First Gifted Education Center in Romania
- Global Consulting Project, Johns Hopkins Carey School of
Business and CEU School of Business
Reasons for a Green Building School
The following sections highlight research done on the benefits of Green Building for
Schools.
Cost Benefits:
Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits by Gregory Kats is a case within the U.S.
that provides solid cost benefits of green schools. Some of these include:





$100,000 savings per year
2% average increase in construction costs to build green
$12 sq ft long-term direct savings: 4 times the initial cost of going green
30-50% reductions in energy usage
30-45% reduction in water usage
“This report documents the financial costs and benefits of green schools compared to
conventional schools. This national review of 30 green schools demonstrates that green
schools cost less than 2% more than conventional schools – or about $3 per square foot
($3/ft2 ) – but provide financial benefits that are 20 times as large. Greening school
design provides an extraordinarily cost-effective way to enhance student learning,
reduce health and operational costs and, ultimately, increase school quality and
competitiveness.” (See table A below)
Katz, G. (2006). Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits
“This important study persuasively demonstrates that it costs little more to build higher
performance, healthy schools and that there are enormous financial, educational and
social benefits to students, schools, and society at large.”
-Edward J. McElroy, President, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
http://www.buildgreenschools.org/documents/pub_Greening_Americas_Schools.pdf
Health Benefits:
“17 separate studies all found positive health impacts from improved indoor health
quality, ranging from 13.5% up to 87% improvement.” (see Figure B)
Learning Benefits:
A large number of school specific studies have shown that there is a significant impact
on the students’ success from learning in a green building environment.
 An analysis of two school districts in Illinois found that student attendance rose
by 5% after incorporating cost-effective indoor air quality improvements.
 A study of Chicago and Washington, DC schools found that better school
facilities can add 3 to 4 percentage points to a school’s standardized test scores,
even after controlling for demographic factors.
 A recent study of the cost and benefits of green schools for Washington State
estimated a 15% reduction in absenteeism and a 5% increase in student test
scores.
Area Specific Benefits:
Water Efficiency: Water usage of low-flow sinks, waterless urinals, and dual-flush
toilets can be reduced up to 50%. Toilets can also be installed that use harvested
rainwater instead of potable water to reduce stress on local water systems.
Green Roof: Roofs that incorporate a natural habitat are cooler, save energy, and can
provide a filter mechanism for storm water run-off. They can also provide a habitat for
birds and other animals as a learning environment for students.
Solar Panels: Panels can be mounted from the roof of the schools to transform sunlight
into an alternative energy source.
Daylighting: Large windows and skylights can reduce energy costs as well as improve
students’ performance and productivity. Light shelves on windows can also be
installed to distribute light throughout rooms for greater sunlight exposure.
Acoustics: Acoustical ceiling tiles, lined ductwork, and quiet HVAC systems can be
installed to improve sound and create a more productive learning environment.
Thermal Comfort: Air circulation and the use of green materials can improve
temperatures with fresher and cleaner air to help improve student productivity.
Air Quality: Using non-toxic paint and carpet adhesives that do not emit gasses and
green materials in construction can greatly improve air quality, help reduce respiratory
conditions, and other environmental illnesses.
Mold Prevention: Adequate ventilation and air circulation can reduce the growth of
mold by keeping relative humidity below 60%.
Recycling Programs: These programs can teach students’ habits that cultivate
environmental health reducing solid waste from landfills and easing demands on local
waste management services.
Energy Efficient Lighting: Adequate lighting levels can save energy and has been
proven to increase the productivity of students. Adding remote sensors, task lighting,
and individual controls can reduce energy costs.
Green Building Videos:
These videos would work very well to put a face on the benefits of green building for
schools. The videos can also be used as cases of successful green building projects.
Copy/paste the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsYlgmHYsk4&eurl=http://www.buildgr
eenschools.org/resources/vid_lily.html

http://gns.gannettonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/GNSVID
EO/80714003
Green Building Rating Systems:
There are many US domestic and international green building rating systems:
Rating System
Building Type
Domestic /
International
Green Globes (BOMA, Go Green) Commercial
US and Canada
BREEAM
All
UK and International
SBTool (formerly GBTool)
Residential, Office, School
International
CASBEE
Green Star
NABERS
SBAT
TERI Green Rating for Integrated
Habitat Assessment
TQ Building Assessment System
NAHB
CHPs
Green Leaf Eco-Rating
Green Clean Institute
Energy Star
State Programs
ISO
Building Codes
Japan
Office and Education
Australia
Commercial and Residential Australia
South Africa
All
India
Residential and Office
Residential
Schools
Hospitality
Commercial
All
All
All
New Construction
Austria
US
US (primarily CA)
Canada
US
US
US
International
US
Education Green Building SmartMarket Report 2007
This report is a product of market research conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction
with support from USGBC and the Council of Educational facility Planners
International. Key points include: the top reasons for building green are operational
cost savings, lowered energy use, greater health and well-being; there is great
opportunity for incorporating green elements into renovation construction projects;
they expect the green building portion of the education market to be larger than 27
percent of the $20 billion green building market because education construction is the
largest percentage of commercial construction and education is the fastest-growing
sector for green building; and the education sector comprises approximately 20 percent
of the LEED certified green buildings.
Green Building SmartMarket Report 2007
This report is a product of market research conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction
with support from Turner Construction Company and USGBC. The top reasons for
building green are enhanced well-being, operational cost savings, and increased
building efficiency; and the top challenges are additional regulatory burden, risk averse
industry, large facilities, other mission-focused costs, and missions requires high water
use.
Greening SmartMarket Report 2007
This report investigates market shifts and other trends related to green buildings. It
explores market drivers; what role green buildings might be playing in business
planning; where it was being applied operationally, and how it might affect the bottom
line. The research was conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction Research & Analytics
with support from Siemens. In total, the firms interviewed represent over 75 percent of
the $15 trillion U.S. equities market with no firm below $250 million in revenue. A
representative sample of 190 firms were contacted initially by mail and phone to
participate in the research. Six key findings are: 1. Based on projections, green
buildings will reach a tipping point in 2009 with 82 percent of companies greening at
least 16 percent of their portfolios; 2. Companies very dedicated to green buildings-greening more than 30 percent of their real estate portfolio-- have increased rapidly
from 2005 (7%) to 2007 (24%); 3. Forty three percent of all survey respondents see
greening activities and green building specifically being part of their company’s growth
strategy; 4. Currently, 2 percent of the commercial building space is LEED certified; 5.
Green buildings will comprise 5-10 percent of the commercial construction market by
2010; and 6. Key drivers include, high energy costs, government regulation and tax
incentives, market differentiation, and fostering innovation.
The Top 400 Contractors
http://enr.construction.com/people/topLists/topContractor/topCont_1-50.asp
This report provides the following information on the largest general contractors: Rank
(1-400) in years 2007 and 2006, Firm Name, City, State, 2006 Total Revenue (total and
international), New Contracts ($), and Markets (% of 2006 Revenue). The cover story, "
Prosperity Allows Firms To Be Selective" extensively discusses business developments
affecting contractors, markets and industry issues. A listing of the top 50 general
contractors is available at no cost, but the additional data package is $50.00. While the
cover story may contain good information, I am not certain how useful the ranking data
will be for our purposes.
Top 50 Green Contractors
http://enr.construction.com/people/topLists/GreenCont/topGreenCont_1-50.asp
This report ranks the top 50 green contractors both publicly and privately held, based
on construction contracting-specific revenue on projects that have been registered or
certified by third-party organizations as following specific environmental, energysavings, or sustainability standards. It also includes tables on the top 5 contractors for
the following sectors: commercial offices, educational facilities, government offices,
healthcare, manufacturing & industrial, multiunit residential, religious & civic, and
retail. The list of green contractors is available at no cost, but the additional data
package is $25.00. This may provide good contact information by sector for use in
obtaining additional information.
McGraw-Hill Construction Outlook 2008 Report
http://construction.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0249-257482_ITM_analytics
This report offers a first-hand view of industry trends and a detailed economic forecast
that will affect the construction industry in 2008. Report highlights include:
institutional buildings will rise 4% in dollar volume, while square footage edges up 1%;
school construction is expected to strengthen again after its 2007 pause; public works
construction will move up 3%; commercial buildings will slip 6% in dollar volume and
11% in square feet; and multifamily housing will slide 8% in dollars and 11% in units.
The report is $495. Coupled with the McGraw-Hill reports below, it should provide the
type of information that we are seeking.
Industry - Nexis Search
This document contains three articles. The first provides an overview of the industry in
today’s market and a list of the top construction companies. It also includes a resource
list of organizations and associations that might be useful to our work. The next article
includes financial information on the industry, such as assets, liabilities, revenue, and
net income. The third article contains brief overviews of the leading construction
companies in the United States.
News Articles - Nexis Search
We may be able to extrapolate from the following statement in one of the articles:
- p.51, “The total value of new buildings seeking the US green building rating, known
as LEED, rose 50 percent to dollars 15bn (Euros 11bn, Pounds 7.5bn) last year. This year
1bn sq ft, or 6 percent of all new construction, will be aiming for environmental ratings,
up from 1 per cent five years ago….In New York, by far the top US location for office
space, every one of the more than 50 projects valued above Dollars 25m now being
developed in lower Manhattan is being built along environmental guidelines, according
to the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center, which oversees downtown
construction…Many US states offer incentives for environmental construction, and
demand that new public buildings comply with green guidelines. Texas fast-tracks
permits for green buildings, while New York, California and Oregon offer tax
incentives.”