL lL muy ulso meeL u clLys
gouls wlLh regurd Lo Lhelr cllmuLe chunge
lnlLluLlves und ugreemenLs lL ls cleur
LhuL boLh clLy lunners und develoers
vulued bulldlng erformunce und reLurn on
lnvesLmenL us lmorLunL Lo uchlevlng green
bulldlng gouls
ln Lerms of lncenLlves und lnformuLlon lL
ls once uguln cleur LhuL boLh grous luced
vulue on reLurn on lnvesLmenL However
Lhere wus u smull dlsconnecL ln LhuL clLy
rofesslonuls were much more llkely Lo
fusLLruck urovul for ro|ecLs whlch
could uddress develoers concerns wlLh
lnLerugency cooeruLlon und coordlnuLlon
ClLy lunners were |usL us llkely Lo Lurn Lo
Lhe denslLy bonus whlch ls u zonlng Lool
lnsLeud of reduced fees whlch ls more of
u dlrecL nunclul beneL Lo u develoer
Leveloers referred Lhe
more dlrecL beneLs of
reduced fees und ulso looked
for Lrends und roducL
lnformuLlon Lo hel ensure
Lhelr success NoneLheless
boLh grous suw soclul
resonslblllLy us un lmorLunL
lncenLlve ln fucL clLy lunners
muy look Lo recognlze und
romoLe develoers enguged
ln green bulldlng 1he burrlers
seen by boLh grous were
remurkubly slmllur wlLh cosL
und luck of educuLlon or
lnformuLlon Lolng boLh
llsLs 1he economy und
ollLlcul mlndseL were Lwo
fucLors clLy lunners noLed
LhuL develoers dld noL
ln Lerms of Lools und suorL
educuLlon Loed boLh llsLs
ulLhough euch udvocuLed for
educuLlon of dlerenL grous
Members of Lhe develomenL
communlLy were lnLeresLed ln
educuLlon for Lhe consumers
und clLy rofesslonuls were
more lnLeresLed ln educuLlng
ull grous lncludlng clLy
sLu PollLlcul wlll und locul
leglsluLlve suorL mude Lhe
Lo of Lhe clLy lunners und
ubllc works rofesslonuls llsL
communlLy reorLed needlng
more nunclul suorLs Lhrough lncenLlves
und exedlLed urovul rocesses Here
develoers were seurchlng for shorLLerm
suorLs und clLles were seeklng longLerm
suorLs wlLh much greuLer emhusls
on educuLlon for ull Lhe sLukeholders
consumers develoers und sLu
ln shorL for clLy lunners educuLlon
erformunce of bulldlngs ln Lerms of reLurn
on lnvesLmenL und energy conservuLlon us
well us ollLlcul conslderuLlons were Lhe Lo
rlorlLles noLed ln Lhe focus grous
Table 11: Comparison of the Top Five Factors for City Professionals and
the Development Community
Analysis
ln summury clLy rofesslonuls ndlngs reveul Lhe
lurgesL MSAs Lend Lo huve more cuuclLy for green
bulldlng Lhun clLles und counLles slnce Lhey huve
Neurly unlversul suorL from Lhelr muyors
Leveloers uslng Lhe rucLlces
Access Lo LLLL cerLled muLerluls of sLu
Leveloers und urchlLecLs romoLlng green
bulldlng
NonLLLL green bulldlngs ln Lhelr communlLles
Creen bulldlng gouls ollcles und guldellnes
A leud erson or oce resonslble for green
bulldlng
More ubllc works und lunnlng und suorL
sLu
AlLhough some of Lhls such us number of
ersonnel muy be u funcLlon of Lhe slze of Lhe core
clLles of MSAs lL ls noLeworLhy LhuL Lhey ure |usL
us llkely us clLles und neurly us llkely counLles Lo
lndlcuLe Lhey do noL romoLe green bulldlng 1hose
LhuL do romoLe green bulldlng reorL uslng Lhe
sume Lools LhuL clLles und counLles noLe MSAs ulso
show no greuLer Lendency overull Lo use Lux credlLs
fee reducLlon grunLs louns or nunclul uwurds for
green bulldlng Lhun clLles und counLles
lor Lhe mosL urL MSAs clLles und counLles ure
slmllur us well ln Lerms of fucLors LhuL lnuenced
Lhelr greenbulldlng ollcy However Lhe wuys
ln whlch MSAs dler from clLles und counLles
ure noLeworLhy llrsL federul guldunce ls more
lmorLunL Lo green bulldlng ollcy uL Lhe MSA level
whlle clLles und counLles ure more ln Lune wlLh Lhe
lnLernuLlonul Code Councll or oLher code drufLlng
bodles 1he suorL of elecLed ocluls ulso Lends Lo
resonuLe more wlLh MSAs Lhun clLles und counLles
llnully Lhe lmllcuLlons of globul wurmlng und Lhe
ClLles for CllmuLe ProLecLlon AgreemenL ure cleurly
more lmorLunL Lo u mu|orlLy of MSAs us comured
Lo Lhe frucLlon of clLles und counLles LhuL reorLs
Lhese lLems huvlng un lnuence on green bulldlng
ollcy a
llgure lllusLruLes LhuL

Lhe mosL lmorLunL
burrlers Lo LLLL cerLled
bulldlng LhuL hud broud
ucceLunce umong clLles
counLles und MSAs were
once uguln ercelved
cosL reul cosL und Lhe
bud economy ClLles und
counLles noLed fucLors
such us u luck of demund
for green bulldlng luck
of consumers und luck of
consumer educuLlon MSA
resondenLs ldenLled
uerwork loud und
rocess uncerLulnLy us
Lhe fourLh und fLhmosL
lmorLunL burrlers
llgure reveuls
conslderuble vurluLlon
umong clLles counLles
1
L
L
L
u

und MSAs ln Lerms of whuL resondenLs conslder

Lhe mosL lmorLunL lncenLlves Lo encouruge
LLLL cerLled rucLlces 1he only fucLor LhuL ull
communlLles runked us relevunL wus nunclul
uybuck buL ln vurylng lmorLunce lour oLher
fucLors runked ln Lhe Lo ve lncenLlves for uL
leusL Lwo of Lhe resondenL cuLegorles of clLy or
counLy or MSA 1he four fucLors were clLlzens
lnLeresL murkeLublllLy of LLLL bulldlngs
ollLlcul vlslon und bunks romoLlng green
louns undor urulsuls 1he oLher fucLors noLed
lncluded exedlLed revlews recognlLlon for
bullders und develoers codes LhuL encouruge
green bulldlng educuLlon resources ubllc
ouLreucheducuLlon LLLL cerLlcuLlon us brund
udds vulue und Lrulned sLu wlLh green bulldlng
exerLlse
llnully oenended commenLs reveuled severul
Lhemes 1he mosL frequenL commenL wus
Lhe need Lo uddress reLurn on lnvesLmenL und
knowledge of green bulldlng und lLs cosLs und
beneLs AnoLher Lheme wus LhuL green bulldlng
ls dlculL ln smull clLles wlLhouL uddlLlonul
fundlng or sLu AddlLlonully munduLlng green
bulldng rovldlng educuLlon und lowcosL
resources us well us ucknowledglng oLher non
LLLL green bulldlng rogrumrucLlces were
oLher frequenL commenLs
Survey Purpose,
Audience and Method
lollowlng Lhe focus grou evuluuLlon Lwo surveys
were deslgned Lo exumlne green bulldlng rucLlces
ln Lhe NorLhwesL 1o obLuln erceLlons from key
sLukeholder grous on green bulldlng develomenL
lncenLlves und burrlers Lhls sLudy mukes use of duLu
from Lhe Lwo surveys one for lunners und ubllc
works rofesslonuls und Lhe oLher for Lhe urchlLecLs
und consLrucLlon rofesslonuls
1hls secLlon of Lhe reorL rovldes un unulysls of
1he rlmury duLu collecLed uL Lhe clLy level und
Lhe ndlngs from LhuL duLu
1he counLy duLu und lurgesL MSAs by
uggreguLed resonses
1he uggreguLed lndlvlduul level duLu for Lhe
consLrucLlon lndusLry members und lduho
urchlLecLs
Local Government Survey, Findings
and Analysis
1he locul governmenL survey wus develoed ufLer
u hundful of lnLervlews wlLh lunnlng dlrecLors ln
lduho Oregon und WushlngLon und wlLh focus
grous ln lduho LhuL lncluded locul lunners und
ubllc works ersonnel 1he locul governmenL
survey quesLlons were ulso modeled from surveys
revlously used by Suhu und PuLerson und
1eson und were reLesLed wlLh selecLed
lnLervlewees for clurlLy 1he survey wus senL Lo
lunnlng dlrecLors ln clLles wlLh u ouluLlon of
or more ln lduho Oregon ULuh und WushlngLon
us well us ull of Lhe counLles ln Lhose four sLuLes ln
uddlLlon Lhe survey wus ulso senL Lo clLy lunners
ln Lhe core clLles of Lhe lurgesL MeLroollLun
SLuLlsLlcul Areus MSAs ucross Lhe UnlLed SLuLes
Lo beLLer undersLund Lhe wuy lurge und smull clLles
ln Lerms of ouluLlon muy dler or be slmllur

A remlnder leLLer wlLh u uer coy of Lhe survey
wus mulled uroxlmuLely Lhree weeks luLer
Plunnlng dlrecLors were ulso conLucLed by hone Lo
encouruge survey resonses 1he overull resonse
ruLe wus ercenL wlLh of Lhe clLles und
ercenL or of counLles resondlng Lo Lhe
survey 1uble rovldes Lhe breukdown by sLuLe for
clLles und counLles where lduho demonsLruLes Lhe
hlghesL resonse ruLe uL ercenL for clLles und
ercenL for counLles und ULuh Lhe lowesL uL
ercenL for clLles und ercenL for counLles 1he
overull resonse ruLe for Lhe core clLles of Lhe
lurgesL MSAs wus ercenL wlLh of clLles
reLurnlng Lhe surveys
Architects and Construction Industry

Members Survey
A second survey
wus develoed
ufLer lnLervlews
wlLh develoers
ln lduho
Oregon und
WushlngLon und
focus grous
wlLh lduho
develoers
urchlLecLs und
members of
Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry 1he survey wus senL by
osL Lo ull Lhe members of Lhe AssocluLed Cenerul
ConLrucLors of Amerlcu ACC who ure dlrecLly
lnvolved wlLh bulldlng ln Lhe sLuLes of lduho Oregon
ULuh und WushlngLon und ln lduho Lo ull of Lhe
members of lduho chuLer of Lhe Amerlcun lnsLlLuLe
of ArchlLecLs 1he cover leLLer lncluded u llnk so
resondenLs could elLher Luke Lhe survey onllne
or comleLe lL und reLurn lL ln Lhe selfuddressed
osLuge uld enveloe Remlnders were senL
uroxlmuLely Lhree und slx weeks luLer encouruglng
u resonse Lo Lhe survey Also ACC members
were conLucLed by hone Lo encouruge Lhem Lo
comleLe Lhe survey 1he sLeeesL chullenge of Lhls
survey wus geLLlng u resonse from consLrucLlon
Table 12: Local Government City and County Survey Response Rate by State
Photo featured (opposite page) is
an example of an eco-community
development in the UK.
1
Ar V3A |s craracler|zed as rav|rg a cerlra| core, corpr|s|rg ar
uroar|zed area ol al |easl 50,000 peop|e, logelrer W|lr adjacerl
courl|es lral rave soc|a| ard ecoror|c correcl|v|ly W|lr a |arger
cerlra| core. Tre oourdary des|gral|or ol ar V3A |s delerr|red oy
lre 0llce ol Varagererl ard 8udgel (0V8).
5
lr lre rera|rder ol lre reporl V3A W||| reler lo lre core c|ly ol lre
V3A lral resporded lo lre survey.
noL know how muny LLLL AP sLu Lhey muy huve

1he dlerence ln sLung beLween Lhe MSAs und
clLles und counLles ls llkely Lo be uLLrlbuLed Lo Lhe
lurger ouluLlon slze of cenLrul clLles of MSAs us
comured Lo Lhe oLher clLles und counLles sLudled
1he resondenLs were
usked Lo runk Lhe Lo ve
lncenLlves und burrlers Lo
green bulldlng As seen
ln llgure Lhe Lo ve
resonses were slmllur for
clLles counLles und MSAs
however Lhe fLh mosL
lmorLunL burrler wus u
slgnlcunL devluLlon wlLh
counLles lndlcuLlng consumer
educuLlon und MSAs noLlng
Lhe comlexlLy of Lhe
cerLlcuLlon rocess 1here
ulso ueured Lo be broud
ugreemenL LhuL ercelved
cosLs reul cosLs cosL Lo
reLroL Lhe bud economy
und Lhe luck of demund for
green bulldlng were Lhe mosL
lmorLunL burrlers Lo green
bulldlng rucLlces ln Lhelr
communlLles
As seen ln llgure Lhere
were severul Lles when lL
cume Lo runklng Lhe mosL
lmorLunL lncenLlves LhuL
encouruge Lhe udoLlon
of green bulldlng ln locul
communlLles 1he duLu
vurled ucross communlLles
buL Lhe fucLors LhuL Lended
Lo be runked more frequenLly
by clLles counLles und MSAs
lncluded nunclul uybuck
codes LhuL encouruge green
bulldlng und murkeLublllLy
of green bulldlngs
rofesslonuls AfLer ussembllng Lhe mulllng llsL from

Lhe ubllc duLu uvulluble on Lhe ACC webslLe for
euch sLuLe Lhe rsL mulllng wenL ouL ufLer removlng
buslnesses LhuL were noL obvlously reluLed dlrecLly
Lo consLrucLlon such us lnsurunce comunles und
luw rms Lurly reLurns lndlcuLed LhuL some of Lhe
survey urLlclunLs dld noL feel Lhe survey ulled
Lo Lhem ln followu hone culls Lo everyone ln
Lhe ouluLlon ucross Lhe four sLuLes LhuL hud noL
yeL reLurned Lhe survey uddlLlonul buslnesses were
ldenLled LhuL hud lgnored Lhe survey becuuse
Lhey ulso felL Lhey lL dld noL uly Lo Lhem One
genLlemun exlulned hls buslness sulles concreLe
ums und Lherefore ls noL dlrecLly lnvolved wlLh
bulldlng consLrucLlon 1he uddlLlonul follow u
heled Lo focus Lhe ouluLlon of Lhe LurgeL grou
us well us encouruge uddlLlonul resonses 1he
resonse ruLe wus ercenL wlLh of
surveys belng reLurned 8y sLuLe lduhos ercenL
resonse ruLe wus Lhe hlghesL und WushlngLon
uL ercenL wus Lhe lowesL us seen ln 1uble
1he overull resonse ruLe of consLrucLlon lndusLry
members und lduho urchlLecLs of ercenL ylelds u
murgln of error of lus or mlnus ve ercenL
Local Government Research Questions
1he reseurch uL Lhe clLy level wus deslgned Lo
comure ndlngs umong clLles counLles und MSAs
Seclcully Lhe clLy survey quesLlons were
WhuL ls Lhe level of generul knowledge und
suorL und communlLy fucLors LhuL currenLly
exlsL Lo suorL green bulldlng
WhuL Lyes of cuuclLy ure Lhere ln Lerms of
esLubllshed gouls und ollcles und number of
ersonnel und Lhelr knowledge
How ofLen ure seclc economlc lncenLlve Lools
used und whuL ls Lhe lnuence of federul sLuLe
und locul fucLors on ollcy conslderuLlons
WhuL ure Lhe seclc
ldenLled burrlers und lncenLlves
for boLh green bulldlng und LLLL
cerLlcuLlon
Findings
Community Factors
Looklng uL Lhe uggreguLed
survey duLu rovlded by Lhe clLy
und counLy surveys ln Lhe four
sLuLes und Lhe Lo MSAs noL
u slngle locul governmenL reorLed LhuL Lhelr muyor
or counLy commlssloners do noL suorL green
bulldlng und furLher LhuL Lhe suorL from locul
leuders wus hlgh us seen ln 1uble See Aendlx
A for coy of Lhe locul governmenL survey
lnLeresLlngly Lhe reorLed uwureness umong

develoers of green bulldlng ls somewhuL less
ucross clLles und counLles Lhun MSAs ClLles und
counLles ln Lhe four sLuLes were less llkely Lo reorL
develoers ure Lrylng ouL und uslng green bulldlng
und LLLL cerLlcuLlon sLundurds Lhun MSAs
SlxLeen ercenL of clLles und counLles reorL LhuL
rucLlces ln generul whlle ercenL of clLles und
ercenL of counLles reorL LhuL develoers ure Lrylng
ouL und uslng LLLL sLundurds seclcully A full
ercenL of MSAs reorLed LhuL Lhelr develomenL
communlLy ls exerlmenLlng wlLh und uslng green
bulldlng Lechnlques und ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey
ure Lrylng ouL or uslng LLLL cerLlcuLlon sLundurds
CommunlLy fucLors LhuL mlghL lnuence green
bulldlng lnclude Lhe uvullublllLy of green muLerluls
neur ones communlLy develoers und urchlLecLs
knowledgeuble ubouL green bulldlng und exlsLlng
green bulldlngs ln Lhe communlLy More Lhun
Table 13: Construction Professionals Survey Response Rate by State

Table 14: Mayor/County Commissioner Support for Green Building Practices
Tre or|y d|llererce |r lre c|ly ard courly surveys Was lre lrsl
quesl|or Was crarged lror C|ly Vayor lo Courly Corr|ss|orer.
Add|l|ora||y lre Word 'c|ly Was suosl|luled W|lr 'courly lor lre
courly survey quesl|ors. Tre lop 101 V3As rece|ved lre exacl
sare survey as lre lour slale c|ly survey.
1uble hlghllghLs ndlngs on fucLors LhuL muy

lnuence green bulldlng ollcy Seclcully when
usked ubouL Lhe lnuence of federul guldunce on
green bulldlng ollcy ln Lhelr communlLles clLles
und counLles were more llkely Lo suy lL ls noL very
lnuenLlul und resecLlvely whlle MSAs
on Lhe oLher hund lndlcuLed much more frequenLly
us comured for clLles und for
counLles LhuL federul guldunce lnuenced Lhelr
ollcles ln ull cuses sLuLe guldunce wus much more
llkely Lo be noLed us lnuenclng clLy counLy
und MSA ollcy on green bulldlng 1he
lnLernuLlonul Code Councll lCC hud more lnuence
on ollcy for clLles und counLles where ercenL
reorL lL us lnuenLlul us comured Lo MSAs wlLh
ercenL lndlcuLlng lCC us lnuenLlul
1he lmucL of wheLher nelghborlng clLles were
enguglng or noL enguglng ln green bulldlng
wus much less llkely Lo huve un lnuence on Lhe
clLy counLy or MSAs ollcy on green bulldlng ln
Lhelr own |urlsdlcLlons However wheLher locul
buslness leuders chumloned green bulldlng cleurly
lnuenced clLles counLles und MSAs
1he suorL of green bulldlng by locul
elecLed o cluls wus much more lmorLunL Lo clLles
und core clLes ln Lhe lurgesL MSAs Lhun
Lhe counLles
lucLors such us Lhe rlsk ussocluLed wlLh geLLlng
Lhe new code sLundurd wrong or LhuL Lhe currenL
Lechnology ls lncorrecL hud vlrLuully no lnuence
on ollcy for u cleur mu|orlLy of Lhe clLles counLles
und MSAs On develoer ushbuck Lhe LhreuL
LhuL u develoer would Luke Lhelr develomenL
elsewhere Lhe survey reveuls LhuL clLles
counLles und MSAs reorLed lL hud
llLLle or no lnuence Conversely fur fewer clLles
counLles und MSAs reorLed
lL dld huve un lnuence PollLlcul ushbuck from
develoers wus u llLLle more evenly dlvlded wlLh
neurly u Lhlrd of clLles counLles und
MSAs lndlcuLlng lL hus llLLle or no lnuence
comured Lo neurly u Lhlrd of clLles counLles
und MSAs reorLlng lL Lo huve uL leusL
some lnuence on ollcy ln Lerms of Lhe reorLed
lnuence of Lhe lmllcuLlons of globul wurmlng
Lhe dlerences umong MSAs clLles
und counLles ls sLrlklng llnully Lhe ClLles
for CllmuLe ProLecLlon CCP Muyors ugreemenL
ueurs Lo huve vlrLuully no lnuence for clLles
und counLles whlle u mu|orlLy of MSAs
reorL lL lnuenclng Lhelr green bulldlng
ollcles ClLles counLles und MSAs dlered ln Lerms
of cuuclLy wlLh regurd Lo ersonnel As execLed
MSAs hud much more cuuclLy und were more llkely
Lo huve u leud o ce or ersonnel dedlcuLed
Lo green bulldlng us comured Lo clLles und
counLles
As noLed ln 1uble u mu|orlLy of MSAs
ulso hud Len or more ubllc works ersonnel und
lunners und suorL sLu comured Lo u mlnorlLy
for clLles und counLles ln Lhe four
sLuLe sLudy 1he sume wus Lrue ln Lerms of suorL
sLu for MSAs clLles und counLles
lnLeresLlngly und by slgnlcunL murgln
more clLles und counLles do noL huve
LLLL AP uccredlLed sLu Lhun do Nlne ercenL of
MSAs reorL huvlng no LLLL AP whlle ercenL
reorL huvlng or more on sLu
Perhus even
more lnLeresLlng ls LhuL u slgnlcunL orLlon of
clLles counLles und MSAs do
Table 20: Staf and LEED AP Accredited Staf by City, County, and MSA
A signifcant
portion of cities,
counties and
MSAs did not
know how many
LEED AP staf they
may have.
Z
A LEE0 accred|led proless|ora| |s soreore Wro ras passed ar
exar, s|gra||rg ar advarced |eve| ol |roW|edge |r greer ou||d|rg
pracl|ces |r gerera| ard LEE0 cerl|lcal|or requ|rererls |r
parl|cu|ar.
ercenL of Lhe clLles counLles und MSAs ln Lhe

survey reorLed huvlng sources of green bulldlng
muLerluls LhuL would meeL LLLL sLundurds wlLhln
u mlle rudlus of Lhelr communlLy However
equully noLeworLhy LhuL ercenL of clLles
ercenL of counLles und ercenL of MSA
resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey dld noL know lf Lhese
muLerluls exlsLed wlLhln u mlle rudlus of Lhelr
communlLy
More Lhun hulf of Lhe clLles und ercenL of Lhe
counLles reorLed huvlng u develoer or urchlLecL
LhuL romoLes green bulldlng ln Lhelr communlLy
AddlLlonully clLles und counLles ln Lhe
four sLuLes ulso lndlcuLed LhuL Lhey huve formully
recognlzed green bulldlngs LhuL used u ruLlng
sysLem oLher Lhun LLLL such us LnergySLur
An overwhelmlng ercenL of MSAs reorLed
LhuL Lhey hud u develoer or urchlLecL romoLlng
formully recognlzed green bulldlngs lncludlng buL
noL llmlLed Lo LLLL cerLled bulldlngs
41 percent
of cities, 40
percent of
counties and 36
percent of MSA
respondents
indicated they
did not know if
green building
materials
existed within
a 500-mile
radius of their
community.
Table 16: Community Factors that Support Green Building
Table 15: Cities Perceptions of the Awareness of Green Building by Developers
Factors and their degree of infuence on green building policy
Economic Tools
AlLhough Lhe mu|orlLy of clLles counLles und MSAs
reorLed huvlng romoLed green bulldlng uslng
economlc Lools Lo fosLer green bulldlng wus lnfrequenL
ucross clLles counLles und MSAs us seen ln 1uble
ResondenLs ln clLles counLles und MSAs only noLed
uslng ve Lools reluLlvely frequenLly or frequenLly
1hese more frequenLly reorLed Lools unllke Lhe
oLher economlc develomenL Lools such us grunLs fee
reducLlon und Lux credlLs ure reluLlvely lnexenslve
Lo use
Policy Considerations
ln Lerms of green bulldlng belng u goul or rlorlLy for
u clLy u mu|orlLy of Lhe clLles lndlcuLed lL wus noL und
ercenL of clLles lndlcuLed Lhey hud noL esLubllshed
lnformul or formul guldellnes governlng green bulldlng
SevenLy ercenL of counLles ln Lhe sLudy dld noL huve
green bulldlng gouls or rlorlLles und u full ercenL
dld noL huve guldellnes or esLubllshed ollcles for green
bulldlng ln conLrusL Lo Lhe four sLuLe clLles und counLles
Lhe lurgesL MSAs ull lndlcuLed LhuL green bulldlng wus
u goul or rlorlLy und ercenL hud formul or wrlLLen
gouls und rlorlLles for green bulldlng YeL ercenL of
Lhe lurgesL MSAs dld noL huve elLher lnformul or formul
ollcles or guldellnes governlng green bulldlng however
u mu|orlLy dld huve formul or wrlLLen ollcles or
guldellnes on green bulldlng
Although the majority of
cities, counties and MSAs
reported having promoted
green building, using economic
tools to foster green building
was infrequent across cities,
counties and MSAs
Table 18: Policy and Guidelines for Green Buildng

Table 17: Use of Economic Tools to Promote Green Building
Research Methods and Findings Research Methods and Findings
Economic Tools
AlLhough Lhe mu|orlLy of clLles counLles und MSAs
reorLed huvlng romoLed green bulldlng uslng
economlc Lools Lo fosLer green bulldlng wus lnfrequenL
ucross clLles counLles und MSAs us seen ln 1uble
ResondenLs ln clLles counLles und MSAs only noLed
uslng ve Lools reluLlvely frequenLly or frequenLly
1hese more frequenLly reorLed Lools unllke Lhe
oLher economlc develomenL Lools such us grunLs fee
reducLlon und Lux credlLs ure reluLlvely lnexenslve
Lo use
Policy Considerations
ln Lerms of green bulldlng belng u goul or rlorlLy for
u clLy u mu|orlLy of Lhe clLles lndlcuLed lL wus noL und
ercenL of clLles lndlcuLed Lhey hud noL esLubllshed
lnformul or formul guldellnes governlng green bulldlng
SevenLy ercenL of counLles ln Lhe sLudy dld noL huve
green bulldlng gouls or rlorlLles und u full ercenL
dld noL huve guldellnes or esLubllshed ollcles for green
bulldlng ln conLrusL Lo Lhe four sLuLe clLles und counLles
Lhe lurgesL MSAs ull lndlcuLed LhuL green bulldlng wus
u goul or rlorlLy und ercenL hud formul or wrlLLen
gouls und rlorlLles for green bulldlng YeL ercenL of
Lhe lurgesL MSAs dld noL huve elLher lnformul or formul
ollcles or guldellnes governlng green bulldlng however
u mu|orlLy dld huve formul or wrlLLen ollcles or
guldellnes on green bulldlng
Although the majority of
cities, counties and MSAs
reported having promoted
green building, using economic
tools to foster green building
was infrequent across cities,
counties and MSAs
Table 18: Policy and Guidelines for Green Buildng

Table 17: Use of Economic Tools to Promote Green Building
Research Methods and Findings Research Methods and Findings
ercenL of Lhe clLles counLles und MSAs ln Lhe

survey reorLed huvlng sources of green bulldlng
muLerluls LhuL would meeL LLLL sLundurds wlLhln
u mlle rudlus of Lhelr communlLy However
equully noLeworLhy LhuL ercenL of clLles
ercenL of counLles und ercenL of MSA
resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey dld noL know lf Lhese
muLerluls exlsLed wlLhln u mlle rudlus of Lhelr
communlLy
More Lhun hulf of Lhe clLles und ercenL of Lhe
counLles reorLed huvlng u develoer or urchlLecL
LhuL romoLes green bulldlng ln Lhelr communlLy
AddlLlonully clLles und counLles ln Lhe
four sLuLes ulso lndlcuLed LhuL Lhey huve formully
recognlzed green bulldlngs LhuL used u ruLlng
sysLem oLher Lhun LLLL such us LnergySLur
An overwhelmlng ercenL of MSAs reorLed
LhuL Lhey hud u develoer or urchlLecL romoLlng
formully recognlzed green bulldlngs lncludlng buL
noL llmlLed Lo LLLL cerLled bulldlngs
41 percent
of cities, 40
percent of
counties and 36
percent of MSA
respondents
indicated they
did not know if
green building
materials
existed within
a 500-mile
radius of their
community.
Table 16: Community Factors that Support Green Building
Table 15: Cities Perceptions of the Awareness of Green Building by Developers
Factors and their degree of infuence on green building policy
rofesslonuls AfLer ussembllng Lhe mulllng llsL from

Lhe ubllc duLu uvulluble on Lhe ACC webslLe for
euch sLuLe Lhe rsL mulllng wenL ouL ufLer removlng
buslnesses LhuL were noL obvlously reluLed dlrecLly
Lo consLrucLlon such us lnsurunce comunles und
luw rms Lurly reLurns lndlcuLed LhuL some of Lhe
survey urLlclunLs dld noL feel Lhe survey ulled
Lo Lhem ln followu hone culls Lo everyone ln
Lhe ouluLlon ucross Lhe four sLuLes LhuL hud noL
yeL reLurned Lhe survey uddlLlonul buslnesses were
ldenLled LhuL hud lgnored Lhe survey becuuse
Lhey ulso felL Lhey lL dld noL uly Lo Lhem One
genLlemun exlulned hls buslness sulles concreLe
ums und Lherefore ls noL dlrecLly lnvolved wlLh
bulldlng consLrucLlon 1he uddlLlonul follow u
heled Lo focus Lhe ouluLlon of Lhe LurgeL grou
us well us encouruge uddlLlonul resonses 1he
resonse ruLe wus ercenL wlLh of
surveys belng reLurned 8y sLuLe lduhos ercenL
resonse ruLe wus Lhe hlghesL und WushlngLon
uL ercenL wus Lhe lowesL us seen ln 1uble
1he overull resonse ruLe of consLrucLlon lndusLry
members und lduho urchlLecLs of ercenL ylelds u
murgln of error of lus or mlnus ve ercenL
Local Government Research Questions
1he reseurch uL Lhe clLy level wus deslgned Lo
comure ndlngs umong clLles counLles und MSAs
Seclcully Lhe clLy survey quesLlons were
WhuL ls Lhe level of generul knowledge und
suorL und communlLy fucLors LhuL currenLly
exlsL Lo suorL green bulldlng
WhuL Lyes of cuuclLy ure Lhere ln Lerms of
esLubllshed gouls und ollcles und number of
ersonnel und Lhelr knowledge
How ofLen ure seclc economlc lncenLlve Lools
used und whuL ls Lhe lnuence of federul sLuLe
und locul fucLors on ollcy conslderuLlons
WhuL ure Lhe seclc
ldenLled burrlers und lncenLlves
for boLh green bulldlng und LLLL
cerLlcuLlon
Findings
Community Factors
Looklng uL Lhe uggreguLed
survey duLu rovlded by Lhe clLy
und counLy surveys ln Lhe four
sLuLes und Lhe Lo MSAs noL
u slngle locul governmenL reorLed LhuL Lhelr muyor
or counLy commlssloners do noL suorL green
bulldlng und furLher LhuL Lhe suorL from locul
leuders wus hlgh us seen ln 1uble See Aendlx
A for coy of Lhe locul governmenL survey
lnLeresLlngly Lhe reorLed uwureness umong

develoers of green bulldlng ls somewhuL less
ucross clLles und counLles Lhun MSAs ClLles und
counLles ln Lhe four sLuLes were less llkely Lo reorL
und LLLL cerLlcuLlon sLundurds Lhun MSAs
SlxLeen ercenL of clLles und counLles reorL LhuL
rucLlces ln generul whlle ercenL of clLles und
ercenL of counLles reorL LhuL develoers ure Lrylng
ouL und uslng LLLL sLundurds seclcully A full
ercenL of MSAs reorLed LhuL Lhelr develomenL
communlLy ls exerlmenLlng wlLh und uslng green
bulldlng Lechnlques und ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey
ure Lrylng ouL or uslng LLLL cerLlcuLlon sLundurds
CommunlLy fucLors LhuL mlghL lnuence green
bulldlng lnclude Lhe uvullublllLy of green muLerluls
neur ones communlLy develoers und urchlLecLs
knowledgeuble ubouL green bulldlng und exlsLlng
green bulldlngs ln Lhe communlLy More Lhun
Table 13: Construction Professionals Survey Response Rate by State

Table 14: Mayor/County Commissioner Support for Green Building Practices
Tre or|y d|llererce |r lre c|ly ard courly surveys Was lre lrsl
quesl|or Was crarged lror C|ly Vayor lo Courly Corr|ss|orer.
Add|l|ora||y lre Word 'c|ly Was suosl|luled W|lr 'courly lor lre
courly survey quesl|ors. Tre lop 101 V3As rece|ved lre exacl
sare survey as lre lour slale c|ly survey.
1uble hlghllghLs ndlngs on fucLors LhuL muy

lnuence green bulldlng ollcy Seclcully when
usked ubouL Lhe lnuence of federul guldunce on
green bulldlng ollcy ln Lhelr communlLles clLles
und counLles were more llkely Lo suy lL ls noL very
lnuenLlul und resecLlvely whlle MSAs
on Lhe oLher hund lndlcuLed much more frequenLly
us comured for clLles und for
counLles LhuL federul guldunce lnuenced Lhelr
ollcles ln ull cuses sLuLe guldunce wus much more
llkely Lo be noLed us lnuenclng clLy counLy
und MSA ollcy on green bulldlng 1he
lnLernuLlonul Code Councll lCC hud more lnuence
on ollcy for clLles und counLles where ercenL
reorL lL us lnuenLlul us comured Lo MSAs wlLh
ercenL lndlcuLlng lCC us lnuenLlul
1he lmucL of wheLher nelghborlng clLles were
enguglng or noL enguglng ln green bulldlng
wus much less llkely Lo huve un lnuence on Lhe
clLy counLy or MSAs ollcy on green bulldlng ln
Lhelr own |urlsdlcLlons However wheLher locul
buslness leuders chumloned green bulldlng cleurly
lnuenced clLles counLles und MSAs
1he suorL of green bulldlng by locul
elecLed o cluls wus much more lmorLunL Lo clLles
und core clLes ln Lhe lurgesL MSAs Lhun
Lhe counLles
lucLors such us Lhe rlsk ussocluLed wlLh geLLlng
Lhe new code sLundurd wrong or LhuL Lhe currenL
Lechnology ls lncorrecL hud vlrLuully no lnuence
on ollcy for u cleur mu|orlLy of Lhe clLles counLles
und MSAs On develoer ushbuck Lhe LhreuL
LhuL u develoer would Luke Lhelr develomenL
elsewhere Lhe survey reveuls LhuL clLles
counLles und MSAs reorLed lL hud
llLLle or no lnuence Conversely fur fewer clLles
counLles und MSAs reorLed
lL dld huve un lnuence PollLlcul ushbuck from
develoers wus u llLLle more evenly dlvlded wlLh
neurly u Lhlrd of clLles counLles und
MSAs lndlcuLlng lL hus llLLle or no lnuence
comured Lo neurly u Lhlrd of clLles counLles
und MSAs reorLlng lL Lo huve uL leusL
some lnuence on ollcy ln Lerms of Lhe reorLed
lnuence of Lhe lmllcuLlons of globul wurmlng
Lhe dlerences umong MSAs clLles
und counLles ls sLrlklng llnully Lhe ClLles
for CllmuLe ProLecLlon CCP Muyors ugreemenL
ueurs Lo huve vlrLuully no lnuence for clLles
und counLles whlle u mu|orlLy of MSAs
reorL lL lnuenclng Lhelr green bulldlng
ollcles ClLles counLles und MSAs dlered ln Lerms
of cuuclLy wlLh regurd Lo ersonnel As execLed
MSAs hud much more cuuclLy und were more llkely
Lo huve u leud o ce or ersonnel dedlcuLed
Lo green bulldlng us comured Lo clLles und
counLles
As noLed ln 1uble u mu|orlLy of MSAs
ulso hud Len or more ubllc works ersonnel und
lunners und suorL sLu comured Lo u mlnorlLy
for clLles und counLles ln Lhe four
sLuLe sLudy 1he sume wus Lrue ln Lerms of suorL
sLu for MSAs clLles und counLles
lnLeresLlngly und by slgnlcunL murgln
more clLles und counLles do noL huve
LLLL AP uccredlLed sLu Lhun do Nlne ercenL of
MSAs reorL huvlng no LLLL AP whlle ercenL
reorL huvlng or more on sLu
Perhus even
more lnLeresLlng ls LhuL u slgnlcunL orLlon of
clLles counLles und MSAs do
Table 20: Staf and LEED AP Accredited Staf by City, County, and MSA
A signifcant
portion of cities,
counties and
MSAs did not
know how many
LEED AP staf they
may have.
Z
A LEE0 accred|led proless|ora| |s soreore Wro ras passed ar
exar, s|gra||rg ar advarced |eve| ol |roW|edge |r greer ou||d|rg
pracl|ces |r gerera| ard LEE0 cerl|lcal|or requ|rererls |r
parl|cu|ar.
Survey Purpose,
Audience and Method
lollowlng Lhe focus grou evuluuLlon Lwo surveys
were deslgned Lo exumlne green bulldlng rucLlces
ln Lhe NorLhwesL 1o obLuln erceLlons from key
sLukeholder grous on green bulldlng develomenL
lncenLlves und burrlers Lhls sLudy mukes use of duLu
from Lhe Lwo surveys one for lunners und ubllc
works rofesslonuls und Lhe oLher for Lhe urchlLecLs
und consLrucLlon rofesslonuls
1hls secLlon of Lhe reorL rovldes un unulysls of
1he rlmury duLu collecLed uL Lhe clLy level und
Lhe ndlngs from LhuL duLu
1he counLy duLu und lurgesL MSAs by
uggreguLed resonses
1he uggreguLed lndlvlduul level duLu for Lhe
consLrucLlon lndusLry members und lduho
urchlLecLs
Local Government Survey, Findings
and Analysis
1he locul governmenL survey wus develoed ufLer
u hundful of lnLervlews wlLh lunnlng dlrecLors ln
lduho Oregon und WushlngLon und wlLh focus
grous ln lduho LhuL lncluded locul lunners und
ubllc works ersonnel 1he locul governmenL
survey quesLlons were ulso modeled from surveys
revlously used by Suhu und PuLerson und
1eson und were reLesLed wlLh selecLed
lnLervlewees for clurlLy 1he survey wus senL Lo
lunnlng dlrecLors ln clLles wlLh u ouluLlon of
or more ln lduho Oregon ULuh und WushlngLon
us well us ull of Lhe counLles ln Lhose four sLuLes ln
uddlLlon Lhe survey wus ulso senL Lo clLy lunners
ln Lhe core clLles of Lhe lurgesL MeLroollLun
SLuLlsLlcul Areus MSAs ucross Lhe UnlLed SLuLes
Lo beLLer undersLund Lhe wuy lurge und smull clLles
ln Lerms of ouluLlon muy dler or be slmllur

A remlnder leLLer wlLh u uer coy of Lhe survey
wus mulled uroxlmuLely Lhree weeks luLer
Plunnlng dlrecLors were ulso conLucLed by hone Lo
encouruge survey resonses 1he overull resonse
ruLe wus ercenL wlLh of Lhe clLles und
ercenL or of counLles resondlng Lo Lhe
survey 1uble rovldes Lhe breukdown by sLuLe for
clLles und counLles where lduho demonsLruLes Lhe
hlghesL resonse ruLe uL ercenL for clLles und
ercenL for counLles und ULuh Lhe lowesL uL
ercenL for clLles und ercenL for counLles 1he
overull resonse ruLe for Lhe core clLles of Lhe
lurgesL MSAs wus ercenL wlLh of clLles
reLurnlng Lhe surveys
Architects and Construction Industry

Members Survey
A second survey
wus develoed
ufLer lnLervlews
wlLh develoers
ln lduho
Oregon und
WushlngLon und
focus grous
wlLh lduho
develoers
urchlLecLs und
members of
Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry 1he survey wus senL by
osL Lo ull Lhe members of Lhe AssocluLed Cenerul
ConLrucLors of Amerlcu ACC who ure dlrecLly
lnvolved wlLh bulldlng ln Lhe sLuLes of lduho Oregon
ULuh und WushlngLon und ln lduho Lo ull of Lhe
members of lduho chuLer of Lhe Amerlcun lnsLlLuLe
of ArchlLecLs 1he cover leLLer lncluded u llnk so
resondenLs could elLher Luke Lhe survey onllne
or comleLe lL und reLurn lL ln Lhe selfuddressed
osLuge uld enveloe Remlnders were senL
uroxlmuLely Lhree und slx weeks luLer encouruglng
u resonse Lo Lhe survey Also ACC members
were conLucLed by hone Lo encouruge Lhem Lo
comleLe Lhe survey 1he sLeeesL chullenge of Lhls
survey wus geLLlng u resonse from consLrucLlon
Table 12: Local Government City and County Survey Response Rate by State
Photo featured (opposite page) is
an example of an eco-community
development in the UK.
1
Ar V3A |s craracler|zed as rav|rg a cerlra| core, corpr|s|rg ar
uroar|zed area ol al |easl 50,000 peop|e, logelrer W|lr adjacerl
courl|es lral rave soc|a| ard ecoror|c correcl|v|ly W|lr a |arger
cerlra| core. Tre oourdary des|gral|or ol ar V3A |s delerr|red oy
lre 0llce ol Varagererl ard 8udgel (0V8).
5
lr lre rera|rder ol lre reporl V3A W||| reler lo lre core c|ly ol lre
V3A lral resporded lo lre survey.
noL know how muny LLLL AP sLu Lhey muy huve

1he dlerence ln sLung beLween Lhe MSAs und
clLles und counLles ls llkely Lo be uLLrlbuLed Lo Lhe
lurger ouluLlon slze of cenLrul clLles of MSAs us
comured Lo Lhe oLher clLles und counLles sLudled
1he resondenLs were
usked Lo runk Lhe Lo ve
lncenLlves und burrlers Lo
green bulldlng As seen
ln llgure Lhe Lo ve
resonses were slmllur for
clLles counLles und MSAs
however Lhe fLh mosL
lmorLunL burrler wus u
slgnlcunL devluLlon wlLh
counLles lndlcuLlng consumer
educuLlon und MSAs noLlng
Lhe comlexlLy of Lhe
cerLlcuLlon rocess 1here
ulso ueured Lo be broud
ugreemenL LhuL ercelved
cosLs reul cosLs cosL Lo
reLroL Lhe bud economy
und Lhe luck of demund for
green bulldlng were Lhe mosL
lmorLunL burrlers Lo green
bulldlng rucLlces ln Lhelr
communlLles
As seen ln llgure Lhere
were severul Lles when lL
cume Lo runklng Lhe mosL
lmorLunL lncenLlves LhuL
encouruge Lhe udoLlon
of green bulldlng ln locul
communlLles 1he duLu
vurled ucross communlLles
buL Lhe fucLors LhuL Lended
Lo be runked more frequenLly
by clLles counLles und MSAs
lncluded nunclul uybuck
codes LhuL encouruge green
bulldlng und murkeLublllLy
of green bulldlngs
llgure lllusLruLes LhuL

Lhe mosL lmorLunL
burrlers Lo LLLL cerLled
bulldlng LhuL hud broud
ucceLunce umong clLles
counLles und MSAs were
once uguln ercelved
cosL reul cosL und Lhe
bud economy ClLles und
counLles noLed fucLors
such us u luck of demund
for green bulldlng luck
of consumers und luck of
consumer educuLlon MSA
resondenLs ldenLled
uerwork loud und
rocess uncerLulnLy us
Lhe fourLh und fLhmosL
lmorLunL burrlers
llgure reveuls
conslderuble vurluLlon
umong clLles counLles
1
L
L
L
u

und MSAs ln Lerms of whuL resondenLs conslder

Lhe mosL lmorLunL lncenLlves Lo encouruge
LLLL cerLled rucLlces 1he only fucLor LhuL ull
communlLles runked us relevunL wus nunclul
uybuck buL ln vurylng lmorLunce lour oLher
fucLors runked ln Lhe Lo ve lncenLlves for uL
leusL Lwo of Lhe resondenL cuLegorles of clLy or
counLy or MSA 1he four fucLors were clLlzens
lnLeresL murkeLublllLy of LLLL bulldlngs
ollLlcul vlslon und bunks romoLlng green
louns undor urulsuls 1he oLher fucLors noLed
lncluded exedlLed revlews recognlLlon for
bullders und develoers codes LhuL encouruge
green bulldlng educuLlon resources ubllc
ouLreucheducuLlon LLLL cerLlcuLlon us brund
udds vulue und Lrulned sLu wlLh green bulldlng
exerLlse
llnully oenended commenLs reveuled severul
Lhemes 1he mosL frequenL commenL wus
Lhe need Lo uddress reLurn on lnvesLmenL und
knowledge of green bulldlng und lLs cosLs und
beneLs AnoLher Lheme wus LhuL green bulldlng
ls dlculL ln smull clLles wlLhouL uddlLlonul
fundlng or sLu AddlLlonully munduLlng green
bulldng rovldlng educuLlon und lowcosL
resources us well us ucknowledglng oLher non
LLLL green bulldlng rogrumrucLlces were
oLher frequenL commenLs

Focus Groups - Comparison
Comurlng unswers beLween Lhe Lwo
grous on euch quesLlon muy be helful
ln furLher communlcuLlon und develolng
useful sLruLegles und
ollcles regurdlng green
bulldlng 1uble shows
Lhe Lo ve resonses for
clLy lunners und ubllc
works rofesslonuls
und members of Lhe
slde by slde for euch
quesLlon 8y undersLundlng
Lhe dlerlng ersecLlves
of Lhe Lwo sLukeholder
grous on euch quesLlon lL
muy be osslble Lo begln Lo
undersLund how Lo brldge
Lhe gus beLween Lhem
ln revlewlng 1uble
lL ls evldenL LhuL clLy
lunners und ubllc works
rofesslonuls reorLed
ve dlsLlncL elemenLs us
lmorLunL Lools reLurn on
lnvesLmenL erformunce
murkeLublllLy und ollLlcul
wlll und educuLlon
Members of Lhe
runked consumer demund
reLurn on lnvesLmenL und
bulldlng erformunce uL
Lhe Lo of Lhelr llsL und
Lhen runked cusLomer
vulue und educuLlon of
us lmorLunL 1he rlmury
dlerences ure LhuL clLy
rofesslonuls recognlzed
LhuL Lhey need ollLlcul suorL Lo Luke
on new lnlLluLlves und members of Lhe
develomenL communlLy recognlzed
Lhe lmorLunce of cusLomer vulue und
consumer demund for green bulldlng Lo
ensure longLerm feuslblllLy AddlLlonully
members of Lhe develomenL communlLy
olnLed Lo Lhe need for Lhelr own us well us
Lhelr sullers educuLlon ln green bulldlng
ClLy rofesslonuls felL sLrongly ubouL Lhe
educuLlon of Lhe ubllc wlLh regurd Lo Lhe
vulue of green bulldlng Whlle educuLlng
Lhe ubllc muy feed Lhe develoers
need for consumer demund of Lhe green
bulldlng roducL lL muy ulso meeL u clLys
gouls wlLh regurd Lo Lhelr cllmuLe chunge
lnlLluLlves und ugreemenLs lL ls cleur
LhuL boLh clLy lunners und develoers
vulued bulldlng erformunce und reLurn on
lnvesLmenL us lmorLunL Lo uchlevlng green
bulldlng gouls
ln Lerms of lncenLlves und lnformuLlon lL
ls once uguln cleur LhuL boLh grous luced
vulue on reLurn on lnvesLmenL However
Lhere wus u smull dlsconnecL ln LhuL clLy
rofesslonuls were much more llkely Lo
fusLLruck urovul for ro|ecLs whlch
could uddress develoers concerns wlLh
lnLerugency cooeruLlon und coordlnuLlon
ClLy lunners were |usL us llkely Lo Lurn Lo
Lhe denslLy bonus whlch ls u zonlng Lool
lnsLeud of reduced fees whlch ls more of
u dlrecL nunclul beneL Lo u develoer
Leveloers referred Lhe
more dlrecL beneLs of
reduced fees und ulso looked
for Lrends und roducL
lnformuLlon Lo hel ensure
Lhelr success NoneLheless
boLh grous suw soclul
resonslblllLy us un lmorLunL
lncenLlve ln fucL clLy lunners
muy look Lo recognlze und
romoLe develoers enguged
ln green bulldlng 1he burrlers
seen by boLh grous were
remurkubly slmllur wlLh cosL
und luck of educuLlon or
lnformuLlon Lolng boLh
llsLs 1he economy und
ollLlcul mlndseL were Lwo
fucLors clLy lunners noLed
LhuL develoers dld noL
ln Lerms of Lools und suorL
educuLlon Loed boLh llsLs
ulLhough euch udvocuLed for
educuLlon of dlerenL grous
communlLy were lnLeresLed ln
educuLlon for Lhe consumers
und clLy rofesslonuls were
more lnLeresLed ln educuLlng
ull grous lncludlng clLy
sLu PollLlcul wlll und locul
leglsluLlve suorL mude Lhe
Lo of Lhe clLy lunners und
ubllc works rofesslonuls llsL
communlLy reorLed needlng
more nunclul suorLs Lhrough lncenLlves
und exedlLed urovul rocesses Here
develoers were seurchlng for shorLLerm
suorLs und clLles were seeklng longLerm
suorLs wlLh much greuLer emhusls
on educuLlon for ull Lhe sLukeholders
consumers develoers und sLu
ln shorL for clLy lunners educuLlon
erformunce of bulldlngs ln Lerms of reLurn
on lnvesLmenL und energy conservuLlon us
well us ollLlcul conslderuLlons were Lhe Lo
rlorlLles noLed ln Lhe focus grous
Table 11: Comparison of the Top Five Factors for City Professionals and
the Development Community
Analysis
ln summury clLy rofesslonuls ndlngs reveul Lhe
lurgesL MSAs Lend Lo huve more cuuclLy for green
bulldlng Lhun clLles und counLles slnce Lhey huve
Neurly unlversul suorL from Lhelr muyors
Leveloers uslng Lhe rucLlces
Access Lo LLLL cerLled muLerluls of sLu
Leveloers und urchlLecLs romoLlng green
bulldlng
NonLLLL green bulldlngs ln Lhelr communlLles
Creen bulldlng gouls ollcles und guldellnes
A leud erson or oce resonslble for green
bulldlng
More ubllc works und lunnlng und suorL
sLu
AlLhough some of Lhls such us number of
ersonnel muy be u funcLlon of Lhe slze of Lhe core
clLles of MSAs lL ls noLeworLhy LhuL Lhey ure |usL
us llkely us clLles und neurly us llkely counLles Lo
lndlcuLe Lhey do noL romoLe green bulldlng 1hose
LhuL do romoLe green bulldlng reorL uslng Lhe
sume Lools LhuL clLles und counLles noLe MSAs ulso
show no greuLer Lendency overull Lo use Lux credlLs
fee reducLlon grunLs louns or nunclul uwurds for
green bulldlng Lhun clLles und counLles
lor Lhe mosL urL MSAs clLles und counLles ure
slmllur us well ln Lerms of fucLors LhuL lnuenced
Lhelr greenbulldlng ollcy However Lhe wuys
ln whlch MSAs dler from clLles und counLles
ure noLeworLhy llrsL federul guldunce ls more
lmorLunL Lo green bulldlng ollcy uL Lhe MSA level
whlle clLles und counLles ure more ln Lune wlLh Lhe
lnLernuLlonul Code Councll or oLher code drufLlng
bodles 1he suorL of elecLed ocluls ulso Lends Lo
resonuLe more wlLh MSAs Lhun clLles und counLles
llnully Lhe lmllcuLlons of globul wurmlng und Lhe
ClLles for CllmuLe ProLecLlon AgreemenL ure cleurly
more lmorLunL Lo u mu|orlLy of MSAs us comured
Lo Lhe frucLlon of clLles und counLles LhuL reorLs
Lhese lLems huvlng un lnuence on green bulldlng
ollcy a

Member Survey,
Findings and Analysis
A second survey wus conducLed Lo obLuln
lnformuLlon ubouL Lhe fucLors LhuL encouruge
Lhe udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces ln Lhe
eyes of Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry see Aendlx
8 for consLrucLlon lndusLry member survey ln
Lhe survey urLlclunLs were usked ubouL
Cenerul consLrucLlon lndusLry fucLors
LhuL mlghL suggesL some level of exlsLlng
lncllnuLlon for green bulldlng
ConsLrucLlon lndusLry cuuclLy ln Lerms
of seclc envlronmenLul suorLs und
ersonnel fucLors
1owurd LhuL end Lhe followlng seclc
quesLlons wlLh consLrucLlon lndusLry members
were uddressed
green bulldlng
WhuL ure Lhe seclc burrlers Lo udoLlon of
WhuL lncenLlves or lnformuLlon encouruge
WhuL Lools or suorL would encouruge Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces
WhuL ls Lhe demogruhlc muke u of Lhe
survey resondenLs
Findings
1he survey reveuled LhuL ercenL of Lhe
resondenLs belleved green bulldlng ls becomlng
more lmorLunL for Lhe comeLlLlve edge of
Lhelr comuny wlLh ercenL of resondenLs
lndlcuLlng LhuL LLLL cerLlcuLlon ls seclcully
becomlng lmorLunL for Lhe comeLlLlve edge
of Lhelr comuny As seen ln llgure Lhe ve
mosL lmorLunL burrlers Lo green bulldlng were
reul cosLs ercelved cosLs bud economy Lhe
cosL Lo reLroL exlsLlng bulldlngs und confuslon
umong green bulld rogrums 1he duLu on
lncenLlves und burrlers for LLLL cerLled bulldlngs
lllusLruLes LhuL Lhe blggesL burrlers for consLrucLlon
lndusLry members were uerwork loud reul cosL
ercelved cosL comlexlLy of cerLlcuLlon rocess
und confuslon umong green bulldlng rogrums
1he ve mosL lmorLunL lncenLlves for green
bulldlng us seen ln llgure were heulLhler
bulldlngs soclul resonslblllLy murkeLublllLy
of green bulldlngs lower llfecycle cosLs und
nunclul uybuck 1he Lo ve lncenLlves for LLLL
cerLlcuLlon ln order were heulLhler bulldlngs soclul

Tools that Encourage Green Building
Table 9: Members of the Development Communitys Ranking
Barriers to Green Building
Local government
professionals felt strongly
about the education of the
public with regard to the
value of green building.
Return on investment and
consumer demand were
some of the most salient
factors for construction
professionals.
g
Whot too/s or support wou/d
encouroge you to odopt green
bui/ding proctices
Consumer educuLlon Loed
Lhe llsL of ercelved Lools or
suorL LhuL members of Lhe
develomenL communlLy suw
us lmorLunL Lo udoLlng green
b lldl l b b

1he rlmury fucLors ldenLled und rlorlLlzed here
suggesL LhuL rsL members of Lhe develomenL
communlLy ercelved LhuL consumer demund drove
Lhe udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces 1he second
und Lhlrd fucLors comblned demonsLruLed lnLeresL
ln u sLrong reLurnonlnvesLmenL ROl suorLed
by hlsLorlcul evldence LhuL ROl cun be uchleved ln
Lhe locul murkeL 1hls wus followed by u ercelved
need for uddlng vulue Lo cusLomers und educuLlng
Bui/ding eve/opers Ouestion Whot lncentives
bui/ding proctices
lL ls cleur ln Lhe resonses Lo Lhls quesLlon LhuL
members of Lhe develomenL communlLy vlewed
nunclul conslderuLlons us Lhe rlmury drlver for Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces AfLer nunclul
lncenLlves u sense of soclul resonslblllLy cume ln
us second mosL lmorLunL 1he Lhlrd hlghesL fucLor
wus ProducL lnformuLlon und Lrendlng whlch
ueurs Lo colnclde wlLh Consumer deslre MurkeL
demund ln OuesLlon Resonses und suggesL
u erceLlon umong develoers LhuL Lhe lmucL of
Lhe urovul rocess wlLh munlclul lunners wus
lmorLunL boLh ln rovldlng conslsLenL guldellnes
und feedbuck us well us ln Lhe seed of Lhe revlew
rocess
proctices
1he rlmury resonses Lo Lhls quesLlon of burrlers
deulL wlLh Lhree fucLors 1he rsL of Lhese wus
Lhe cosL of cerLlcuLlon 1hls wus urLlculurly Lrue
wlLh cerLlcuLlon requlremenLs by seclc green
bulldlng sLundurds such us LLLL 1he second fucLor
wus Luck of LducuLlon for consumers sullers
und conLrucLors 1he Lhlrd cuLegory of lmorLunL
resonses seemed Lo deul wlLh erceLlons
ussocluLed wlLh Lhe descrlLors Lhemselves
mlsconceLlons skeLlclsm und ercelved cosLs
1hese muy suggesL LhuL Lhe urLlclunLs recognlzed
LhuL Lhere wus u dlsconnecL beLween Lhe reullLles
of green bulldlng und how green bulldlng wus
ercelved by vurlous grous Here Loo Lhe lmucL
of cosL concerns wus evldenL us boLh CerLlcuLlon
cosL und Percelved cosLs were umong Lhe ve
mosL lmorLunL fucLors
Members of the developer community perceive
that consumer demand is driving the adoption
of green building practices.

resonslblllLy murkeLublllLy of green bulldlngs

lower llfecycle cosLs und LLLL cerLlcuLlon us u
brund udds vulue
Social Networks and Adoption of Green Building
Neurly ercenL of resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey
frequenLly heur Lhelr colleugues Lulk ubouL green
bulldlng rucLlces und undersLund green bulldlng
rucLlces lorLyelghL ercenL of resondenLs
reorLed huvlng u lurge soclul und rofesslonul
neLwork 1wenLyelghL ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey ure
conslderlng enrolllng ln u rofesslonul uccredlLuLlon
course for green bulldlng 1hlrLyseven ercenL
lndlcuLed Lhey en|oy worklng wlLh green bulldlng
rucLlces und ercenL regulurly dlscuss green
bulldlng rucLlces wlLh Lhelr eers und colleugues
More Lhun ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey belleve green
bulldlng rucLlces huve slgnlcunL nunclul und
envlronmenLul beneL for socleLy would llke Lo
see green bulldlng rucLlces exunded yeL do
noL lnLend Lo nd more lnformuLlon ubouL green
bulldlng rucLlces LlghLyve ercenL lndlcuLed
Lhey ure noL concerned ubouL Lhe wellbelng of
fuLure generuLlons und ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey
belleve sclence und Lechnology ucLlvely beneL
humunlLy
Disseminating Information and Making
Connections
When usked ubouL sources of lnformuLlon Lhe
resondenLs Lo ve sources reorLed ln order
were Lrude |ournuls newsuer Lelevlslon
muguzlnes und Lhe lnLerneL 1he Lo
communlcuLlon meLhods were emull
cell hone Lelehone fuceLofuce
meeLlngs und LexL messuglng
Stage of Adoption
When conslderlng consLrucLlon
rofesslonuls uwureness of green
bulldlng rucLlces only ercenL
reorLed belng unuwure 1he lurgesL
ercenLuge of resondenLs
lndlcuLed Lhey ure curlous Lhe nexL
lurgesL cuLegory wus envlslonlng
Lhe use of green bulldlng rucLlces
Neurly u quurLer Lhough were
Lrylng ouL or uslng green bulldlng
rucLlces 1he duLu reecLed u very
slmllur uLLern wlLh regurd Lo how
uwure consLrucLlon rofesslonuls
belleve clLy lunners ure wlLh regurd
Lo LLLL cerLlcuLlon sLundurds Whlle ercenL of
resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey lnLend Lo Lry ulylng
green bulldlng rucLlces on u ro|ecL only
ercenL of resondenLs reorLed LhuL Lhey feel llke
Lhe huve Lhe knowledge resources und suorL
Lo lmlemenL green bulldlng rucLlces NlneLeen
ercenL of resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey huve eurned
u cerLlcuLlon ln green bulldlng rucLlces und
lnLended Lo seek ouL uddlLlonul lnformuLlon Lo
uld ln Lhe use of green bulldlng rucLlces 1wenLy
Lwo ercenL of resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey ure
currenLly uslng green bulldlng rucLlces on u
regulur busls und ercenL lun Lo conLlnue uslng
green bulldlng rucLlces ln Lhe fuLure Neurly u
quurLer of resondenLs suy Lhey uggresslvely seek
more lnformuLlon ubouL green bulldlng rucLlces
AddlLlonully only ercenL of resondenLs
reorLed seelng obvlous beneLs Lo Lhelr use of
green bulldlng rucLlces YeL ercenL lndlcuLed
LhuL Lhey encouruge Lhelr colleugues und eers Lo
A llLLle over ercenL of resondenLs reorLed LhuL
Lhey en|oy exerlmenLlng wlLh new Lechnology
1echnology ln Lhls cuse ls dened us Lhe
ullcuLlon of besL rucLlces Lo solvlng consLrucLlon
lndusLry roblems und ercenL reorLed Lhey
en|oy worklng Lhrough comlex roblems lorLy
Lhree ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey cun lmuglne comlex
gouls und Lhe uLh Lo reuch Lhem Neurly Lhree
quurLers of resondenLs lndlcuLed Lhey huve u greuL
deul more Lo uccomllsh ln Lhelr rofesslonul llfe
Demographics
1he demogruhlcs reveuled LhuL Lhe hlghesL
level of educuLlon uchleved by Lhe urenLs of Lhe
mu|orlLy of consLrucLlon rofesslonuls ls hlgh
school followed by Lhose huvlng u buchelors
degree und Lhose wlLh un ussocluLes degree
or musLers degree 1he hlghesL level
of educuLlon of Lhe resondenLs Lhemselves
wus u buchelors degree followed by hlgh
school Only ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey never
urLlcluLe ln rofesslonul or soclul orgunlzuLlons
und ercenL never Lruvel for rofesslonul
uroses A full ercenL lndlcuLed Lhey never
huve conLucL wlLh ersons or orgunlzuLlons
reresenLlng green bulldlng rucLlces
ln Lerms of lncome ercenL of Lhe resondenLs
reorLed Lhelr lncome Lo be or more
followed by ercenL lndlcuLlng Lhelr lncome wus
more Lhun buL less Lhun und
. . . green
building needs
to look at the
measurable
benefts and
provide empirical
data showing the
energy savings
and costs.
lLem suggesLs osslble room for chunge

munugemenL sLruLegles
A chunge munugemenL sLruLegy for exumle
mlghL enLull clLles uddresslng cosL concerns LhuL
ure hlgh ln Lhls lnsLunce clLles would be wlse
Lo emhuslze Lhe nunclul beneLs of green
bulldlng whlle dlrecLly uddresslng cosL worrles
1o uddress feurs of Lhe unknown Lhey cun Lry
Lo dellver lnformuLlon demonsLruLlons und
Lrulnlng ln convenlenL forms und venues und ln
euslly dlgesLlble chunks lf Lhese sLruLegles ure
closely coordlnuLed wlLh Lhe end users sLuges
of udoLlon llsLed elsewhere ln Lhls reorL Lhen
Lhey ure llkely Lo be more eecLlve ln muklng
frlghLenlng unknown fucLors of green bulldlng
more ucceLuble Lhus enubllng consLrucLlve
dlulogue on soluLlons
1he nul burrler llsLed by clLy lunners und
ubllc works rofesslonuls wus ollLlcul
mlndseL
City Projessiono/s Ouestion Whot too/s or
support wou/d encouroge you to odopt green
bui/ding proctices
When resondlng Lo Lhe quesLlon ubouL
Lools or suorL clLy lunners und ubllc
works rofesslonuls cleurly runked educuLlon
for ull sLukeholders munlclul sLu rlvuLe
develoers und Lhe ubllc uL lurge us Lhe mosL
lmorLunL ln fucL Lhe comblnuLlon of lLems
und LoLuls olnLs |usL for educuLlon und
Lrulnlng 1he second mosL lmorLunL fucLor
llsLed by lunners deulL wlLh ollLlcul wlll und
locul leglsluLlve suorL lLems und
show u comblned ollLlcul und leglsluLlve
fucLor LhuL ulls ln olnLs OLher fucLors on
Lhe llsL could be ulled ln for furLher suorL
of Lhese cuLegorles buL even wlLhouL dolng
so educuLlon und ollLlcul suorL gurner u
comblned ouL of osslble olnLs
City planners and public
works professionals
perceived that fast
tracking and approval
of green projects was an
important incentive to
adoption.

Barriers to Green Buildings
Table 6: City Planners and Public Works Professionals Ranking of Tools
that Encourage Green Building
ercenL lndlcuLed LhuL Lhelr

lncome wus ln Lhe runge of
Lo llfLeen
ercenL decllned Lo lndlcuLe
Lhelr lncome
llnully oen ended commenLs
reveuled severul Lhemes
1he mosL commonly clLed
commenL wus LhuL green
bulldlng needs Lo look uL Lhe
meusuruble beneLs und
rovlde emlrlcul duLu showlng
Lhe energy suvlngs und cosLs
AnoLher reoccurrlng concern
wus wlLh green wushlng und
Lhe osslblllLy LhuL uerwork
und cerLlcuLlon rocesses
muke Lhese eorLs unyLhlng
buL green und ulLlmuLely druw
lnLo quesLlon Lhe leglLlmucy
of green bulldlng rogrums
llnully develoers ulso
lndlcuLed Lhere should be more
recognlLlon of rogrums oLher
Lhun LLLL
Analysis
ln summury lL comes us no
surrlse LhuL Lhe rlmury
burrlers Lo udoLlng green
bulldlng rucLlces cenLer ulmosL
enLlrely uround cosLs 1he
Lhlrd fucLor bud economy ls
ulso cosLreluLed slnce we cun
ussume LhuL u bud economy
reduces roLublllLy 1he llkely
resulL of Lhls ls un lncreuse
ln cuuLlon rlsk uverslon
for Lrylng someLhlng new
1he fLh burrler confuslon over green bulldlng
rogrums ls ulso reluLed Lo cosL ln LhuL consLrucLlon
lndusLry members ure llmlLed ln Lhe resources
Lhey cun devoLe Lo leurnlng new Lechnlques und
sLundurds 1he luck of consensus on u green
bulldlng sLundurd meuns LhuL Lhey cunnoL commlL
Lo u slngle sLundurd wlLhouL uLLlng Lhemselves
uL rlsk for noL commlLLlng Lo whlchever sLundurd
emerges from Lhe uck us Lhe sLundurd for green
bulldlng 8ecuuse of Lhls uncerLulnLy consLrucLlon
lndusLry members muy declde Lo uvold sendlng
Llme money und oLher resources commlLLlng Lo
u sLundurd LhuL could be reluced Lhus renderlng
Lhelr exendlLure u less recoveruble cosL
WlLh regurd Lo lncenLlves Lhe resonses were
somewhuL unexecLed 1he Lo Lwo lncenLlves
llsLed were heulLhler bulldlngs und soclul
resonslblllLy 1hls suggesLs LhuL consLrucLlon
lndusLry members ure concerned ubouL rovldlng
bulldlngs LhuL meeL brouder socleLul needs und
gouls However Lhe nexL Lhree lncenLlves suggesL
LhuL Lhe Lo Lwo soclully orlenLed lncenLlves need
Lo be suorLed by murkeL demund und nunclul
beneLs 1he runklng of Lhe lncenLlves muy reecL
Table 21: Summary of Construction Industry Survey Data
numerlcully ln Lhe runklngs 1he rlmury fucLors

LhuL urLlclunLs llsLed were codes und ordlnunces
LhuL requlre green bulldlng cosLbeneL duLu Lhe
lower llfecycle cosLs of green bulldlng und Lhe
murkeLublllLy of green bulldlngs 1hese were seen
us Lhe rlmury fucLors LhuL encouruge udoLlon
1he nexL fucLors und muy be connecLed
slnce ubllc ouLreuch und educuLlon mlghL be
seen us leudlng Lo lncreused consumer demund
for green bulldlng 1he lusL cuLegory of fucLors uL
Lhe Lo of Lhls llsL ueurs Lo be ollLlcul lLems
und suggesL LhuL lunners und ubllc works
rofesslonuls see u need for boLh ollLlcul vlslon
und suorL for green bulldlng
City Projessiono/s Ouestion Whot incentives
bui/ding proctices
WlLh regurd Lo lncenLlves und lnformuLlon Lhe
sreud on Lhe resonses Lo Lhls quesLlon wus
nurrower Lhun for OuesLlon ClLy lunners und
ubllc works rofesslonuls ercelved LhuL fusL
Lrucklng und urovul of green ro|ecLs wus un
lmorLunL lncenLlve Lo udoLlon 1huL resonse
ueurs Lo doveLull wlLh Lhe second mosL
lmorLunL fucLor denslLy bonuses ln LhuL boLh
huve u oLenLlul nunclul lmucL on develoers
1hls ls furLher suorLed by lLem lncreused ROl
on green bulldlngs ln fucL golng down Lhls llsL
from Lo Lo boLLom Lhere wus u cleur emhusls on
nunclul lncenLlves elLher Lhrough reduclng cosLs
or rovldlng oslLlve lncenLlves for green bulldlng
llnully clLy lunners ulso suw Lhe fucLor of soclul
resonslblllLy us u ercelved lncenLlve for udoLlng
proctices
LeslLe Lhe lurger number of resonses Lo
Lhls quesLlon clLy lunners und ubllc works
rofesslonuls were sLlll uble Lo ldenLlfy some
common fucLors LhuL ose u burrler Lo Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces llrsL und
foremosL were Lhe ufronL cosLs ussocluLed
wlLh green bulldlng 1huL comblned wlLh Lhe
downLurn ln Lhe economy suggesLs Lhe uddlLlonul
lmorLunce of nunclul fucLors Second Lo Lhe
nunclul fucLors clLy rofesslonuls llsLed leur of
Lhe unknown us u burrler whlch when comblned
wlLh ReslsLunce Lo chunge lnLegruLlon
Table 4 : City Planners and Public Works Professionals Ranking of

un ucknowledgemenL of Lhe vulue of green bulldlngs
Lo socleLy us u whole ruLher Lhun un lndlcuLlon
of lndlvlduul moLlvuLlon ConsLrucLlon lndusLry
rofesslonuls ln generul see Lhelr rofesslon us
rovlders of Lhe bullL envlronmenL us u beneL Lo
humun socleLy 1hey en|oy seelng solld evldence
of Lhelr lubors und vlew LhuL evldence us Lhelr
legucy Provldlng u heulLhy bullL envlronmenL
LhuL beneLs socleLy muy Lherefore be seen us u
worLhy und udmlruble goul 1he rlmury lncenLlves
for udoLlng LLLL cerLlcuLlon suggesLs LhuL
Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry sees LLLL us rovldlng
heulLhler bulldlngs LhuL meeL u soclul need 1hls ln
Lurn ls seen us lncreuslng murkeLublllLy und brund
vulue Lo Lhose bulldlngs whlle lowerlng oeruLlng
und mulnLenunce cosLs
1wo of Lhe burrlers Lo Lhe udoLlon of LLLL
cerLlcuLlon us u sLundurd ure slmllur Lo Lhose
for green bulldlng ln generul lncludlng concerns
surroundlng cosLs However ln Lhe cuse of LLLL
cerLlcuLlon uerwork rocess comlexlLy und
confuslon umong green bulldlng rogrums suggesL
LhuL consLrucLlon lndusLry members muy feur LhuL
oLenLlul schedule und cosL lmucLs wlll resulL from
uncerLuln deslgn und consLrucLlon sLundurds 1hls
comblned wlLh Lhe rlsk of commlLLlng Lo u sLundurd
LhuL sLlll lucks unlversul lndusLry suorL suggesLs
LhuL LLLL cerLlcuLlon muy be ercelved us rulslng
rsL cosLs wlLhouL rovldlng u corresondlngly sure
uyo uL Lhe olnL of sule
When we look uL Lhe burrlers und lncenLlves on
LLLL cerLlcuLlon LogeLher we sLurL Lo see whuL
muy be u uLLern of wunLlng Lo ucceL LLLL us
u cerLlcuLlon sLundurd Lemered by u luck of
condence LhuL Lhe lncenLlves oered oseL Lhe
ercelved ufronL cosLs 1he resulL urLlculurly
ln u Llme when Lhe economy ls seen us oor muy
be LhuL LLLL ls seen us Loo rlsky wlLhouL more
convlnclng roof of uybuck
Accordlng Lo LvereLL Rogers u reseurcher
who lnvesLlguLed how lnnovuLlons muke Lhelr
wuy lnLo socleLy sLrong soclul neLworks ure one
lndlcuLor LhuL eole fuced wlLh someLhlng new wlll
full lnLo Lhe cuLegory of lnnovuLors Lhose eole
mosL oen Lo Lrylng someLhlng new OnequurLer Lo
onehulf of Lhe resondenLs full lnLo Lhls lnnovuLor
cuLegory of Rogers dluslon model 1huL suggesLs
LhuL Lhese members ure uL leusL oLenLlully
lnLeresLed ln wllllng Lo look lnLo und erhus
udoL chunglng consLrucLlon rucLlces lL furLher
suggesLs u oLenLlul oorLunlLy Lo Luke udvunLuge
of Lhese soclul neLworks Lo romoLe green bulldlng
Lo dlssemlnuLe lnformuLlon und Lo rovlde
demonsLruLlons Lrulnlng und suorL 1rulnlng
rogrums LhuL seclcully Lle Lhe consLrucLlon
lndusLry Lo green consLrucLlon rogrums sonsored
by munlclullLles und reglonul uLlllLles muy hel
drlve Lhls chunge 8y ueullng Lo Lhe lnnovuLors
ln Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry clLles und uLlllLles
cun glve Lhose lnnovuLors Lhe Lools Lhey need Lo
LrunslLlon lnLo ucLlve chunge ugenLs who ln Lurn
cun hel ull slower udoLers ulong ln Lhe rocess
lf green bulldlng udvocuLes cun mulnLuln buyln
from Lhese consLrucLlon lndusLry chunge ugenLs
Lhey oLenLlully cun hel drlve Lhe develomenL of u
crlLlcul muss ln Lhe eurly udoLer cuLegory
On Lhe fuce of lL Lhe conLrudlcLlon ln Lhls resulL
seems counLerlnLulLlve However lL muy be LhuL
consLrucLlon lndusLry members feel
LhuL Lhey ulreudy huve Lhe knowledge
necessury Lo emloy green bulldlng
rucLlces uL u level uL whlch Lhey feel
condenL of resulLs lf LhuL ls Lhe cuse
Lhen Lhese ndlngs muy suggesL Lhe
need Lo rovlde suorL mechunlsms
for Lhelr exlsLlng level of knowledge
und exerLlse ruLher Lhun lndeLh
Lrulnlng SubsequenLly suorL mlghL
Lhen roLubly come ln Lhe form of lnformuLlon
demonsLruLlons und smuller Lusk or Lechnlque
focused Lrulnlng oorLunlLles us green bulldlng
rucLlces conLlnue Lo chunge drlvlng new sklll und
knowledge needs lL muy be worLh noLlng LhuL ln
un lndusLry und reglon of Lhe counLry where one
mlghL execL greuLer reslsLunce Lo chunge und
reslsLunce Lo green bulldlng ln urLlculur hulf of Lhe
Table 22: Adoption Level and Strategy
Focus Groups
locus grous were conducLed ln 8olse lduho
wlLh Lwo key sLukeholder urLles clLy lunners
und ubllc works rofesslonul us well us bulldlng
develoers und owners 1he goul wus Lo exumlne
Lhe dlerences und commonullLles ln Lhe resonses
beLween Lhe focus grous wlLh Lhe ob|ecLlve of
evenLuully undersLundlng more ubouL Lhe lncenLlves
und burrlers Lo green bulldlng for boLh clLles und Lhe
Focus Group Questions
locus grou urLlclunLs were usked Lo resond Lo
Lhe followlng quesLlons wlLhln Lhe conLexL of green
bulldlng rucLlces ln generul und Lhen for LLLL
cerLlcuLlon sLundurds seclcully
green bulldlng
WhuL lncenLlves or lnformuLlon encouruge Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng
WhuL ure Lhe seclc burrlers Lo Lhe udoLlon of
WhuL Lools or suorL would encouruge you Lo
Are Lhere uny oLher Lhlngs LhuL mlghL lmucL
Focus Group Methodology
An uduLuLlon of nomlnul grou Lechnlque ls used
us un ulLernuLlve Lo brulnsLormlng us our rocess
for collecLlng resonses Lo Lhe ubove oenended
quesLlons AL Lhe end of Lhe rocess Lhere ls u
rlorlLlzed llsL of soluLlons or recommenduLlons
Seclcully ufLer Lhe concluslon of euch focus
grou we LubuluLed Lhe resulLs of Lhe runklngs
uccordlng Lo Lhe followlng scheme
1he olnLs for euch fucLor were Lhen udded und
Lullled Lo come u wlLh Lhe nul runklng us shown ln
Lhe Lubles followlng
Focus Group Results
1o geL un lnlLlul lcLure of Lhe oLenLlul dlerences
und commonullLles of clLy rofesslonuls und
bulldlng develoers four focus grous were
conducLed Lhe rsL Lwo wlLh clLy lunners und
ubllc works ersonnel und Lhe second Lwo wlLh
develoers consLrucLlon lndusLry members und
urchlLecLs Luch Lye of sLukeholder hud Lwo
seuruLe focus grous Luch grou generuLed
Lhelr own ldeus und runklngs As u resulL Lhe ldeus
fucLors generuLed by Lhe seuruLe focus grous
for euch of Lhe quesLlons ofLen do noL muLch
exucLly Where Lhey dld muLch exucLly Lhe resulLs
were comblned Where Lhere wus uny slgnlcunL
dlerence le LducuLlon und Consumer
LducuLlon Lhey ure lefL seuruLe 1he followlng
Lubles show resonses Lo euch of Lhe quesLlons
llsLed rsL by hlghesL olnL vulue und second
where olnLs were equul ulhubeLlcully
ClLy lunners und ubllc works rofesslonuls hud
u broud sreud of resonses on Lhls quesLlon us
lndlcuLed by Lhe muny lLems wlLh low score LoLuls
As u resulL Lhere were fewer fucLors LhuL sLood ouL
In conducting original research, focus groups and interviews were used to develop survey
questions that would provide empirical evidence to better sort out the barriers and
incentives that exist for green building and LEED initiatives.
To get an initial
picture of
the potential
diferences and
commonalities of
city professionals
and building
developers, four
focus groups
were conducted.
Table 2: Ranking Values for Focus Group Responses
resondenLs nd enough beneL Lo deslre greuLer

udoLlon
1hese lnformuLlon references comblned wlLh
eurller duLu on neLworklng Lend Lo lndlcuLe
LhuL u sLrong soclul neLwork exlsLs buL one LhuL
ls deendenL on ersonLoerson lnLerucLlon
boLh orully und ln wrlLLen communlcuLlon 1hls
ls suorLed by Lhe duLu LhuL mosL of Lhese
rofesslonuls huve subsLunLlve soclul conLucL wlLh
Lhelr eers wlLhln Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry 1he
lmllcuLlons for uslng soclul neLworklng Lools Lo
suorL Lhls lndusLry need Lo be consldered ln
Lerms of muxlmlzlng Lhe reexlsLlng neLworklng
sysLems ln oLher words Lhose udvocuLlng Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng rucLlces should work
wlLh Lhe communlcuLlon und neLworklng Lools LhuL
ure ulreudy ln luce 1he lnLroducLlon of uny klnd
of new onllne soclul neLworklng Lool wlll Luke Llme
und u good deul of murkeLlng ln Lhe LrudlLlonul
sources such us Lrude |ournuls und newsuers
before Lhose new neLworklng Lools cun ussume
un lmorLunL role us boLh u source of lnformuLlon
und u communlcuLlon Lool 1he more cosL eecLlve
meLhod for LrunsmlLLlng lnformuLlon ubouL Lools
und resources comlng onllne for consLrucLlon
rofesslonuls would be Lo creuLe uwureness uslng
Lhe soclul und rofesslonul
orgunlzuLlons LhuL ulreudy
serve Lhe needs of Lhe
consLrucLlon lndusLrys
members
LormunL bullL on
Rogers work Lo roose
ve renumed sLuges LhuL
eole go Lhrough when
conslderlng Lhe udoLlon
of someLhlng new 1uble
Luch sLuge hus u corresondlng sLruLegy Lo
muxlmlze Lhe sLuges success WhuL Lhese resulLs
suggesL ls LhuL green bulldlng udvocuLes do noL
need Lo worry ubouL udverLlslng buL lnsLeud
cun focus Lhelr eorLs on rovldlng lnformuLlon
demonsLruLlons Lrulnlng und suorL Any
murkeLlng LhuL needs Lo occur cun be done uslng Lhe
reexlsLlng soclul neLworks wlLhln Lhe consLrucLlon
lndusLry duLu resenLed eurller ln Lhls reorL
suorLs Lhe noLlon LhuL Lhls murkeL ls llkely Lo
occur us u selfsusLulnlng vlrul cumulgn of erson
Loerson conLucLs However Lhls duLu emhuslzes
Lhe need for welldeslgned und robusL resources us
soclul neLworks ure equully qulck Lo sreud neguLlve
ussessmenLs us oslLlve
Neurly hulf of ull resondenLs lndlcuLe u deslre Lo
lnLroduce green bulldlng rucLlces on u ro|ecL
buL only one ouL of ve lndlcuLe LhuL Lhey huve
Lhe knowledge resources or suorL Lo be Lruly
eecLlve ln Lheory LhuL leuves u slgnlcunL orLlon
of consLrucLlon rofesslonuls us u vluble murkeL for
LlghLly LurgeLed Lrulnlng rogrums und resources
A breukdown of Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry members
by sLuge suggesLs Lhe followlng dlsLrlbuLlon ucross
Lhe sLuges of udoLlon
1hls suggesLs LhuL eorLs Lo generuLe Lhe udoLlon
of green bulldlng ure besL LurgeLed uL rovldlng
1uble
lnformuLlon for Lhose |usL geLLlng sLurLed
LemonsLruLlons of rucLlce und nunclul reLurn
for Lhose ucLlvely conslderlng green bulldlng
1urgeLed Lrulnlng for Lhose reudy Lo sLurL
SuorL for Lhose ulreudy uslng green bulldlng
us well us for Lhose who ure llkely Lo become
ucLlve users us oLher sLruLegles become
eecLlve
lL ls lnLeresLlng Lo noLe LhuL whlle only ubouL one
fLh of Lhe resondenLs see obvlous beneLs Lo
green bulldlng more Lhun onequurLer suggesL
LhuL Lhey encouruge Lhelr eers und colleugues
Lo use such rucLlces 1hls muy suggesL LhuL Lhey
see oLenLlul longLerm beneLs Lo green bulldlng
undor LhuL Lhey feel Lhe soclul beneLs muke
green bulldlng worLh ursulng AnoLher osslble
lnLerreLuLlon ls LhuL Lhey deslre u more level
luylng eld where u beLLer overull undersLundlng
of Lhe buslcs of green bulldlng wlll ullow comeLlLlve
dlerenLluLlon vlu seclulLy
Neurly LhreequurLers of resondenLs lndlcuLed
Lhey huve u greuL deul more Lo uccomllsh ln
Lhelr rofesslonul llfe 1hls muy suggesL why over
oneLhlrd of Lhe members of Lhls grou ure noL
shylng uwuy from Lhe comlexlLy of ulylng new
Lechnology Lo solvlng dl culL und chullenglng
Table 23: Construction Industry Members and Stage of Adoption
Community and Developer Incentives

Whlch green bulldlng lncenLlves huve roven mosL
eecLlve 1he llsL of oLenLlul lncenLlves cun be long
buL Lhere ure u few LhuL seem Lo huve beLLer Lruck
records Lhun oLhers SuggesLed lncenLlves for clLles
Lo romoLe green bulldlng rucLlces umong Lhe
develomenL communlLy lnclude oerlng WuLson
Lower uLlllLy connecLlon fees

AcceleruLed ermlL urovul
LenslLy bonuses
Curbon rlclng
lmroved bulldlng codes
ConsLrucLlon worker Lrulnlng
rogrums
MurkeL educuLlon
However Yudelsons survey
reseurch concluded LhuL develoers
ure uwure of Lhese lncenLlves buL
donL ulwuys use Lhem One reuson
ls LhuL Lhe Llmlng of develomenL
declslons und Lhe resonse Llme of
locul governmenL donL ulwuys mesh
LogeLher lrom Lhe develoers olnL
of vlew money ls lmorLunL ln Lhe form
of Lux reducLlons buL equully or more
lmorLunL ure
A fusLer Llme Lo murkeL
More cerLulnLy ln Lhe develomenL
urovul rocess
AddlLlonul exlblllLy Lo udd more
suce lf murkeL condlLlons wurrunL
Yudelson
lurLhermore ercenL of resondenLs

suld locul governmenL lncenLlves ure
necessury Lo ucceleruLe green bulldlng
develomenL 1o muke Lhese lncenLlves
us eecLlve us osslble governmenLs
should lnvolve Lhe develoers ln
Lhe dlscusslon ubouL lncenLlve
develomenL Yudelson olnLs ouL LhuL
Lhls ls lmorLunL due Lo Lhe dlverglng
moLlvuLlons umong Lhe develomenL
communlLy lor exumle
ArchlLecLs clLed murkeLlnggood ubllclLy us Lhe
mosL slgnlcunL reuson Lo bulld green
Leveloers clLed denslLy bonuses us Lhe mosL
slgnlcunL reuson
A Summary of What the
Research Tells Us
1he reseurch oers severul concluslons for
governmenLs und Lhe develomenL communlLy us
summurlzed ln Lhe Luble below a
Table 1: Summary of Main Points from Reviewed Research
3
Trese |lers Were rol |r a ou||eled ||sl |r lre source
docurerl oul are d|sp|ayed |r ou||els rere lor ad-
d|l|ora| c|ar|ly.
roblems buL lnsLeud muy be wulLlng for Lhe

rlghL Lools und lnformuLlon Lo sLurL Lhls roblem
solvlng rocess 1he key Lo Lhls comes ln Lhe form
of welldeslgned Lools und lnformuLlon AdoLlng
u usercenLered urouch LhuL ldenLles seclc
user needs wlll hel reduce und mlnlmlze Lhe
osslblllLy of user re|ecLlon uL Lhe luLer sLuges of
lmlemenLuLlon Accordlng Lo Rogers u slgnlcunL
orLlon of lnnovuLlons full uL Lhe lmlemenLuLlon
use sLuge becuuse Lhey were noL deslgned bused
on Lhe needs of Lhe end user Creen bulldlng
rucLlLloners LhuL ure mosL successful Lend Lo use un
lnLegruLed deslgn urouch where key sLukeholders
usuully Lhose who mosL qulckly udoL someLhlng
new ure broughL ln durlng Lhe eurly sLuges of
Lhe deslgn 1hese eole ure hlghly moLlvuLed Lo
urLlcluLe und ensure LhuL Lhe deslgn wlll besL
serve Lhelr eers becuuse u good deul of Lhelr
rofesslonul und ersonul reuLuLlon ls deendenL
on Lhe success of Lhe lnnovuLlon ln oLher words
lf Lhose who choose Lo udoL green bulldlng und
LLLL cerLlcuLlon cun show Lhe rocesses Lo be
subsLunLlve und meunlngful Lhen us u resulL Lhey
look good whlch rulses Lhelr ublllLy Lo furLher
lnuence oLhers wlLhln Lhelr soclul neLwork
Rogers suggesLs LhuL eole wlLh u hlgher
level of uwurd moblllLy ure more llkely Lo be
lnnovuLors und wlll Lherefore be qulcker Lo udoL
someLhlng new Assumlng LhuL Lhe resondenLs ure
reusonubly reresenLuLlve of Lhe lurger ouluLlon
we cun ro|ecL LhuL enough rofesslonuls ln Lhe
lndusLry ure oen und lnLeresLed ln develolng Lhelr
sklll seL Lo |usLlfy lnvesLlng ln u comrehenslve seL of
suorLlve resources und Lools However uddlLlonul
reseurch would need Lo be conducLed before Lhls
ussumLlon cun be vullduLed Clven Lhe uvulluble
duLu u ouluLlon LhuL Ls Lhe demogruhlc role
wlll be su clenLly lnnovuLlve so LhuL un lnvesLmenL
ln develolng resources und Lools for Lhem would
be worLhwhlle ln buslness Lerms Lhls would be u
culculuLed rlsk well worLh Luklng
1hls lncome role lndlcuLes LhuL more Lhun hulf
of Lhe resondenLs full ln Lhe mlddle Lo uer
mlddle lncome bruckeLs Rogers olnLs Lo Lhe
uvullublllLy of muLerlul resources us belng u sLrong
lndlcuLor of lnnovuLlveness 1huL ls Lhe more
muLerlul resources you huve Lhe less rlsk uverse
you ure becuuse Lhe consequences of fullure wlll
noL lmucL you us much us Lhey would someone
wlLh fewer resources
Local Government and
Members Survey
Conclusions
Perhus Lhe mosL noLuble ndlngs ure evldenL
when conslderlng Lhe lnformuLlon ln boLh Lhe
locul governmenL surveys und Lhe consLrucLlon
rofesslonul duLu 1here ls u generul consensus by
clLles counLles MSAs und consLrucLlon lndusLry
members LhuL reul und ercelved cosLs us well us
cosLs Lo reLroL und Lhe bud economy ure sullenL
burrlers Lo green bulldlng ln generul und LLLL
cerLlcuLlon seclcully
An uddlLlonul burrler Lo more wldesreud udoLlon
of LLLL cerLlcuLlon by boLh communlLles und
consLrucLlon rofesslonuls ls Lhe uerwork
loud und ln Lhe cuse of MSAs Lhe comlexlLy of
cerLlcuLlon 1here ueurs Lo be u slgnlcunL
dlsconnecL beLween clLles counLles und MSAs
comured Lo Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry members
ubouL Lhe lncenLlves LhuL romoLe green bulldlng
1he only fucLors LhuL boLh grous ugree on were
Lhe nunclul uybuck und murkeLublllLy of green
bulldlng lL ls ulso noLeworLhy LhuL clLles generully
nd nunclul uybuck Lhe No lncenLlve und
runk murkeLublllLy fourLh whereus consLrucLlon
lndusLry members runk murkeLublllLy Lhlrd und
nunclul uybuck fLh ln Lerms of lncenLlves LhuL
encouruge LLLL cerLlcuLlon clLles und MSAs
ugree wlLh consLrucLlon lndusLry members only
on Lhe fucLor of murkeLublllLy whlle MSAs und
consLrucLlon lndusLry members ugree LhuL LLLL
cerLlcuLlon does udd brund vulue LeslLe Lhe
muLchus nunclul lncenLlves ure runked hlgher by
clLles und lower by consLrucLlon lndusLry members
1hls suggesLs LhuL clLles muy need Lo reLhlnk
Lhelr sLruLegles Perhus hlghllghLlng Lhe heulLh
und soclul resonslblllLy of green bulldlngs wlll
do more Lo udvunce green bulldlng Lhun nunclul
lncenLlves AddlLlonully Lhls evldence suggesLs LhuL
clLles currenL urouch of noL relylng on nunclul
lncenLlves buL ruLher low cosL lnducemenLs such us
ubllclLy demonsLruLlon ro|ecLs und educuLlon
ls un urorluLe sLruLegy ln Lhls wuy Lhey muy
hel fosLer Lhe murkeL LrunsformuLlon of demund
for green bulldlngs whlch ln Lurn lncreuses Lhe
llkellhood of u nunclul uybuck for u develoer
AlLernuLlvely one mlghL conclude lL muy be LhuL Lhe
nunclul lncenLlves oered Lo duLe ure noL known
Green
building
practitioners
who are most
successful
tend to use
an integrated
design
approach
noL by develoers buL by Lhe bulldlngs LenunLs

1hls suggesLs LhuL when murkeLlng Lhose bulldlngs
Lo oLenLlul LenunLs develoers und owners cun
seL u remlum on lndoor envlronmenLs deslgned Lo
lncreuse roducLlvlLy 1he resulL would oLenLlully
be u wlnwlnwln slLuuLlon umong develoers
who muy be uble Lo reullze remlums from green
bulldlngs owners collecLlng lncreused revenues
for leused suce und LenunLs gulnlng lncreused
e clency und roducLlvlLy resulLlng ln u slgnlcunL
lmucL on Lhelr orgunlzuLlons boLLom llne
8ulldlng sLukeholders ure lncreuslngly recognlzlng
Lhe myrlud beneLs of green bulldlngs beyond
energy cosL suvlngs ln urLlculur Lhls Lrend ueurs
Lo be drlvlng some of Lhe exonenLlul growLh ln Lhe
green bulldlng lndusLry ln Cunudu 1here ls currenLly
u sLrong buslness cuse for green bulldlng ln Cunudu
LhuL emhuslzes u more hollsLlc longerLerm
vlew of reul bulldlng cosLs Leveloers cun furLher
sLrengLhen Lhls buslness cuse Lhrough focused
collecLlon of evldence on Lhe beneLs of Lhelr
bulldlngs und educuLlng bulldlng sLukeholders ubouL
roducLlvlLy cosLs Lhey muy noL be conslderlng lor
exumle
Cood duyllghLlng muy lncreuse roducLlvlLy by
ercenL reLull sules by ercenL und school
LesL scores by ve ercenL
lncreused venLlluLlon muy lncreuse roducLlvlLy
by four Lo ercenL
8eLLer quullLy venLlluLlon cun reduce slckness by
nlne Lo ercenL
lncreused venLlluLlon conLrol muy lncreuse
roducLlvlLy by us much us Lo ercenL
lrom u humun erformunce sLundolnL green
bulldlngs cun oer numerous unlque beneLs when
comured Lo convenLlonul bulldlngs und Lhere ure
sLrong lndlcuLlons LhuL Lhese beneLs subsLunLlully
ouLwelgh Lhe reluLlvely smull lncreuse
ln consLrucLlon cosLs
Performance
Measurement
Much of Lhe debuLe over Lhe move
Lowurd green bulldlng rucLlces hus Lo
do wlLh develolng u seL of sLundurd
bulldlng erformunce meusures
und when Lo begln meusuremenL
One reorL concludes LhuL uddlng
susLulnuble bulldlng meusures ufLer Lhe deslgn
dlrecLlon of Lhe ro|ecL hus been esLubllshed ls
Lylcully fur more exenslve Lhun lncororuLlng Lhem
from Lhe ouLseL 8ude
8lrL und Newshum conclude LhuL eurly
generuLlons of greencerLled lncludlng buL noL
llmlLed Lo LLLL commerclul bulldlngs now huve
severul yeurs of occuuncy behlnd Lhem und enuble
us Lo exumlne lf Lhey ure llvlng u Lo execLuLlons
1helr uer revlews severul of Lhe osLoccuuncy
evuluuLlons LhuL reseurchers huve erformed
1he roblem Lhey run lnLo wus LhuL only u llmlLed
number of such evuluuLlons were uvulluble ln Lhe
ubllc domuln 1hls uccess roblem mude lL more
dl culL Lo druw solld concluslons However Lhey
Lell us LhuL Lrends suggesL LhuL green bulldlngs
on uveruge seem Lo be dellverlng reduced energy
use however u lurge sreud ln erformunce ls
ofLen observed meunlng LhuL lndlvlduul bulldlngs
do noL ulwuys erform us execLed OccuunL
suLlsfucLlon wlLh some usecLs of Lhe lndoor
envlronmenL ueurs Lo huve lmroved comured
Lo convenLlonul bulldlngs buL Lhere ure ureus where
execLed lmrovemenL Lrends ure noL reullzed
Progress in Adopting LEED
Standards
When evuluuLlng LLLL sLundurds udoLlon lL
ls worLhwhlle Lo exumlne wheLher ro|ecLs LhuL
seek LLLL cerLlcuLlon ure ucLuully successful ln
uchlevlng cerLlcuLlon
As of ubouL slx ercenL of new commerclul
consLrucLlon ro|ecLs ulled for LLLL cerLlcuLlon
Of Lhese ullcunLs only ercenL ulLlmuLely
guln cerLlcuLlon WuLson Some
ro|ecLs uurenLly uly for cerLlcuLlon ln order
Lo guln uccess Lo lncenLlves such us fusL Lrucklng
on ermlLs wlLhouL uny reul lnLenLlon of followlng
Lhrough wlLh cerLlcuLlon OLhers muy lnLend
Lo follow Lhrough wlLh cerLlcuLlon buL run lnLo
obsLucles und never uchleve nul urovul 1hough
Lhe hlgh uLLrlLlon ruLe ls dlscouruglng lL ls lmorLunL
Lo kee ln mlnd LhuL Lhe lnlLlul slx ercenL gure
looks only uL ro|ecLs seclcully ursulng LLLL
cerLlcuLlon 1he gure does noL encomuss
ro|ecLs whose ersonnel ursue oLher energy
cerLlcuLlon nor Lhose who use green bulldlng
rucLlces buL for vurlous reusons choose Lo uvold
cerLlcuLlon ulLogeLher
. . . adding
sustainable
building measures
after the design
direction of the
project has been
established is
typically far more
expensive than
incorporating
them from the
outset
or ure lnsu clenL ln Lye or quunLlLy Lo moLlvuLe

Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry As u resulL consLrucLlon
lndusLry members muy sLlll vlew udoLlon of green
bulldlng rucLlces us u rogresslve move on Lhelr
urL LhuL rovldes heulLh und soclul beneLs lor
Lhose develoers bulldlng green wlLhouL uddlLlonul
lnducemenLs muy be seen us Lhe rlghL Lhlng Lo
do und cun meeL Lhe currenL demund for green
bulldlngs by seclc segmenLs of Lhe murkeL YeL
lf suly does noL kee u wlLh currenL demund
Lhere muy be u need for uddlLlonul or more robusL
nunclul lncenLlves Lo lncreuse Lhe number of green
bulldlngs unLll Lhere ls un overull lncreuse ln demund
UlLlmuLely Lhls meuns Lhere ls more Lhun one wuy
Lo uLLrucL demund for green bulldlng from boLh
u develoers und u communlLys ersecLlve ln
communlLles where Lhere ure resources LhuL cun hel
guurunLee more green bulldlngs nunclul lncenLlves
muy be Lhe qulckesL mosL dlrecL wuy Lo uchleve
green bulldlng gouls However ln communlLles
where few nunclul lncenLlves exlsL one wuy Lo
fosLer green bulldlng ls Lo hel develoers sreud
Lhe word of Lhelr vulue Lo lndlvlduuls ln Lerms of
heulLh und envlronmenLul gouls Lo husLen Lhe
murkeL LrunsformuLlon for greuLer demund ln green
bulldlngs Cleurly communlLles LhuL cun uord
Lo rovlde lncenLlves or huve munduLes for green
bulldlngs could ulso beneL from generul educuLlon
und romoLlon of Lhe beneLs of green bulldlng us
well
Conslderlng boLh ndlngs from Lhe surveys ln
comblnuLlon wlLh Lhe focus grou duLu boLh
educuLlon und nunclul lncenLlves cun luy u key
role ln meeLlng green bulldlngs gouls 1ubles und
hlghllghL Lhe develoers ersecLlve of Luklng u
longLerm vlew of green bulldlng runklng consumer
deslremurkeL demund luck of educuLlon und
consumer educuLlon us very lmorLunL elLher rsL
or second on Lhelr llsL und clLy rofesslonuls ln 1uble
runked educuLlon us Lhe Lo Lool for encouruglng
green bulldlng AL Lhe sume Llme 1ubles und
suggesL develoers runked reduced fees und
reLurn on lnvesLmenL us Lhelr No lncenLlve und
cerLlcuLlon cosLs Lhelr Lo burrler ln 1ubles und
clLles equully noLe Lhe lmorLunce of cosL beneLs
und lncenLlves LhuL cun lower cosLs for develoers
less dlrecLly Lhun reduced fees such us exedlLed
urovul rocesses und denslLy bonuses und
uwureness of Lhe ufronL cosLs und Lhe economys
oLenLlul eecL on encouruglng green bulldlng
llnunclul lncenLlves ure ln Lheory u shorLLerm
Lool for romoLlng green bulldlng becuuse boLh
develoers und clLles reullze Lhe vulue of green
bulldlng buL undersLund u murkeL lLem cunnoL und
should noL be subsldlzed for longLerm susLulnublllLy
ln Lhe end lncreuslng consumer demund ls Lhe only
sure wuy Lo guurunLee reLurn on Lhe lnvesLmenL
AlLhough clLles muy recognlze LhuL subsldles ure
noL feuslble for longLerm susLulnublllLy clLles
ulso ure moLlvuLed Lo use nunclul lncenLlves Lo
geL Lhe bull rolllng becuuse of ollLlcul necesslLy
Lo meeL communlLy needs und rlorlLles All Lhe
whlle clLles demonsLruLe Lhey vulue Lhe lmorLunce
und role of educuLlon for ull sLukeholders for Lhe
urose of meeLlng longLerm gouls ConsLrucLlon
rofesslonuls ulso huve u role Lo luy ln murkeLlng
und educuLlon und demonsLruLe LhuL Lhey Loo
recognlze lLs vulue for longLerm susLulnublllLy ln
Lhe murkeL luce
Perhus noL us sullenL Lo Lhe overull ouLcomes buL
sLlll noLeworLhy ls Lhe dlscreuncy beLween Lhe
locul governmenL resondenLs und Lhe consLrucLlon
rofesslonuls ln Lhelr resecLlve bellef of Lhe
develomenL communlLys uwureness of green
bulldlng Regurdlng consLrucLlon rofesslonul
uwureness clLles und counLles Lend Lo underesLlmuLe
Lhe number of consLrucLlon rofesslonuls who
ure Lrylng ouL und uslng green bulldlng rucLlces
ClLy esLlmuLes lndlcuLe LhuL only ercenL of
consLrucLlon rofesslonuls ure Lrylng ouL und uslng
green bulldlng rucLlces us comured Lo Lhe
ercenL reorLed by consLrucLlon rofesslonuls
Lhemselves AlLhough Lhe MSAs reorL much
more use und exerlmenLuLlon Lhun Lhe
resondenL duLu from consLrucLlon rofesslonuls
ln Lhe Puclc NorLhwesL lL ls dl culL Lo generullze
Lhe resonse from Lhe Puclc NorLhwesL Lo ull
MSAs 1he dlerences beLween locul governmenL
und consLrucLlon rofesslonuls ure noLeworLhy
becuuse Lhey suggesL Lhe crlLlcul muss necessury
Lo meeL u murkeL LrunsformuLlon ln green bulldlng
ln Lhe consLrucLlon lndusLry ls furLher ulong Lhun
unLlcluLed by clLles AddlLlonully survey duLu
reveul u full ercenL ulso ueur olsed Lo move
Lo Lhe nexL sLuges of Lrylng ouL und uslng green
bulldlng Lechnlques ln Lhe end Lhe slmllurlLles
gus und dlerences beLween Lhe develoers und
locul governmenL ersecLlves und cuuclLy for green
bulldlng hel ldenLlfy some key nexL sLes a
In the end,
increasing
consumer
demand is the
only sure way to
guarantee the
return on the
investment.
uroxlmuLely ercenL of Lhe money ow

Lhrough u bulldlng Lhe resL belng umorLlzed
consLrucLlon cosLs oeruLlons und mulnLenunce
lncludlng uLlllLles WuLson Whlle
develoers Lylcully huve less of u sLuke ln emloyee
roducLlvlLy wlLhln u bulldlng Lhls suggesLs u
owerful murkeLlng olnL develoers cun muke wlLh
oLenLlul bulldlng owners Lo recou bulldlng cosLs
by lncreuslng Lhe vulue of Lhelr bulldlng
1here ls reluLlvely sLrong evldence LhuL bulldlng
churucLerlsLlcs und lndoor envlronmenLs
slgnlcunLly lnuence Lhe occurrence of
communlcuble reslruLory lllness ullergy und
usLhmu symLoms slck bulldlng symLoms und
worker erformunce SmlLh reorLs
An lncreuse of ercenL ln roducLlvlLy meusured
by roducLlon ruLe roducLlon quullLy or
ubsenLeelsm cun rovlde suvlngs Lo u fuclllLy LhuL
exceeds lLs enLlre energy blll lL ls eusy Lo see why
Lhls ls Lhe cuse by comurlng Lhe reluLlve oeruLlng
cosLs for commerclul buslness On uveruge
unnuullzed cosLs for ersonnel umounL Lo er
squure fooL comured wlLh er squure fooL for
brlcks und morLur und er squure fooL for energy
A modesL lnvesLmenL ln sofL feuLures such us
uccess Lo leusunL vlews lncreused duyllghL fresh
ulr und ersonul envlronmenL conLrols cun qulckly
LrunsluLe lnLo slgnlcunL boLLomllne suvlngs
1heoreLlcul und llmlLed emlrlcul evldence lndlcuLe
LhuL exlsLlng Lechnologles und rocedures cun
lmrove lndoor envlronmenLs ln u munner LhuL
lncreuses heulLh und roducLlvlLy Avulluble
exlsLlng reseurch ullows only rough esLlmuLes
of Lhe mugnlLude of roducLlvlLy gulns LhuL
oeruLors mlghL reullze by rovldlng beLLer
lndoor envlronmenLs However us llsk
suys Lhe ro|ecLed gulns ure very lurge lor Lhe
UnlLed SLuLes Lhe esLlmuLed oLenLlul unnuul
suvlngs lus roducLlvlLy gulns ln dollurs
ure uroxlmuLely bllllon Lo bllllon 1he
oLenLlul suvlngs und roducLlvlLy gulns ure lurger
Lhun Lhe LoLul esLlmuLed cosL of energy used ln
bulldlngs lor Lhe UnlLed SLuLes Lhe esLlmuLed
oLenLlul unnuul suvlngs und roducLlvlLy gulns ure
Lo bllllon from reduced reslruLory dlseuse
Lo bllllon from reduced ullergles und usLhmu
Lo bllllon from reduced slck bulldlng
syndrome symLoms und Lo bllllon from
dlrecL lmrovemenLs ln worker erformunce LhuL
ure unreluLed Lo heulLh
1udlLh Heerwugon ln u sLudy she conducLed ln
suggesLed LhuL green bulldlngs cun rovlde
boLh cosL reducLlon beneLs und vulue udded
beneLs 1he emhusls Lo duLe however hus been
on cosLs ruLher Lhun on beneLs 1he need for
more duLu on vulue udded beneLs underscores Lhe
lmorLunce of sLudles LhuL focus on Lhese humun
und orgunlzuLlonul fucLors She goes on Lo suy
lL ls ulso lmorLunL Lo recognlze LhuL Lhe beneLs
of green bulldlngs ure more llkely Lo occur when
Lhe bulldlng und orgunlzuLlon ure LreuLed us un
lnLegruLed sysLem from Lhe sLurL As olnLed ouL by
Cole lL ls enLlrely osslble Lo huve u green
bulldlng wlLh gruy occuunLs due Lo u luck of
sysLems lnLegruLlon und luck of Lrulnlng on how
Lo use Lhe Lechnologles ln Lhe mosL e clenL und
eecLlve wuy Cruy occuunLs ure ulso more llkely
Lo be found ln bulldlngs LhuL green lndlvlduul
sysLems ruLher Lhun Lhe envlronmenL us u whole
or ln bulldlngs whlch focus rlmurlly on Lechnology
Lo Lhe excluslon of bulldlng feuLures LhuL wleld
Lhelr eecLs Lhrough soclul und sychologlcul
mechunlsms And nully lL ls osslble for gruy
orgunlzuLlons Lo exlsL ln green bulldlngs Lhereby
usslng u slgnlcunL oorLunlLles for hlghlevel
beneLs resulLlng from resource e clency und
rocess lnnovuLlon LhroughouL Lhe orgunlzuLlon
Heerwugon
Whlle some of Lhe lmllcuLlons on bulldlng energy
e clency us u resulL of Lhe growlng knowledge
ubouL roducLlvlLy gulns from beLLer lndoor
envlronmenLs ure uncerLuln one mlghL suose
LhuL quunLled und demonsLruLed roducLlvlLy
gulns could sur Lhe develomenL of energy
e clency meusures LhuL huve u oslLlve lmucL on
humun erformunce
A UnlverslLy of Cullfornlu sLudy suggesLs LhuL Lhe
greuLesL lnlLlul culLul exenses on green ro|ecLs
reluLe Lo uchlevlng hlgher levels of energy e clency
und wuLer conservuLlon LxLernul cosLs ussocluLed
wlLh cerLlcuLlon sysLems mosL noLubly hlgh
consulLlng fees ulso udd slgnlcunLly Lo overull
ro|ecL cosLs 1hese ure cosLs LhuL Lhe develoer
normully shoulders so lL should be llLLle surrlse
LhuL develoers reslsL Lhese udded cosLs However
us ulreudy esLubllshed some of Lhe greuLesL gulns
from green bulldlng come Lhrough lncreused
emloyee roducLlvlLy und Lhose gulns ure reullzed
There is relatively
strong evidence
that building
characteristics
and indoor
environments
signifcantly
infuence the
occurrence of
communicable
respiratory
illness, allergy
and asthma
symptoms,
sick building
symptoms,
and worker
performance.
1he recommenduLlons full lnLo four broud
cuLegorles
MurkeLlng Lo Lhe ubllc Lo lncreuse demund
Pollcles und rocesses for develoers Lo suorL
nunclul uybuck
enuble greenbulldlng rucLlces
LLLL cerLlcuLlon Lo conLlnue green bulldlng
rucLlces
recommenduLlons fulls rlmurlly on Lhe clLles
success ln meeLlng green bulldlng gouls wlll only
be reullzed by ubllcrlvuLe urLnershls ln
Lerms of Lhe wllllngness of boLh grous Lo Luke
some lnlLluLlve Lo udvunce green bulldlng ln our
communlLles 1he nexL sLes ln Lhls secLlon ure
lnLended Lo hel clLles counLles uLlllLles MSAs
develoers bulldlng owners urchlLecLs und oLher
consLrucLlon lndusLry members romoLe green
bulldlng ln generul und ln wuys LhuL ure beneclul
Lo ull lnvolved
Marketing to the Public
8oLh clLles und consLrucLlon lndusLry members
llsLed Lhe creuLlon of uddlLlonul murkeLlng eorLs
resumubly Lo generuLe uddlLlonul consumer
demund us someLhlng LhuL could drlve Lhe
udoLlon of green bulldlng One recommenduLlon
Lhen ls LhuL clLles uLlllLles und consLrucLlon
lndusLry members should work wlLh exlsLlng
neLworks ln consLrucLlon lndusLry ussocluLlons und
reul esLuLe ussocluLlons Lo murkeL green bulldlngs of
ull Lyes Lo oLenLlul governmenL commerclul non
roL und resldenLlul consumers Whlle Lhls sLudy
dld noL exumlne consumer vlews on green bulldlng
Lhe llLeruLure on Lhe dluslon of lnnovuLlons
suggesLs
8ulldlngs LhuL comly wlLh lndoor envlronmenLul
quullLy sLundurds und guldellnes LhuL ure urL
of mosL green bulldlng ruLlng sysLems Lend
Lo rovlde heulLhler occuunL envlronmenLs
und Lhese heulLh beneLs cun udd dlrecLly
Next Steps
Based on the gaps and similarities in perspectives and capacities of cities
and construction industry members discovered in this study, several
best practices are identifed that may be appropriate strategies for
communities in the Pacifc Northwest.
lncreuslng shorLLerm roLs by curefully evuluuLlng

und selecLlng LLLL credlL ureus LhuL wlll huve Lhe
muxlmum reLurn Lhey muy ulso nd reudy nunclul
urgumenLs Lo uvold green bulldlng rucLlces due Lo
Lhe burden ussocluLed wlLh leurnlng someLhlng new
Balancing Short- and Long-term Interests
Accordlng Lo Lungdon Muny ro|ecLs ure uchlevlng
LLLL cerLlcuLlon wlLhln Lhelr budgeLs und ln Lhe
sume cosL runge us nonLLLL ro|ecLs Lungdon
CosLs ure reluLed Lo buL seuruLe from
beneLs Muny beneLs derlved from green bulldlng
rucLlces do noL ueur on shorLLerm ledgers buL
develoers und owners muy be uble Lo reullze Lhem
durlng Lhe llfeLlme of Lhe home or commerclul
bulldlng
WhuL Lhe Lrend Lowurd longLerm gulns from green
bulldlng does suggesL ls LhuL Lhose oeruLlng
bulldlngs over Lhe long Lerm cun execL Lo see
greuLer gulns 1ylcully Lhese Lyes of owners
federul sLuLe und locul governmenLs us well us
oLher longllved lnsLlLuLlons muy see Lhe greuLesL
reLurn on lnvesLmenL Also develoers relylng on
shorLLerm sules models cun ucLlvely murkeL such
beneLs Lo oLenLlul owners owners who muy be
very lnLeresLed ln longLerm oeruLlng e clencles
once Lhey ure mude uwure of Lhem Lo hel oseL
uny uddlLlonul rsL cosLs
lrom unoLher ersecLlve Lungdon suggesLs LhuL
ln muny ureus of Lhe counLry Lhe conLrucLlng
communlLy hus embruced susLulnuble deslgn und
no longer sees susLulnuble deslgn requlremenLs
us uddlLlonul burdens Lo be rlced ln Lhelr blds
Lungdon
Building Performance
A key reuson LhuL ro|ecL ersonnel udoL LLLL
sLundurds und ursue LLLL cerLlcuLlon ls Lo
reullze oLenLlul energy suvlngs ln Lhe bulldlngs
duyLoduy oeruLlonul cosLs Whlle lL ueurs LhuL
green bulldlng rucLlces do lndeed rovlde some
energy conservuLlon suvlngs Lhe cuse LhuL LLLL
cerLlcuLlon dlrecLly correluLes wlLh energy suvlngs
ls noL yeL wuLerLlghL
ln fucL ucLuul energy suvlngs ln some LLLLcerLled
bulldlngs huve been dlsuolnLlng 1hls muy be due
ln urL Lo Lhe nuLure of LLLL cerLlcuLlon lLself
Some bulldlng deslgners ursue LLLL cerLlcuLlon
seclcully Lo guln muxlmum energy suvlngs
However lL ls feuslble for ro|ecL ersonnel Lo
deemhuslze Lhe ursulL of energy e clency und
guln LLLL cerLlcuLlon by lnsLeud emhuslzlng
Lhe ursulL of credlLs ln slLe selecLlon wuLer use or
oLher ureus 1huL suld even when bullders do seek
Lo uchleve lncreused energy e clencles ln Lhelr
bulldlngs Lhey muy noL ulwuys reuch lnLended
conservuLlon levels 1o sLudy Lhls lssue Lhe USC8C
hus sLurLed Lo requlre ull new LLLL bulldlngs Lo
collecL oeruLlng duLu ufLer consLrucLlon ln un
eorL Lo connecL Lhe unLlcluLed e clencles Lo Lhe
bulldlngs duyLoduy oeruLlonul cosLs ln shorL
whlle Lhere ls some solld evldence LhuL Lhose green
bulldlng ro|ecLs LhuL lnclude u focus on energy
e clency do rovlde energy suvlngs reseurchers
conLlnue Lo guLher evldence
Human Performance
A develoer who cun reullze uL leusL u mlnlmul
nunclul guln muy nd uddlLlonul lncenLlves Lo
ursue green bulldlng deslgn und develomenL by
exumlnlng exLernullzed cosLs LhuL ure LrudlLlonully
overlooked WhuL ure some of Lhe reul cosLs of noL
lncludlng green bulldlng sLruLegles lnLo Lhe deslgn
of fuLure bulldlngs on Lhe eole who work ln Lhose
bulldlngs And whuL cun Lhe develoer udherlng Lo
u shorLLerm sules model do Lo druw uLLenLlon Lo
Lhese beneLs ln u wuy LhuL oseLs rsL cosLs lL ls
cerLulnly feuslble Lo romoLe Lhe greuLer good of
your communlLy whlle mulnLulnlng roLublllLy
WuLson usserLs LhuL Lhe consLrucLlon
und oeruLlon of bulldlngs requlres more energy
Lhun uny oLher humun ucLlvlLy 1he lnLernuLlonul
Lnergy Agency esLlmuLed ln LhuL bulldlngs
used ercenL of rlmury energy consumed
globully uccounLlng for neurly u quurLer of Lhe
worlds greenhouse gus emlsslons ln uddlLlon Lo
cosL und beneL comurlsons und energy suvlngs
reluLed Lo bulldlng erformunce green bulldlng
hus oLher dlrecL und lndlrecL economlc beneLs
lncludlng occuunL suLlsfucLlon und lmrovemenLs
ln emloyee roducLlvlLy erformunce und
reLenLlon 8ude Sulurles reresenL
While green
building
projects
that include
a focus
on energy
ef ciency
do provide
energy
savings,
researchers
continue to
gather the
evidence.
Lo u leuslng orgunlzuLlons boLLom llne
Lhrough reduced emloyee lllness und greuLer
roducLlvlLy 1he longLerm nunclul beneL cun
be murkeLed Lo consumers of green bulldlng
suce us u wuy Lo lncreuse Lhe remlum of green
bulldlng urchuses und leuses
lL muy be roLuble Lo focus on Lhe ruld
reLurns on lnvesLmenL LhuL cun be reullzed from
energy und wuLer eclency meusures ln green
bulldlngs whlch cun evenLuully exceed uny
uddlLlonul ufronL cosLs for green deslgn und
consLrucLlon us well us whuL feuLures Lo look
for ln green roerLles Lo uchleve Lhese gouls
1hls lnformuLlon muy be urLlculurly eecLlve
for Lhose consumers lnLenL on urchuslng or
leuslng bulldlng suce for longer erlods
of Llme
Some secondury beneL mlghL be gulned from
romoLlng Lhe urchuse leuse or renLlng of
green bulldlngs for reusons of u conLrlbuLlon
Lo greuLer soclul resonslblllLy ln Lhe form of
lmroved quullLy of llfe for Lhe communlLy und
lLs resldenLs
8y worklng ln Lundem clLles Lhe consLrucLlon
lndusLry und reul esLuLe ussocluLlons muy be
uble Lo creuLe enough murkeL demund Lo begln
overcomlng Lhe neguLlve lnerLlu cuused by Lhe
oor economy und begln Lo develo u crlLlcul
muss of demund for green bulldlngs ucross
murkeL secLors
lL muy ulso be useful Lo work wlLh locul reglonul
und even nuLlonul reul esLuLe ussocluLlons Lo
lnclude green bulldlng feuLures us seurch crlLerlu
on Lhe mulLlle llsLlng servlce MLS Lhrough
whlch consumers seurch for roerLy LhuL meeL
Lhelr crlLerlu lnLervlews reveuled Lhls Lo be
romlslng rucLlce ln PorLlund Oregon
Policies and Processes to Support
Financial Payback
As Yudelson suggesLs clLles counLles
und MSAs should work wlLh consLrucLlon lndusLry
members boLh lndlvlduully und ln concerL wlLh
rofesslonul ussocluLlons Lo creuLe ollcles und
rocesses LhuL hel rovlde nunclul lncenLlves Lo
udoL green bulldlng rucLlces Any such ollcles
should lnclude Lhe deLulled lnuL of consLrucLlon
lndusLry members Lo lncreuse Lhelr ucceLunce und
buyln lnLervlews reveuled such ollcles
mlghL lnclude buL would noL be llmlLed Lo
lusL 1rucklng lusL Lrucklng ermlLs for green
bulldlng rucLlces lnLervlews
lncenLlves for New ConsLrucLlon ClLles und
uLlllLles mlghL rovlde lncenLlves Lo develoers
who bulld Lhe lnfrusLrucLure Lo suorL Lhe luLer
uddlLlon of renewuble energy wuLer suvlng
und oLher green nunclully beneclul bulldlng
feuLures lnLo Lhelr new bulldlngs
lncenLlves for Lhe PurchuseLeuse of Creen
8ulldlngs ClLles mlghL conslder rovldlng
nunclul lncenLlves Lo consumers who urchuse
green bulldlngs when Lhose bulldlngs resulL ln u
decreused loud on uLlllLles und oLher munlclul
resources 1hls Lye of lncenLlve muy ulso be
beneclul Lo creuLlng u synerglsLlc demund
lncenLlves for ReLroLs ClLles und uLlllLles mlghL
rovlde lncenLlves Lo consumers who reLroL
exlsLlng bulldlngs wlLh renewuble energy
usslve energy suvlng sLruLegles wuLer suvlng
und oLher green feuLures LhuL resulL ln reduced
resource use 1hls Lye of lncenLlve muy ulso
be beneclul Lo creuLlng u synerglsLlc demund
Provlde SuorL for LLLL Pro|ecLs ClLles
mlghL conslder rovldlng LLLL uccredlLed
rofesslonuls on Lhelr own sLu Lo rovlde
suorL Lo consLrucLlon lndusLry members Lo
reduce Lhe cosLs ussocluLed wlLh Lhe
lnlLlul leurnlng curve on green bulldlngs
uddlLlonul cosLly uerwork loud
ldenLlcuLlon und lunnlng for Lhe mosL
murkeLuble green bulldlng feuLures
Information, Demonstrations, and
Training
Work wlLh consLrucLlon lndusLry ussocluLlons Lo
lun develo und dellver
ConsLrucLlon ProcessProcedure lnformuLlon
Seclc und LurgeLed lnformuLlon on Lhe
beneLs of green bulldlng Lo dlrecLly meeLlng
Lhe needs of consLrucLlon lndusLry members
MurkeLlng lnformuLlon lnformuLlon und
osslbly Lrulnlng for dlrecLly meeLlng Lhe
needs of members of Lhe reul esLuLe lndusLry
on oLenLlul feuLures und nunclul heulLh und
soclul resonslblllLy beneLs of green bulldlngs
1hls oLlon would need un lndeendenL
rofesslonul needs ussessmenL Lo verlfy boLh lLs
feuslblllLy und deslrublllLy
Professlonul LemonsLruLlons Professlonul
demonsLruLlons of green bulldlng Lechnlques us
requesLed by consLrucLlon lndusLry members
1hese demonsLruLlons should be drlven dlrecLly
Next Steps

resulLs by bulldlng Lye As u resulL Lhe sLudy
ullows reuders Lo comure cosLs for ucudemlc
bulldlngs llbrury bulldlngs luboruLory bulldlngs
communlLy cenLers und umbuluLory cure fuclllLles
Perhus more lmorLunLly Lhe sLudy evuluuLed
cosLs ussocluLed wlLh euch of Lhe LLLL credlL ureus
Lhus ullowlng develoers Lo lLer for oLenLlully
exenslve credlLs eurly ln Lhe deslgn rocess
ln u sLudy Lockwood ulso evuluuLed
commerclul reLroL cosLs ln hls reorL he usserLs
LhuL
A growlng number of comunles ure lmlemenLlng
green reLroLs of Lhelr bulldlngs Lo suve money
lmrove roducLlvlLy lower ubsenLeelsm und
heulLhcure cosLs sLrengLhen emloyee uLLrucLlon
und reLenLlon und lmrove Lhelr cororuLe
susLulnublllLy reorLs und brund equlLy ull uL u
reluLlvely modesL cosL However Llmlng ls lmorLunL
for comunles seeklng Lo use green reLroLs us u
olnL of comeLlLlve dlerenLluLlon Lockwood

Lockwoods menLlon of Llmlng ls erhus un
lmorLunL fucLor lnnovuLors ln u murkeL usuully
derlve u remlum eurly ln Lhe rocess lor lnsLunce
Lhose comunles who rsL roduced elecLronlc
culculuLors were uble Lo demund u hlgher remlum
unLll Lhose devlces becume more commonluce
UlLlmuLely Lockwood ls suggesLlng LhuL Lhose
who ure qulcker Lo lmlemenL green reLroLs on
Lhelr bulldlngs muy huve Lhe udvunLuge of beLLer
comeLlLlve dlerenLluLlon wlLh corresondlng
rewurds
YeL unoLher sLudy looked uL Lhe lncremenLul
cosL suvlngs of LnLerrlse Creen CommunlLles
CrlLerlu un lnvesLmenL culLul und develomenL
orgunlzuLlon LhuL devlses soluLlons for uorduble
houslng und communlLy revlLullzuLlon 8ourlund
As un orgunlzuLlon LnLerrlse hus
lnvesLed more Lhun bllllon slnce Lo hel
nunce more Lhun uorduble homes
ln communlLles nuLlonwlde LnLerrlse Creen
CommunlLles CrlLerlu requlres houslng develoers
Lo lmlemenL munduLory us well us u requlred
number of oLlonul crlLerlu 1hls sLudy found LhuL
When conslderlng Lhe beneLs reveuled ln our sLudy
Lhe uveruge cosL er dwelllng unlL Lo lncororuLe
Lhe energy und wuLer crlLerlu wus reLurnlng
ln redlcLed llfeLlme uLlllLy cosL suvlngs
dlscounLed Lo dollurs
ln oLher words Lhe energy und wuLer conservuLlon
meusures noL only uld for Lhemselves buL ulso
resulLed ln suvlngs of Llmes over Lhe ro|ecLed
llfeLlme cosLs Moreover wuLer cosL suvlngs shured
ln Lhls reorL ure ulmosL cerLulnly underreorLed
glven LhuL Lhey were unuble Lo obLuln comleLe
duLu on sewer fee suvlngs whlch ure u dlrecL resulL
of wuLerconservuLlon meusures 8ourlund
AnoLher longLerm fucLor Lo conslder ls LhuL some

cosLs ussocluLed wlLh green bulldlng ueur Lo be
Lled Lo u leurnlng curve Once exerLlse wlLh green
bulldlng rucLlces und Lhe cerLlcuLlon sLundurds
ure develoed cosLs muy go down However Lhe
leurnlng curve cun resenL u slgnlcunL burrler on lLs
own Whlle green develoers cun muke reul gulns ln
Energy and water
conservation
measures not only
paid for themselves
but also resulted in
savings of 2.5 times
over the projected
lifetime costs.
by lnformuLlon needs exressed by bullders und

develoers und could be rovlded on u regulur
or semlregulur busls us new bulldlng Lechnlques
ure develoed und sLurL Lo become ucceLed
lnLervlews
Cuse SLudles Levelolng euslly uccesslble cuse
sLudles showlng nunclul uybuck und reLurn
on lnvesLmenL for green bulldlng ro|ecLs
urLlculurly ln locul or reglonul conLexLs 1hese
cuses should be creuLed und dlssemlnuLed
ln close cooeruLlon wlLh members of Lhe
consLrucLlon lndusLry 1o Lhe exLenL osslble
focus should be on Lhose feuLures of green
bulldlng LLLL cerLlcuLlon LhuL reullsLlcully
rovlde Lhe mosL oslLlve lmucL on Lhe nunclul
ouLcomes of Lhe ro|ecLs 1hose feuLures
mlghL Lhen be Lhe sub|ecL of lnformuLlon und
demonsLruLlon eorLs llsLed ubove
1rulnlng ln Lhose cuses where Lhe knowledge
und sklll gus of consLrucLlon lndusLry members
cunnoL udequuLely be uddressed uslng
lnformuLlon or demonsLruLlons clLles uLlllLles
und consLrucLlon lndusLry ussocluLlons muy
work Lo LogeLher or ulone Lo develo LurgeLed
Lrulnlng Lo uddress more comlex sklll undor
knowledge gus AnoLher oLlon ls Lo conLrucL
wlLh ouLslde rovlders of Lrulnlng LhuL meeL
Lhe seclc needs of consLrucLlon lndusLry
members 1rulnlng becuuse lL ls exenslve und
erlshuble ln nuLure should only be used when
less exenslve oLlons ure unsulLuble ln Lhose
cuses when Lrulnlng ls culled for lL should be
develoed by cuuble lnsLrucLlonul deslgners Lo
ensure lL meeLs Lhe lnLended leurnlng ouLcomes
und uvolds rovldlng lneecLlve soluLlons LhuL
merely wusLe urLlclunLs Llme
Provide Support for Current
Users of Green Building and LEED
Certifcation
ln order Lo mulnLuln suorL und mulnLuln eurly
udoLers of green bulldlng und LLLL clLles should
conslder rovldlng Lhe followlng klnds of suorL
LoculReglonul Creen 8ulldlngs Suller LlsLs
ConsLrucLlon lndusLry members ln Lhelr focus
grous und survey resulLs ldenLled dlculLy
ln ndlng or noL knowlng of reglonul green
bulldlng sulles us one obsLucle Provldlng
und mulnLulnlng onllne llsLs of Lhe sullers
und locuLlons of green bulldlng sulles would
be one wuy Lo suorL Lhose who huve ulreudy
embruced green bulldlng rucLlces
LoculReglonul Creen 8ulldlng ConLrucLor und
SubConLrucLor LlsLs ConsLrucLlon lndusLry
members ln Lhelr focus grous ldenLled
dlculLy ln ndlng skllled und knowledgeuble
conLrucLors und subconLrucLors us one
obsLucle Lo udoLlng green bulldlng rucLlces
Provldlng und mulnLulnlng onllne llsLs of relluble
conLrucLors und subconLrucLors would be
one wuy Lo suorL Lhose who huve ulreudy
embruced green bulldlng rucLlces 1hls mlghL
be done uslng exlsLlng mechunlsms by huvlng
lndusLry ussocluLlons work wlLh rovlders of
servlce lnformuLlon such us Angles LlsL or by
creuLlng Lhelr own uccesslble dlrecLorles LhuL
ullow for consumer feedbuck
1hls klnd of llsL

for conLrucLors subconLrucLors und sullers
of Lhe green bulldlng lndusLry would go u long
wuy Lowurd muklng LhuL lnformuLlon noL only
uccesslble buL ulso eusler Lo rlorlLlze
Professlonul AssocluLlons wlLh Creen 8ulldlng
lnformuLlon Provldlng llsLs of rofesslonul
ussocluLlons LhuL huve neLworks und
communlLles LhuL ure ulreudy shurlng green
bulldlng rucLlces would suorL Lhose ulreudy
lnvolved ln green bulldlng
8esL PrucLlce lnformuLlon on Creen 8ulldlng
LLLL CerLlcuLlon Provldlng u cleurlnghouse
of besLrucLlces on green bulldlng 1hls mlghL
be rovlded by rofesslonul ussocluLlons clLles
unlverslLles or oLher Lhlrd urLy rovlders
Culendurs of LoculReglonul LvenLs CenLrullzed
culendurs rovldlng uccess Lo locul or reglonul
green bulldlng demonsLruLlons und Lrulnlng
1hese mlghL be mulnLulned by uny lnvolved ln
cooeruLlon wlLh lnLeresLed sLukeholder grous a
8
Arg|e's L|sl |s a lr|rd parly verdor lral co||ecls |rlorral|or aooul
corlraclors, serv|ce prov|ders, ard doclors. Trose oe|rg eva|ualed oy
lre|r cuslorers do rol pay lo oe or lre ||sl. 3|r||ar|y, lre dala co||ecl|or
lor lre ||sl |s slardard|zed ard lrere are ro aroryrous rev|eWs.
runge from un uveruge of Lo ercenL deendlng

on Lhe deslgn und exLenL of udded feuLures USC8C

Yudelson found LhuL of survey
resondenLs LhoughL LhuL green bulldlng currled
u four ercenL or more cosL remlum ln
Lhe sume sLudy ercenL of resondenLs clLed
ercelved cosL lncreuses us Lhe blggesL burrler Lo
green bulldlng und ercenL ercelved LhuL Lhey
hud noL recelved un udequuLe umounL of ubllclLy
or new buslness for Lhelr declslon Lo bulld green
Yudelson We cun seculuLe LhuL Lhls
muy be more of un obsLucle ln Lhe UnlLed SLuLes
where Lhe develomenL model shows u Lendency
Lo develo u bulldlng und Lhen sell lL shorLly ufLer
consLrucLlon ln Lhls urouch develoers seek
Lo mlnlmlze shorLLerm consLrucLlon cosLs u
fronL becuuse Lhey lnLend Lo sell Lhe bulldlng
lmmedluLely 1hls shorL Lurnuround sules model
meuns LhuL develoers Lhemselves do noL en|oy
Lhe longerLerm bulldlng e clencles resulLlng from
lower oeruLlng und mulnLenunce cosLs und Lhus
ure noL moLlvuLed Lo lncororuLe green deslgn
feuLures LhuL rovlde longLerm cosL suvlngs
Longer-term Cost Savings and Proftability
CounLer Lo Lhe shorLLerm develomenL model
Lhe US develoer ln Lhe ubllc secLor who owns
und mulnLulns u new bulldlng ls ln u oslLlon Lo
reullze Lhe lower oeruLlng und mulnLenunce cosLs
LhuL cun resulL from bulldlng green ln uddlLlon
Lhe more hollsLlc urouch LhuL LLLL cerLlcuLlon
romoLes resulLs ln oLher slgnlcunL buL less
ucknowledged cosL beneLs us well lor exumle
one Cullfornlu sLudy looked uL Lhe economlc lmucL
of green bulldlng ollcles uL u unlverslLy 1he
uuLhors found LhuL Lhe unlverslLy ulreudy emloyed
muny susLulnuble rucLlces ln Lhe consLrucLlon of lLs
bulldlngs ulLhough Lhe rucLlces vurled wldely from
ro|ecL Lo ro|ecL 1he unlverslLys muln reuson for
udoLlng green bulldlng rucLlces wus Lo oseL Lhe
ro|ecLed fuLure lncreuses ln elecLrlcul consumLlon
und energy ruLes 1o evuluuLe fuLure lmucLs Lhe
unlverslLy chose Lo Luke u sysLems urouch Lo
green bulldlng exLendlng Lhe Llme frume ugulnsL
whlch lL meusured economlc cosLs und beneLs
1he reorL recommended LhuL Lhe unlverslLys
ollcy lnclude u requlremenL LhuL cumus deslgn
sLundurds lncororuLe u mlnlmum number of
susLulnublllLy uLLrlbuLes such LhuL ull new bulldlngs
wlll uchleve Lhe equlvulenL of u cerLled ruLlng uslng
Lhe LLLL sysLem 8ude 1o uchleve Lhls
goul Lhe sLudy recommended LhuL Lhe unlverslLy
lnclude erformunce meusures ln Lhe ro|ecL
rogrummlng und budgeLseLLlng rocesses 8ude

AL Lhe Llme Lhe reorL wus ubllshed Lhere wus no
munduLe Lo documenL Lhe cosLs of seclc deslgn
feuLures meunL Lo uchleve green ruLlngs 1herefore
Lhere ure no comrehenslve duLu reecLlve of
Lhe robuble cosL of seclc green meusures
8ude However Lhere wus evldence
Lo suggesL LhuL Lhe unlverslLy could uchleve LLLL
cerLlcuLlon wlLhouL lncreuslng currenL sLundurd
bulldlng budgeLs 1he greuLesL lnlLlul culLul
exenses ure reluLed Lo energy e clency und wuLer
conservuLlon
A cosL revlew by Lungdon ln wus qulLe
Lhorough 1hls sLudy wus noLuble becuuse lL noL
only lncluded hundreds of bulldlngs buL ulso
becuuse lL Look Lhe unusuul sLe of cuLegorlzlng
The U.S.
developer in the
public sector
who owns and
maintains a
new building is
in a position to
realize the lower
operating and
maintenance
costs that can
result from
building green.
The California universitys main reason for adopting
green building practices was to ofset the projected future
increases in electrical consumption and energy rates.
References
8ude M leuslblllLy sLudy for u green bulldlng ollcy for Lhe UnlverslLy of Cullfornlu Preured by
Mlchuel 8ude Oce of Lhe PresldenL Leslgn ConsLrucLlon Servlces Muy
8lrL 8 Newshum C PosLoccuuncy evuluuLlon of energy und lndoor envlronmenL quullLy ln
green bulldlngs A revlew hLLwwwnrccnrcgccuob|lrcdocubsnrccdf
8ourlund L lncremenLul cosL meusuruble suvlngs LnLerrlse green communlLles crlLerlu
ReLrleved from hLLwwwgreenblzcomreseurchreorLlncremenLulcosL
meusurublesuvlngs
8ulldlng Leslgn und ConsLrucLlon WhlLe uer on susLulnublllLy Reed 8uslness lnformuLlon
November
Cole R Creen bulldlngs und gruy occuunLs Puer resenLed uL Lhe AlAUSC8C Conference on
MulnsLreumlng Creen ChuLLunoogu 1N OcLober
Llnsmore H RoberL 1r 1he unclenL musLer bullder un essuy MusLerbullder lellowshl for Lhe 8ullL
LnvlronmenL lnc hLLwwwmusLerbullderfellowshlcomugehLml
LormunL L lmlemenLlng Humun Performunce 1echnology ln orgunlzuLlons ln H SLolovlLch L
Kees Lds Hundbook of humun erformunce Lechnology nd ed Sun lrunclsco
CA 1ossey8ussPfeler
llsk W HeulLh und roducLlvlLy gulns from beLLer lndoor envlronmenLs und Lhelr lmllcuLlons for
Lhe US LeurLmenL of Lnergy Proceedlngs of Lhe Lvlslon Conference OcLober
WushlngLon LC
Creen8ulldlngcom Creen bulldlng Llmellne urchlved hLLweburchlveorg
webhLLwwwgreenbulldlngcomgreenHlsLoryhLml
Heerwugen 1 Creen bulldlngs orgunlzuLlonul success und occuunL roducLlvlLy 8ulldlng Reseurch
und lnformuLlon
lnLervlews lnLervlews conducLed by 1ony Murker und Susun Muson durlng All lnLervlewees
were ussured condenLlullLy und Lherefore ure noL noLed by nume
1eson 1r L 1 1he udoLlon of susLulnuble develomenL ollcles und Lechnlques ln US clLles how
wlde how dee und whuL role for lunners 1ournul of Plunnlng LducuLlon und Reseurch
KuLs C Creenlng Amerlcus schools cosLs und beneLs Avulluble uL hLLwwwcuecom

ewebedlLrolLemsOldf
Lungdon L 1he cosL of green revlslLed Reexumlnlng Lhe feuslblllLy und cosL lmucL of susLulnuble
deslgn ln Lhe llghL of lncreused murkeL udoLlon ReLrleved on Lecember from hLL
wwwusgbcorgLlsluyPugeusxCMSPugelL
Lewls P C Looklng ouLwurd or Lurnlng lnwurd MoLlvuLlons for develomenL declslons ln
Cullfornlu cenLrul clLles und suburbs Urbun Aulrs Revlew
Lockwood C 1he dollurs und sense of green reLroLs 1olnL sLudy by LelolLLe und Churles
Lockwood ReLrleved on Lecember from hLLwwwdelolLLecomusseLsLcom
UnlLedSLuLesLoculAsseLsLocumenLsusreLollursSenseReLroLsdf
Morrls P Lungdon L WhuL does green reully cosL PRLA OuurLerly ReLrleved on Lecember
from hLLwwwcusLuLemnusoeugreenbulldlngcosLcfm
References

What Is Really Known About the Pros
and Cons of Green Building? Research
Evidence
What is really known about green building practices and more specifcally, the efects
of implementing LEED standards? There has been a great deal of discussion and more
than a small amount of hype about green building. That discussion has coincided
with growing awareness about the impact of human activity on the global climate
and a growing urgency to conserve energy and curb emissions. Evidence and research
substantiate some of the discussion, while other discussion areas fall into the categories
of anecdote or hearsay. How does one separate fact from fction? There is a large body
of documented research available for LEED-certifed buildings (as opposed to data on
buildings designed and constructed using other green guidelines), so this section reviews
that research to see what is currently known about the pros and cons of building green
within the LEED framework.
Costs
1he US develomenL communlLy lurgely reLulns Lhe
erceLlon LhuL new or reLroLLed LLLLcerLled
green bulldlngs cosL more Lhun convenLlonully
consLrucLed bulldlngs 1hough Lhere cun be reul und
ercelved rsL cosL remlums muny bulldlng owners
urLlculurly ln Lhe ubllc secLor ure reullzlng long
Lerm suvlngs ln lower oeruLlng und mulnLenunce
cosLs us well us ln Lhe slgnlcunL cosLs ussocluLed
wlLh ersonnel or LenunL uLLrucLlon reLenLlon und
roducLlvlLy
First Costs
One of Lhe blggesL obsLucles Lo udoLlng green
bulldlng rucLlces ln generul und LLLL cerLlcuLlon
seclcully ls u erceLlon LhuL Lhose bulldlngs
wlll cosL more Lo consLrucL PeLer Morrls und Luvld
Lungdons urLlcle WhuL Loes Creen Reully
CosL usserLs
1he mosL common reuson clLed ln sLudles for noL
lncludlng green elemenLs lnLo bulldlng deslgns ls Lhe
lncreuse ln rsL cosL Peole who ure green uverse
ure huy Lo reluLe unecdoLes of remlums ln excess
of Lo muke Lhelr bulldlngs green 1he numbers
ure slmly noL however borne ouL by Lhe fucLs
us evldenced by muny sLudles of Lhe cosL of green
bulldlng Lven Lhough Lhere ls no oneslzeLs
ull unswer Lo Lhe cosL quesLlon lL ls cleur from Lhe
subsLunLlul welghL of evldence ln Lhe murkeLluce
LhuL reusonuble levels of susLulnuble deslgn cun be
lncororuLed lnLo mosL bulldlng Lyes uL llLLle or no
uddlLlonul cosL Morrls Lungdon
1he USC8C ln u NuLlonul 1rends for Hlgh
Performunce Creen 8ulldlngs reorL chlmed ln on
Lhls lssue us well clLlng Lhe lmorLunce of evuluuLlng
Lhe cosLs of u bulldlngs llfe cycle ruLher Lhun looklng
only uL rsL cosLs 1hey concluded
Of Lhe LoLul exendlLures un owner wlll muke over
Lhe sun of u bulldlngs servlce llfeLlme deslgn und
consLrucLlon exendlLures Lhe soculled rsL cosLs
of u fuclllLy uccounL for |usL ercenL ln conLrusL
oeruLlons und mulnLenunce cosLs uccounL for
ercenL of Lhe LoLul llfecycle cosLs UnforLunuLely
declslonmukers rurely use llfe cycle cosL unulysls
Lo llnk culLul und oeruLlng exenses 1herefore
energy suvlngs decreused worker ubsenLeelsm und
hlgher roducLlvlLy ure noL unlversully uccounLed for
ln Lhe cosL equuLlon USC8C
However LhuL sume sLudy udmlLLed LhuL Lhere were
sLlll reul und ercelved hlgher rsL cosLs ussocluLed
wlLh lncororuLlng green deslgn feuLures
Whlle muny green bulldlngs ure deslgned und
consLrucLed uL comuruble or even lower cosLs Lhun
convenLlonul bulldlngs envlronmenLul erformunce
feuLures cun udd cosLs Lo deslgn und consLrucLlon
exendlLures Accordlng Lo green bulldlng
rofesslonuls such lnlLlul cosL lncreuses generully
Rogers L Lluslon of lnnovuLlons Lh ed New York NY lree Press

Suhu L PuLerson R C Locul governmenL eorLs Lo romoLe Lhe 1hree Ls of susLulnuble
develomenL Survey ln medlum Lo lurge clLles ln Lhe UnlLed SLuLes 1ournul of Plunnlng LducuLlon
und Reseurch
SmlLh A 8ulldlng momenLum NuLlonul Lrends und rosecLs for hlgherformunce green bulldlngs
ReorL by Lhe US Creen 8ulldlng Councll for Lhe US SenuLe CommlLLee on LnvlronmenL und
Publlc Works USC8C WushlngLon LC
Sulllvun L M Locul governmenLs us rlsk Lukers und rlsk reducers An exumlnuLlon of buslness
subsldles und subsldy conLrols Lconomlc LevelomenL OuurLerly
1urner C lrunkel M Lnergy erformunce of LLLL for new consLrucLlon bulldlngs New 8ulldlngs
lnsLlLuLe ReLrleved on OcLober from hLLwwwnewbulldlngsorgdownlouds
LnergyPerformunceofLLLLNC8ulldlngsllnulbdf
1urner C LLLL bulldlng erformunce ln Lhe Cuscudlu Reglon A osL occuuncy evuluuLlon reorL
Cuscudlu Reglon Creen 8ulldlng Councll PorLlund OR
1orcelllnl P Leru M CrlLh 8 Long N Pless S 1udko R Cruwley L Lessons leurned
from eld evuluuLlon of slx hlgherformunce bulldlngs Amerlcun Councll for un LnergyLclenL
Lconomy Summer SLudy on Lnergy Lclency ln 8ulldlngs Puclc Crove CA
U S Conference of Muyors CllmuLe ProLecLlon CenLer US Conference of Muyors CllmuLe ProLecLlon
AgreemenL ReLrleved Muy from hLLwwwusmuyorsorg cllmuLeroLecLlon
US Lnergy lnformuLlon AdmlnlsLruLlon Lmlsslons of greenhouse guses reorL ReLrleved 1une
from hLLwwweludoegovolufggrLlndexhLml
US Lnergy lnformuLlon AdmlnlsLruLlonb Lmlsslons of green house guses ln Lhe UnlLed SLuLes
ReLrleved Lecember from hLLwwweludoegovolufurchlveggrLlndexhLml
US Lnergy lnformuLlon AdmlnlsLruLlonc Lnergy ln 8rlef ReLrleved OcLober from hLL
LonLoeludoegovenergylnbrlefgreenhouseguscfm
US LnvlronmenLul ProLecLlon Agency Lmlsslon fucLs greenhouse gus emlsslons from u Lylcul
ussenger vehlcle ReLrleved AugusL from hLLwwweugovOMScllmuLef
hLm
US LnvlronmenLul ProLecLlon Agencyb Creen bulldlng hlsLory ln Lhe US ReLrleved 1unuury
from hLLwwweugovgreenbulldlngubsubouLhLm
US Creen 8ulldlng Councll AbouL USC8C ReLrleved on 1unuury from hLLwwwusgbc
orgLlsluyPugeusxCMSPugelL
US Creen 8ulldlng Councll 8ulldlng momenLum NuLlonul Lrends for hlgherformunce
green bulldlngs ReLrleved on Lecember from hLLwwwusgbcorgLlsluyPuge
usxCMSPugelL
PRNewswlreUSNewswlre Shlnsekl Aluuds 1o RuLlng by lndeendenL Crou WASHlNC1ON
Lec ReLrleved Lecember from hLLwwwredorblLcomnewsbuslness
envlronmenLulcerLlcuLlonuwurdedLobolsevubeneLsoce
WuLson R Creen bulldlng lmucL reorL ReLrleved on Lecember from hLLwww
greenblzcomreseurchreorLgreenbulldlnglmucLreorL
Yudelson AssocluLes Creen bulldlng lncenLlves LhuL work A look uL how locul governmenLs ure
lncenLlvlzlng green develomenL ReLrleved on Lecember from hLLwwwnuloorg
founduLlongreenlncenLlvesdf

Appendix A
Green Building Survey
As our communities develop it is important to understand why some green buildi ng practices are more accepted by and
accessible to cities, developers, planners and other stakeholders. Your responses to this questionnaire are important for
understanding more about green buildi ng practices and standards which may affect the way our communities grow.

As you complete the survey please keep in mind that green building is a term used to describe materials and methods
that result in buil dings that use less energy, water, and resources; generate less waste; have l ess impact on the buil ding
site; and offer healthier indoor environments for the occupants.

Section A. General Questions
The following are general questions about factors that may influence a citys engagement in green buil ding practices.
1. Does your city Mayor support green building practices? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)

Does not Somewhat Neither supports Somewhat Supports Dont Know/
Support does not nor supports Not Sure
support does not support

2. How aware are most developers in your city with regard to green buil ding practices in general?
(PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Unaware: Not yet aware of green buildi ng practices
Curious: Aware but dont yet have much information about green buil ding practices
Tryout: Ready to actively get traini ng on green buildi ng so they can use it on the j ob
Dont Know/ Not Sure

3. How aware are most developers in your city with regard to using LEED certi fication standards
specifically? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Curious: Aware but dont yet have much information about LEED buildi ng practices
Tryout: Ready to actively get traini ng on LEED building so they can use it on the job
Dont Know/ Not Sure

Section B. Community Factors
The following questions are about local resources and information available that may influence green buil ding practi ces.
4. Is there a supplier of LEED certi fied materi als such as wood withi n a 500 mile radius of your city?
(PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Yes
No
Dont Know/ Not sure

5. Is there a developer or architect in your city that is familiar with and promotes green buildi ng?
(PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Yes
No
Dont Know/ Not sure

6. Are there buil dings in your city that are formally recognized as green buildi ngs that are not LEED certifi ed (e.g., Earth
Advantage, EnergyStar, Net Zero) in your city? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)
Yes 6a. (If yes, approximately how many) ___________
No
Dont Know/ Not sure

Appendix A
8y Lhe s suburbun develomenL bused

on Lhese Lechnologles wus rumunL und some
forwurdLhlnklng urchlLecLs envlronmenLullsLs
und ecologlsLs begun Lo quesLlon Lhe udvlsublllLy
of such energy lnLenslve bulldlng rucLlces 8uL
lL wus Lhe OPLC oll emburgo of slklng
gusollne rlces und llnes uL gus sLuLlons LhuL
nully cuughL Lhe uLLenLlon of Lhe Amerlcun
ubllc und culled lnLo quesLlon Lhe nuLlons heuvy
rellunce on fossll fuels for LrunsorLuLlon und
bulldlngs 8ulldlng Leslgn ConsLrucLlon
SLlll lL would be unoLher Lwo decudes before Lhe
LPA und Lhe US LeurLmenL of Lnergy would
luunch Lhe LNLRCY S1AR rogrum und Lhe
ClLy of AusLln 1exus would lnLroduce Lhe rsL
locul green bulldlng rogrum ln PresldenL
CllnLon lnLroduced Lhe Creenlng of Lhe WhlLe
House lnlLluLlve 1hrough Lhe colluboruLlon
of envlronmenLullsLs deslgn rofesslonuls
englneers und governmenL o cluls numerous
oLheshelf lmrovemenLs led Lo ln
unnuul energy und wuLer suvlngs und reducLlons
ln lundsculng exenses wusLe munugemenL
cosLs und curbon emlsslons uL Lhe execuLlve
munslon 8ulldlng Leslgn ConsLrucLlon
1he success of Lhls lundmurk eorL led Lo u urry
of federul greenlng ro|ecLs und guve new llfe Lo
Lhe susLulnuble bulldlng movemenL
AL Lhe sume Llme Lhe eorLs by rofesslonuls
from u vurleLy of ubllc und rlvuLe comunles
orgunlzuLlons und ugencles lncludlng Lhe
Amerlcun lnsLlLuLe of ArchlLecLs Lhe Rocky
MounLuln lnsLlLuLe Lhe Currler CororuLlon
Hermun Mlller lnc Lhe LeurLmenL of Lnergy
und Lhe NuLlonul lnsLlLuLe of SLundurds und
1echnology ulong wlLh muny oLhers led Lo
Lhe develomenL of Lhe US Creen 8ulldlng
Councll USC8C whlch wus o clully
founded ln AfLer conslderlng und
re|ecLlng u vurleLy of bulldlng ruLlng
models lncludlng Lhe one LhuL hud
been develoed by Lhe ClLy of AusLln
Lhe USC8C membershl uroved
Lhe rsL verslon of LLLL cerLlcuLlon
requlremenLs ln drufLed u
reference gulde und luunched u lloL
rogrum Slnce lLs lnceLlon
Lhe LLLL ruLlng sysLem
hus undergone
vurlous
lLeruLlons
A key
churucLerlsLlc of
LLLL ls lLs evoluLlon
Lhrough u consensus
bused rocess led by volunLeer
commlLLees Over Lhe yeurs lL hus
chunged Lo conslder reglonul eecLs und
Lhe llfe cycle unulysls of bulldlng muLerluls
Luunched on Arll Lhe Lhlrd verslon
of LLLL LLLL reLulns Lhe fundumenLul
sLrucLure of Lhe revlous verslons buL rovldes
uvenues for lncororuLlng new Lechnologles und
rlorlLlzes energy use und CO emlsslons LLLL
lncororuLes ve seuruLe commerclul
und lnsLlLuLlonul bulldlng ruLlng sysLems new
consLrucLlon core und shell commerclul lnLerlors
exlsLlng bulldlngs oeruLlons und mulnLenunce
und schools OLher LLLL ruLlng sysLems exlsL for
homes nelghborhood develomenL reLull und
heulLhcure 1here ure currenLly ro|ecLs
urLlcluLlng ln Lhe LLLL sysLem comrlslng over
bllllon squure feeL of consLrucLlon suce ln ull
sLuLes und counLrles US Creen 8ulldlng
Councll a
1993 A.D. 1998 A.D. 2009 A.D.
Greening of the White House
by President Clinton.
U.S. Green Building Council
members approve frst version of
LEED certifcation
requireements.
Third version of LEED (LEED 2009)
retains fundamental structure of
previous versions, but provides
avenues for incorporating new tech
and prioritizes energy use and CO
2
emissions.
Perhaps
the most
powerful
aspect of a green
design in the built
environment is
that practitioners
apply a holistic
and integrated
approach to
design and
construction
Te Emergence of Green Building and Rating Systems

Section C. Economic Tool s Use
7. Has your city ever promoted green buildi ng or LEED certification? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)
No (If no, SKIP to question 8)
Yes

7a. Municipalities have a vari ety of educational and economic tools at their disposal. Using the scale to the
right, please indicate how frequently, if at all, that your City uses the following tools to promote green
buildi ng. (PLEASE CIRCLE THE BEST RESPONSE).

Section D. Policy Considerations
The following questions concern decision maki ng resources for green buildi ng.
8. Has your city established green buil ding as a goal or pri ority?
No
Yes, informal/ unwritten (e.g., resol ution or stated priority)
Yes, formal/written (e.g., created an ordi nance or office of sustainabl e devel opment)
Dont Know/ Not sure
-Please continue on the next page-
Frequ- Dont
Never ently Know

a. Tax Credits

1

2

3

4

5

0
b. Fee Reduction (reduce/rebate fees for buildings that meet or
exceed speci fied green standards)

1

2

3

4

5

0

c. Grants

1

2

3

4

5

0

d. Infrastructure Improvement (e.g., sewer or water)

1

2

3

4

5

0

e. Zoning (e.g., increased Fl oor Area Ratio for buildi ngs that
meet or exceed specifi ed green building standards)

1

2

3

4

5

0

f. Permitting Assistance (e.g., Fast-track or expedited review)

1

2

3

4

5

0

g. Codes that require specific green buildi ng standards

1

2

3

4

5

0

h. Low Cost Loans by paying some of the interest

1

2

3

4

5

0

i. Low Cost Loans by coveri ng a portion of the loan at
substantially reduced rate

1

2

3

4

5

0

j. Tax Increment Financing

1

2

3

4

5

0

k. Provide publicity for green buildi ngs (e.g., Mayoral praise,
ribbon cutting, general recognition)

1

2

3

4

5

0

l. Provide financial awards for green buil ding

1

2

3

4

5

0

m. Provide educational materials on green buil ding.

1

2

3

4

5

0

n. Provi de fi nancial reward once obtai n LEED certification

1

2

3

4

5

0

o. Provi de trai ning in green buildi ng technology

1

2

3

4

5

0

p. Partner to conduct demonstration projects on green buil ding

1

2

3

4

5

0

q. Other_______________________________

1

2

3

4

5

0
A
luyerson mlghL suy LhuL u green
bulldlng uses envlronmenLullyfrlendly
muLerluls or sysLems or erhus LhuL
Lhe develoer lncororuLed rocesses
Lo reduce resource consumLlon
durlng consLrucLlon 1hough Lhese ure lmorLunL
churucLerlsLlcs erhus Lhe mosL owerful usecL
of u green deslgn ln Lhe bullL envlronmenL ls
LhuL rucLlLloners uly u hollsLlc und lnLegruLed
urouch Lo deslgn und consLrucLlon And Lhough
we muy huve veered from such urouches ln recenL
hlsLory Lhe conceL ucLuully duLes buck Lhousunds
of yeurs Lo Lhe orlgln of Lhe musLer bullder MosL
of clvlllzuLlons slgnlcunL works of urchlLecLure
from Lhe yrumlds of LgyL Lo Lhe clusslc cuLhedruls
of Luroe were deslgned und bullL by Lhe musLer
bullder Llnsmore 1hese bullderurchlLecLs
hud u furreuchlng vlew of Lhe enLlre bulldlng
from deslgn Lhrough consLrucLlon und llfeLlme
oeruLlons lncororuLlng funcLlonul usslve deslgns
for heuLlng coollng und llghLlng 1oduy Lhese
e clenL usslve deslgn feuLures whlch conslder
cllmuLlc seLLlng und solur orlenLuLlon ure mulnsLuys
of whuL ls consldered Lo be green bulldlng und
feuLure sLrongly ln Loduys green bulldlng ruLlng
schemes
Long before Lhe Lh cenLury however Lhe
musLer bullder hud ull buL dlsueured reluced
by deslgnerurLlsLs who recelved urchlLecLurul
commlsslons buL hud llLLle undersLundlng of Lhe
bulldlng urLs As Lhe seuruLlon of urchlLecLurul
deslgn und consLrucLlon becume more dlsLlncL
u new buslness enLerrlse emerged LhuL of Lhe
generul bulldlng conLrucLor Llnsmore
SLurLlng ln Lhe s Lhe uvullublllLy ln Lhe US
of cheu fossll fuels surred Lhe develomenL of
glussundsLeel sLrucLures LhuL could be heuLed
und cooled wlLh musslve heuLlng venLlluLlon und
ulr condlLlonlng sysLems Creen8ulldlngcom
New bulldlng Lechnologles lncludlng ulr
condlLlonlng lowwuLLuge uorescenL llghLlng
sLrucLurul sLeel und reecLlve gluss ullowed
urchlLecLs develoers und generul conLrucLors Lo
eschew Lhe LlmeLesLed meLhods of Lhe musLer
bullders ln fuvor of Lhese energy lnLenslve
Lechnologles
The Emergence of Green
Building and Rating Systems
Almost every day, in every major news outlet, there is some mention of the achievements
of a new green building. But there are still many people who are unsure of what really
makes a building green. This section talks about the defning characteristics of green
building design and construction, the origins of green design, and a brief history of how
we have arrived at todays standards and the LEED rating system.
3,000 B.C. 1,200 A.D.
1930 A.D. 1970 A.D.
Green Building and Rating Systems 3,000 B.C. to 2009 A.D.
Pyramids to Cathedrals -- Master builders
of antiquity were responsible for design
and lifetime construction.
Forward-thinking
architects,
environmentalists,
ecolgists begin
questioning
advisability of
energy intensive
building practices. Oil prices spike, calling
attention to nations use of fossel fuels.
Glass-and-steel structures
that could be heated
and cooled with massive
heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning systems
9. Has your city established policies or gui deli nes governi ng green buil ding? (PLEASE CHECK ONE)
No
Yes, informal/ unwritten (e.g., gi ven more leeway or considerati on)
Yes, formal/written (e.g., adopted as part of a comprehensi ve pl an or functional plan)
Dont Know/ Not sure

10. How important are the foll owi ng factors in terms of actually influencing policy on green buildi ng in your
city? Using the scale to the right, please indicate how much influence, if at all, the following factors
have on green buil ding policy in the city. (PLEASE CIRCLE THE BEST RESPONSE)

11. Is there a lead office or personnel speci fically responsible for green buildi ng proj ects or activities in the city? (PLEASE
CHECK ONE)
Yes
No
Dont Know/ Not sure
12. How many public works personnel or pl anners work speci fically for the city? (CIRCLE A NUMBER or 00
if you Dont Know) Dont Know
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ 00

13. How many support staff are there for the public works personnel or planners that work for the city?
(CIRCLE A NUMBER or 00 if you Dont Know) Dont Know
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ 00

14. How many of the staff are accredited as a LEED AP? (CIRCLE A NUMBER or 00 if you Dont Know)
Dont Know
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ 00

15. What are the most important barriers to the use of green buildi ng practices in the city? (PLEASE CHECK THE TOP
FIVE)
Cost to retrofit existing buildi ngs Bad economy
-Please turn the page over and continue the survey-
No Very Strong Dont
Influence Influence Know
a. Federal guidance on green buildi ng 1 2 3 4 5 0
b. State guidance on green building 1 2 3 4 5 0
c. International Code Council (ICC) or other code drafting body 1 2 3 4 5 0
d. Other neighboring cities engaging in green buildi ng 1 2 3 4 5 0
e. Other neighboring cities not engaging in green buildi ng 1 2 3 4 5 0
f. The championi ng of green buil ding by local business leaders 1 2 3 4 5 0
g. The support for green building by elected officials 1 2 3 4 5 0
h. Risk associated with getting the new code standard wrong 1 2 3 4 5 0
i. Risk that the current technol ogy is incorrect 1 2 3 4 5 0
j. Devel oper pushback (threat that they will take development
elsewhere to avoid new standards)

1

2

3

4

5

0
k. Political pushback from developers (encouraging l eaders not
to adopt new standards)

1

2

3

4

5

0
l. The implications of green buildi ng on global warmi ng 1 2 3 4 5 0
m. The Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Mayors agreement 1 2 3 4 5 0
Appendix A
converLlng LhuL Lo mlles er gullon we cun esLlmuLe

LhuL un uuLomoblle wlLh gus mlleuge of mlles
er gullon generuLes ubouL one ound of CO
equlvulenL er mlle Uslng LhuL comurlson Lhe
uveruge erson generuLes meLrlc Lons of CO
er vehlcle unnuully US LnvlronmenLul ProLecLlon
Agency LPA ln comurlson Lhe umounL of
CO bulldlngs generuLe cun be soberlng Luch yeur
slnce bulldlngs huve generuLed uroxlmuLely
mllllon meLrlc Lons of CO equlvulenL LlAb
And lLs u growlng roblem emlsslons from
commerclul bulldlngs ure ucceleruLlng uL u fusLer
uveruge unnuul ruLe ercenL from Lo
Lhun elLher LrunsorLuLlon or resldenLlul bulldlng
emlsslons ercenL LlAc
As noLed ln Lhe recenL news ubouL Lhe vA

reglonul o ce ln 8olse susLulnublllLy refers Lo
develomenL LhuL meeLs currenL needs wlLhouL
comromlslng Lhe envlronmenL of fuLure
generuLlons PRNewswlreUSNewswlre 1o
LhuL end more Lhun clLy muyors Lo duLe huve
commlLLed Lo reduclng greenhouse gus emlsslons ln
Lhelr communlLles by ercenL or more below
levels by US Conference of Muyors CllmuLe
ProLecLlon AgreemenL 1he ugreemenL llsLs
u dozen sLruLegles Lo hel communlLles reuch Lhls
goul lncludlng
PrucLlclng und romoLlng susLulnuble bulldlng
rucLlces by uslng USC8C LLLL cerLlcuLlon
rogrum or slmllur rogrums
Provldlng educuLlon ubouL reduclng globul
wurmlng olluLlon
AdoLlng lunduse ollcles LhuL reduce sruwl
Muklng energy e clency u rlorlLy Lhrough
bulldlng codes
ReLroLLlng llghLlng
Conservlng by lncreuslng wuLer und
wusLewuLerum e clency
Lven us uwureness ubouL cllmuLe chunge grows und
more muyors slgn on Lo cllmuLe chunge ugreemenLs
u ground swell of chunge hus been slow Lo Luke
shue 1here ure communlLles muklng greuL
sLrldes such us SeuLLle und PorLlund buL Lhese
cuses Lend Lo be Lhe ouLllers und noL yeL Lhe norm
Concern LhuL Lhe currenL gouls of Lhe ugreemenL
muy noL be meL ls reul And Lhe erslsLence of Lhe
slugglsh economy one of Lhe worsL downLurns ln
generuLlons fuels Lhese concerns SLlll wheLher
good Llmes or bud meeLlng cllmuLe chunge gouls
und Lhe growlng lnLeresL ln green bulldlng us u
consLrucLlon lndusLry rucLlce mukes lL ls worLh
exumlnlng whuL works ln locul communlLles 1o
LhuL end Lhls reorL seeks Lo rovlde
A hlsLory of green bulldlng ruLlng sLundurds
CurrenL reseurch on LLLL one of Lhe mosL
wldely used green bulldlng sLundurds
New duLu druwn from clLles und consLrucLlon
lndusLry members seclcully for Lhls sLudy
An unulysls of Lhe duLu und recommenduLlons
for nexL sLes ln llghL of whuL ls ulreudy known
und ln con|uncLlon wlLh Lhe ndlngs from Lhls
orlglnul reseurch a
2
Tre correrc|a| seclor |rc|udes scroo|s, ollce ou||d|rg, ard
sropp|rg ra||s.
16. What are the most important incenti ves that encourage the adoption of green building in the city? (PLEASE CHECK
THE TOP FIVE)
Healthi er buildings Marketability of green buildings
Reduced impact fees Public outreach/education
Citizens interest Increased longevity of buildi ngs
(risk mitigation) Trained staff with green building expertise
Education resources Financial payback
(Education materials and traini ng) Reduce Carbon

LEED Certification
17. What are the most important barriers to LEED certifi ed buildi ng in the city? (PLEASE CHECK THE TOP FIVE)
Paperwork load Bad economy
Other___________________________

18. What are the most important incenti ves that encourage the adoption of LEED certificati on in the city? (PLEASE
CHECK THE TOP FIVE)
Healthi er buildings Marketability of LEED buil dings
Reduced fees in general Public outreach/education
Citizens Interest Increased longevity of buildi ngs
(risk mitigation) LEED certification as a brand adds value
Education resources Trained staff with green building expertise
(Education materi als and training) Reduce Carbon
Financial payback Other___________________________

19. Are there any topics not treated in this questionnaire that you feel are important for understandi ng more about what
makes green building practices more accepted by and accessible to cities, developers, planners and other stakehol ders ?
If so, please provide the information below or use additional sheets, if necessary.

Greenhouse gas emissions from commercial buildings are accelerating at a faster average
annual rate than either transportation or residential building emissions. States are
grappling with making their communties more sustainable. In Idaho, one example of
how communities are tackling this problem is the Department of Veterans Afairs (VA)
Regional Of ce in Boise, which was recently awarded a gold rating by the independent
U.S. Green Building Council for reducing environmental impact in the construction and
design of its 25,000 square-foot facility
An automobile with gas mileage of 19-20
miles per gallon generates about 1.5 metric
tons of CO2

equivalent per year.
Buildings generate
about 2 million metric
tons of CO2 equivalent
per year.
2Million
1.5
Figure 1
What does
a ton of CO2
look like?
Containing a
metric ton of
invisible CO2
(2,204 pounds)
would require a
cube container
measuring 27
feet by 27 feet
by 27 feet, a
total of 19,683
cubic feet.
Right: Ninth
grade physics
students built
this model to
scale.
3ource: rllp://WWW.erer-
gyrace.cor/correrlary/
Wral_does_a_lor_ol_co2_
|oo|_|||e/
W
e conLlnue Lo Luke sLes Lo ussess
und reduce our envlronmenLul
lmucL SecreLury of veLeruns
Aulrs Lrlc K Shlnsekl suld
Lnsurlng Lhe susLulnublllLy of our
fuclllLles ucross Lhe counLry hels us uccomllsh our
rlmury mlsslon servlng veLeruns PRNewswlre
USNewswlre
How does meeLlng green bulldlng sLundurds
ensure susLulnublllLy Or more lulnly why
should we cure ubouL bulldlng emlsslons Curbon
dloxlde ls by fur Lhe mosL rollc comonenL of ull
greenhouse gus emlsslons seclcully uccounLlng
for mllllon of Lhe mllllon of meLrlc Lons
of curbon dloxlde equlvulenL M1CLL generuLed
ln Lhe US ln more Lhun ercenL of
Lhe green house gus emlsslons US Lnergy
lnformuLlon AdmlnlsLruLlon LlA And
resldenLlul und commerclul bulldlngs comblne Lo
uccounL for ercenL of ull energy consumLlon
und energyreluLed greenhouse gus emlsslons
unnuully muklng Lhem un obvlous focus of
greenhouse gus emlsslon reducLlon eorLs
1runsorLuLlon und lndusLry ure Lhe oLher mu|or
secLors of energy use buL nelLher conLrlbuLes us
much us bulldlngs Lo greenhouse gus emlsslons
LlA
Whlle Lhere ls no uveruge bulldlng Lo ullow for
comurlsons one wuy Lo Lhlnk ubouL Lhe lssue ls
by uslng LnvlronmenLul ProLecLlon Agency LPA
esLlmuLes whlch suy LhuL burnlng one gullon of
gusollne generuLes ubouL ounds of CO 8y
1
Erergy use accourled lor 5,91Z VTC0E ol lre ,021 VTC0E gerer-
aled |r 200Z (ElA, 2009)
Construction Industry Member Survey

Section A: General Questions
For the f irst set of questions, we are asking about green building practices in general. These practices could be any set of that you use in the course of
your work such as LEED and Energy Star among others. There are some questions specific to the U.S. Green Building Councils LEED certification
standards; we have made sure to bold text specif ic to LEED to help you recognize these questions more easily. Towards the end of this section, there
will be some questions about how you approach novel situations.
If there are any questions you do not wish to answer you may leave them blank; however, it will aid in our analysis if you would mark, I pref er not to
say, on the survey.
Please mark the response that best indicates your response.
1. Green building is becoming more important f or the competitive edge of my company.
I strongly
disagree
I
disagree
I somewhat
disagree
I neither agree or
disagree
I somewhat
agree
I
agree
I strongly
agree

2. LEED certification is becoming more important f or the competitive edge of my company.
I strongly
disagree
I
disagree
I somewhat
disagree
I neither agree or
disagree
I somewhat
agree
I
agree
I strongly
agree

3. Please mark the five most important barriers to the use of green building practices in your work?
Cost to retrof it existing buildings
Process uncertainty
Perceived costs
Bad economy
Other ______________________

I dont know.

4. Please mark the five most important incentives to the use of green building practices in your work?
Healthier buildings
Reduced impact fees
Citizens interest
Polit ical vision
Regulations that provide predictability (risk mitigation)
Trained staff with green building expertise
Financial payback
Reduce Carbon
Other___________________________

I dont know.

5. Please mark the five most important barriers to the use of LEED certification standards f or buildings in your work?
Paperwork Load
Process uncertainty
Perceived costs

Bad economy
Other ______________________

I dont know.

6. Please mark the five most important incentives to the use of LEED certification standards for buildings in your work?
Healthier buildings
Reduced impact fees in general
Citizens interest
Polit ical vision
Regulations that provide predictability
LEED certif ication as a brand adds value
Trained Staff
Reduce Carbon
Appendix B
Appendix B
C
reen bulldlng rucLlces use
envlronmenLully frlendly muLerluls
or sysLems ulled ln u hollsLlc und
lnLegruLed urouch Lo deslgn und
consLrucLlon Leudershl ln Lnergy
und LnvlronmenLul Leslgn LLLL ls one ruLlng
sysLem und one of only Lwo Creen Clobes belng
Lhe oLher LhuL huve been develoed by ugencles
uccredlLed by Lhe Amerlcun NuLlonul SLundurds
lnsLlLuLe PRNewswlreUSNewswlre 1he lurge
body of reseurch LhuL exlsLs on LLLLcerLled
bulldlngs mukes LLLL u useful frume of reference Lo
undersLund more ubouL green bulldlng ln generul us
well us LLLLcerLled bulldlngs seclcully
Reseurch reveuls LhuL on some green or LLLL
cerLled develomenL ro|ecLs Lhe ufronL cosLs
muy be hlgher buL noL neurly us hlgh
us unecdoLul evldence suggesLs 8elng
selecLlve ubouL Lhe susLulnuble deslgn crlLerlu und
feuLures used ln u bulldlng cun kee consLrucLlon
wlLhln budgeL und roduce greuLer longLerm
energy conservuLlon lncororuLlng green bulldlng
Lechnlques from Lhe lnceLlon of u ro|ecL und ln u
hollsLlc munner cun reduce cosLs us well us furLher
ussure beneLs wlll be used und reullzed by owner
und LenunLs ullke lumlllurlLy wlLh green bulldlng
sLundurds rovldes greuLer undersLundlng of cosLs
und beneLs lessenlng reslsLunce Lo green bulldlng
LducuLlon for bullders owners und LenunLs wlll go u
long wuy Lo encouruge green bulldlng
LuLu druwn from focus grous conducLed ln
8olse lduho und surveys wlLh clLles ln Lhe Puclc
NorLhwesL lduho Oregon ULuh und WushlngLon
reveul heulLhler bulldlngs und soclul resonslblllLy
ure currenLly Lhe blggesL lncenLlves for encouruglng
develoers Lo enguge ln green bulldlng rucLlces
whlle cosLs und uncerLulnLy ubouL reLurn on
lnvesLmenL ure Lhe blggesL burrlers ClLles wunLlng
Lo uddress Lhe blggesL burrlers see nunclul
lncenLlves us Lhe key Lo romoLlng green bulldlng
ln Lhe shorL Lerm Over Lhe long huul clLles see
educuLlon ubouL Lhe beneLs und rucLlces of green
bulldlng us essenLlul Lo ensurlng Lhe deslred reLurn
on Lhe lnvesLmenL und meeLlng communlLy gouls
u ersecLlve shured by develoers
1hls uer recommends severul besL rucLlces
ldenLled from u revlew of reseurch und lnLervlews
conducLed for Lhls reorL us well us from Lhe new
emlrlcul evldence guLhered here 1he sLruLegles
LhuL follow muy be urorluLe for communlLles
ln Lhe Puclc NorLhwesL lnLeresLed ln romoLlng
und suorLlng green bulldlng rucLlces 1he
recommenduLlons full lnLo four broud cuLegorles
LhuL lnvolve rovldlng
MurkeLlng Lo lncreuse ubllc demund for green
bulldlng
Pollcles und rocesses Lo suorL nunclul
uybuck for develoers
encouruge Lhe udoLlon of green bulldlng
LLLL cerLlcuLlon Lo conLlnue Lhelr use und
udvocucy of green bulldlng
recommenduLlons fulls on Lhe clLles success
ln meeLlng green bulldlng gouls wlll be besL
uccomllshed Lhrough ubllc und rlvuLe
urLnershls LhuL enuble boLh clLles und develoers
Lo lnlLluLe und udvunce green bulldlng rucLlces a
This report provides data from conversations, focus groups, and surveys with both
members of the construction industry and local governments about their perspectives
on the barriers and incentives for green building in their communities, primarily, in the
Pacifc Northwest. Nearly 500 construction industry members and just over 300 local
governments participated in the research, providing one of the largest and perhaps
the frst studies of the aggregated voices for both the public and private sector on
factors that afect green building.
Executive Summary
This report
consolidates
information
to provide
a deeper
understanding
of green
building
issues and
opportunities
facing Pacifc-
Northwest
communities.
Executive Summary

Other___________________________

I dont know.
pref er not to say.
7. f requently hear my colleagues and peers talking about green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

8. understand green building practices are.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

9. am 127 considering enrolling in a certif ication course f or a set of green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

10. enjoy working with green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

11. regularly discuss green building practices with my colleagues and peers.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

12. think green building practices have signif icant f inancial and environmental benef its f or our current society and f uture generations.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

13. would personally like to see the practice of green building practices expanded.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

14. f eel that have all the knowledge, resources, and support need to implement green building practices in the f uture.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

15. '2127 intend to f ind more inf ormation about green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

16. intend to try applying green building practices on a project.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

17. have earned certif ication in a set of green building practices and intend to seek out additional inf ormation to aid in my use of them.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

18. am currently using green building practices on a regular basis.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

19. '2127 plan to continue to use green building practices in the f uture.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

20. am seeing obvious benef its to my use of green building practices both in terms of building perf ormance and in terms of financial results.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

22. actively encourage my colleagues and peers to adopt green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree
23. At which of the f ollowing stages of adoption would you expect to f ind most construction prof essionals with regard to green building
practices in general?
Unaware: Not yet aware of green building practices
Curious: Aware but dont yet have much information about green building
practices
Tryout: Ready to actively get training on green building so they can use it on the
job
I dont know.
pref er not to say.

24. At which of the f ollowing stages of adoption would you expect to f ind most city planners with regard to using LEED certification
standards specif ically?
Curious: Aware but dont yet have much information about LEEDb uilding practices
Tryout: Ready to actively get training on LEED building so they can use it on the job
I dont know.
pref er not to say.

25. enjoy experimenting with new technology even when do not need to.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

26. am NOT very concerned about the well-being of f uture generations.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree
dont know pref er not to say

27. am conf ident that science and technology actively benef it humanity.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

28. enjoy working through complex problems with no clear or immediate solution.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

29. aggressively seek more inf ormation about green building practices.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

30. can clearly imagine complex goals and the path to reach them.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree

31. My prof essional colleagues DO NOT regularly seek my opinion about new developments in our f ield.
strongly
disagree

disagree
somewhat
disagree
neither agree or
disagree
somewhat
agree

agree
strongly
agree
I don t know pref er not to say

32. There is still a great deal more have yet to accomplish in my prof essional lif e.
strongly somewhat neither agree or somewhat strongly
Appendix B
disagree disagree disagree disagree agree agree agree

Contents
LxecuLlve Summury
SLuLemenL of Lhe Problem
1he Lmergence of Creen 8ulldlng und RuLlng
SysLems
WhuL ls Reully Known AbouL Lhe Pros und
Cons of Creen 8ulldlng Reseurch Lvldence
Reseurch MeLhods und llndlngs
locus Crous
Survey Purose Audlence und MeLhod
Locul CovernmenL Survey llndlngs und
Anulysls
ConsLrucLlon lndusLry Survey llndlngs und
Anulysls
NexL SLes
References
Aendlces
Aendlx ACreen 8ulldlng Survey
Aendlx 8ConsLrucLlon lndusLry Member
Survey
LlsL of 1ubles und llgures lnslde 8uck Cover
Next Steps for
an Emerging
Trend
Green
Building
in the Pacifc Northwest:

33. I have a large social and prof essional network that includes people outside my local area.
I strongly
disagree
I
disagree
I somewhat
disagree
I neither agree or
disagree
I somewhat
agree
I
agree
I strongly
agree

Section B: Demographics
The f ollowing demographic questions will help us better understand who has responded to our survey. We will combine your answers with those of
everyone else to give us a big picture view of the professionals involved in the construction industry regarding green building practices. We will not
identif y individuals. If there are any questions you do not wish to answer you may leave them blank; however, it will aid in our analysis if you would mark,
I pref er not to say, on the survey.
34. What is the highest degree either of your parents have earned:
High School
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Masters Degree
Doctoral Degree

I dont know.

35. I participate in prof essional and social organization f unctions:

36. I travel f or prof essional purposes (e.g., business trips and conf erences):

37. I have contact with outreach representatives of organizations promoting green building practices:

38. Highest Level of Education you have completed:
High School
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Masters Degree
Doctoral Degree

I dont know.

39. Mark the main media sources you use f or inf ormation more than once a week, this would include both hardcopy and electronic sources:
Newspaper
Prof essional Blogs
Newsletters
Television
Podcasts
Internet video and radio
Books
Magazines
Trade Journals
Academic Journals
Webinars
Other ______________________

I dont know.

40. Mark the methods of communication you use multiple times during the week:
Email
Telephone
Cell Phone
Text Messaging
Social Networking Sites
Online Discussion Boards
Face-to-Face meetings
Teleconf erencing
Video Conf erencing
Other ______________________

I dont know.

42. Please estimate your annual income:
Less than $20,000
$100,000 or more

I dont know.

Boise State University
Principal Investigators:
SUSAN MASON, PhD, Director
Community and Regional Planning
Graduate Programs; Assistant Professor,
Public Policy and Administration;
Assistant Professor, Political Science
ANTHONY MARKER, PhD, LEED AP,
Assistant Professor, Instructional &
Performance Technology
REBECCA MIRSKY PhD, PE, LEED
AP, Associate Professor, Construction
Management
Students and Sta
KRISTOF BIHARI
SARAH CUELLAR
CATHERINE DICKINSON
ALICIA DILLON
MIKE JOURNEE
CHRIS LATTER
TWYLA PERKINS
ZULFIRA PULATOVA
MICHAEL ROGERS
JACQUELINE SPRATT
KEVIN TAYLOR
Research Sponsors
AVISTA
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITYS OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITYS PUBLIC
POLICY CENTER
CAPITAL CITY DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION
CITY OF BOISE PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
CITY OF BOISE PUBLIC WORKS
ENERGY POLICY INSTITUTE
IDAHO POWER
URBAN LAND INSTITUTE-IDAHO
DISTRICT COUNCIL
T
his report provides an understanding of why green building is important to
our communities, a brief look at the emergence of green building standards,
research evidence on the perceived pros and cons of green building, and original
research on green building in the Pacic Northwest. The original research is
an analysis of perspectives voiced in conversations, focus groups and surveys
with both members of the construction industry and local government on the
barriers and incentives to green building in their local communities. As nearly 500
construction industry members and just over 300 local governments participated
in the research, this report encompasses, perhaps for
the rst time, one of the largest examinations of the
aggregated voices of both the public and private sector
on factors that aect green building. Green house gas
emissions from commercial buildings are growing at a
faster than average annual rate 1.8% higher than either
transportation or residential emission rates. This trend
alone provides strong justication to take a close look at
the factors that may help change this dynamic.
Faculty and graduate students in the College
of Social Sciences and Public Aairs and
the College of Engineering assembled this
report. It consolidates information to provide a
deeper understanding of green building issues
and opportunities facing Pacic-Northwest
communities. The report provides both municipalities and construction
professionals information that may foster their green building goals.
Members of both groups indicate they want to engage in green building,
but in a nancially viable way. This report is a starting point for formally
identifying the next steps for making green building more likely.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the sponsors
who made this research possible.
Paper used for the production of this report is FSC Certied.
OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY
AND THE PUBLIC
POLICY CENTER
2
6 Figure 1: Mr. Ames, 9th grade physics student built a
27 x 27 X 27 cube
17 Table 1: Summary of Main Points from Reviewed
Research
18 Table 2: Ranking Values for Focus Group Responses
Ranking of Barriers to Green Building
Ranking Barriers to Green Building
23 Table 11: Comparison of the Top Five Factors for
Developers and Cities
25 Table 12: City and County Survey Response Rate by
State
26 Table 13: Construction Professional Survey Response
Rate by State
26 Table 14: Mayor/County Commissioner Support for
Green Building Practices
27 Table 15: Cities Perceptions of the Awareness of
Green Building by Developers
27 Table 16: Community Factors that Support Green
Building
29 Table 17: Use of Economic Tools to Promote Green
Building
29 Table 18: Policy and Guidelines for Green Building
30 Table 19: Factors and their degree of inuence on
green building policy
31 Table 20: Sta and LEED AP Accredited Sta by City,
County and MSA
32 Figure 2: Top Five Barriers for Green Building
32 Figure 3: Top Five Incentives for Green Building
33 Figure 4: Top Five Barriers for LEED
33 Figure 5: Top Five Incentives for LEED
35 Figure 6: Top Five Barriers
35 Figure 7: Top Five Incentives
37 Table 21: Summary of Construction Industry Survey
Data
38 Table 22: Adoption Level and Strategy
39 Table 23: Construction Industry Members and Stage
of Adoption
List of Tables and Figures
Figures and Tables
55
Next Steps for
an Emerging
Trend
Green
Building
in the Pacic Northwest:
OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY
AND THE PUBLIC
POLICY CENTER
OFFICE OF
SUSTAINABILITY
AND THE PUBLIC
POLICY CENTER
Published
February, 2010
This report provides important and timely feedback on the perceptions of
developers, design professionals, the construction industry and members
of government within our local cities and counties. The impact of the built
environment is signicant, and this report outlines critical factors necessary
for market transformation: namely education, incentives and a holistic and
integrated approach to design and construction. We have the opportunity
to use this information to overcome barriers and establish common ground
to create more sustainable buildings with lower lifecycle costs and healthier
indoor environments that benet rather than burden our society.
Sharon Patterson
Chair of the Board, USGBC Idaho Chapter, LEED AP BD+C and Homes
The report is a thorough overview of many issues confronting the green
building market as it continues to grow and mature. It clearly illustrates
how the simple concept of sustainability has layers of complexity when the
various stakeholders look at it from their own perspective. The snapshot
it presents provides guidance to anyone who is attempting to apply
sustainable concepts to the built environment.
Bruce Poe, AIA, LEED AP
Modus Architecture

Green Building

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Green Building

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Next Steps for

Education resources (education materials and training)

Statement of the Problem

Construction Industry Member Survey

converLlng LhuL Lo mlles er gullon we cun esLlmuLe

As noLed ln Lhe recenL news ubouL Lhe vA

8y Lhe s suburbun develomenL bused

Pros and Cons of Green Building

Rogers L Lluslon of lnnovuLlons Lh ed New York NY lree Press

runge from un uveruge of Lo ercenL deendlng

KuLs C Creenlng Amerlcus schools cosLs und beneLs Avulluble uL hLLwwwcuecom

Pros and Cons of Green Building

AnoLher longLerm fucLor Lo conslder ls LhuL some

by lnformuLlon needs exressed by bullders und

1hls klnd of llsL

lncreuslng shorLLerm roLs by curefully evuluuLlng

uroxlmuLely ercenL of Lhe money ow

noL by develoers buL by Lhe bulldlngs LenunLs

or ure lnsu clenL ln Lye or quunLlLy Lo moLlvuLe

Community and Developer Incentives

Lower uLlllLy connecLlon fees

lurLhermore ercenL of resondenLs

roblems buL lnsLeud muy be wulLlng for Lhe

resondenLs nd enough beneL Lo deslre greuLer

numerlcully ln Lhe runklngs 1he rlmury fucLors

lLem suggesLs osslble room for chunge

Table 5: City Planners and Public Works Professionals Ranking of

ercenL lndlcuLed LhuL Lhelr

Bui/ding eve/opers Ouestion Whot ore the

Table 7: Members of the Development Communitys Ranking of

resonslblllLy murkeLublllLy of green bulldlngs

Research Methods and Findings

Table 10: Members of the Development Communitys Ranking of

Research Methods and Findings

llgure lllusLruLes LhuL

und MSAs ln Lerms of whuL resondenLs conslder

Architects and Construction Industry

noL know how muny LLLL AP sLu Lhey muy huve

rofesslonuls AfLer ussembllng Lhe mulllng llsL from

lnLeresLlngly Lhe reorLed uwureness umong

Table 13: Construction Professionals Survey Response Rate by State

1uble hlghllghLs ndlngs on fucLors LhuL muy

ercenL of Lhe clLles counLles und MSAs ln Lhe

Factors and their degree of infuence on green building policy

Table 18: Policy and Guidelines for Green Buildng

Table 18: Policy and Guidelines for Green Buildng

ercenL of Lhe clLles counLles und MSAs ln Lhe

Factors and their degree of infuence on green building policy

rofesslonuls AfLer ussembllng Lhe mulllng llsL from

lnLeresLlngly Lhe reorLed uwureness umong

Table 13: Construction Professionals Survey Response Rate by State

1uble hlghllghLs ndlngs on fucLors LhuL muy

Architects and Construction Industry

noL know how muny LLLL AP sLu Lhey muy huve

llgure lllusLruLes LhuL

und MSAs ln Lerms of whuL resondenLs conslder

Research Methods and Findings

Research Methods and Findings

Table 10: Members of the Development Communitys Ranking of

Bui/ding eve/opers Ouestion Whot ore the

Table 7: Members of the Development Communitys Ranking of

resonslblllLy murkeLublllLy of green bulldlngs

lLem suggesLs osslble room for chunge