Building A Self Built Green Home

More Britons are now being encouraged to build their own homes. Housing Minister Grant Schapps has promised us that he will make it easier for us to build as planning constraints will not be as severe. On average about 10,000 of us self build every year and it requires tenacity and a drive to complete the project. Of course the end result is your dream home which is everything that you want in a home. All fixtures and fittings are to your taste and you can make your home as green as you want it to be because it is a new build. All of the green credentials can be incorporated into the design from the beginning stages of the drawings. Best of all is that at the project you will have probably made a profit if you have not gone overboard with your designs.

Later this year The Localism Bill is likely to come into effect which will give communities greater powers and take away the powers from the councils in regards to how our neighbourhoods are formed. Neighbourhood groups will be able to approve developments without having to go through the usual channels of gaining planning consent from the council. So it looks as though next year more and more of us will decided to venture into self builds as planning laws will be more lenient, well that it what self builders hope.

Marcus Copeland is a mortgage broker from Cwm in North Wales. He built a five storey, six bedroom house which has panoramic views of the valley stretching down to the coast and the house is only a 30 minute drive from Chester. The house is fabulous and costs Mr Copeland around £1million to complete which includes land value and build costs. He admits that if could do it all again he would curb his spending. He used a stone for the exterior walls from Scotland when he could have settled for a cheaper option but he admits that this house was going to be his dream home and so he spared no expense. He has now decided to put the house on the market for £1.5million, so he is still in profit.

It took 18 months for him to complete the build. He has included highly insulated windows, two mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MhVr) systems and of course under floor heating on each of the five floors of the house. He grew up in the area and managed to persuade a local farmer to sell him a plot of his land. Once this was agreed then obtaining the planning permission was very straight forward. The land that he had purchased already had planning for a small house and so the revised plans that Mr Copeland submitted had all the necessary eco-credentials that planners like and he also communicated with all of the neighbours. This meant that there were no objections to the plans and the planning permission was granted. The plans included rainwater recycling, solar panels, green roofs and ground source heat pumps. So it seems that the more green credentials in your proposed home the better. In June self builders can also earn an income via Feed-in tariffs whereby you sell surplus electricity back to the National Grid.

Many believe that green homes are a better quality because they are built with extra care. The finish of the houses tends to be superior to traditional builds and of course because they are much more energy efficient the energy bills of these houses is much lower. So for self builders beginning at the design stage, the more green credentials included in your new home the cheaper it will be to run in the long term.

Building A Luxury Eco-Friendly Home

It seems that the affluent "eco worriers" are helping the self build market boom. Programmes such as Grand Designs have had an impact on the self build market which is witnessing the luxury end of the self build market growing faster than ever before. It seems that the Waitrose generation, who are being classed as the well off eco worriers, are looking for their dream plot so that they can build their dream home.

Typically it is 20% to 30% cheaper to build your home rather than buy it ready-made, this creates a premium once the house is completed. Sometimes the premium is a lot higher than the self builder originally thought. One such example is Warwick Raymen who runs a glazing firm. He bought 12 acres of land in Croydon, Cambridgeshire so that he could build an eco-friendly farm house. The cost of the land was £590,000 and the cost to build the house was around £300,000. However the end value of the farmhouse is an astonishing £1.25million which is an uplift of 40% more than the entire cost.

A self builder also pays less tax because if you buy a home you have to pay stamp duty on the value of the house. However if you build one then you only pay the duty on the value of the land if the land cost more than £125,000. If the land cost you less than £125,000 then you do not pay anything. In terms of the building materials that you use throughout the build, you can also claim the VAT back on them.

For some of these self builders money is no object especially if their plot involves demolishing an existing house to build again. Because there are a shortage of premium plots, especially in places like London, buying an existing house only to demolish it and start again is becoming increasingly popular. However doing it this way is not really eco-friendly. Other options are previously commercial or light industrial sites as you can find these sites in residential areas such as London. The only hurdle is getting the local planning authority to change the use of the site.

Mortgage companies are lending to self builders. Property developers may be finding it harder in this economic climate but if you are building the house as a family home then you can get finance. Some facts around the self build market are:-

£220,000 is the average cost of a self build project in the UK, so your eco-friendly home may be within your reach and is not just for the really rich.

In the coming few years the self build market is expected to double in size.

There are more than 20,000 homes built every year in the UK as self build projects.

Beyond Traditional: Home Building Goes Green

With so many eyes looking towards how to reduce the harmful effects of our population's excesses on our planet, many people are looking for ways to go green in every aspect of their life. This also extends to the types of homes that are now being built. While traditional site built homes involve wood, stucco and/or brick, homeowners and builders alike are getting more creative by using less traditional home building items, such as one home here in the South made out of straw bale. No, it's not owned by one of the three little pigs. In fact, the goal is to be less of a pig when it comes to the environment.

This little straw house was designed much like any traditional home. It has standard doors, windows and, of course, a roof. But the walls themselves were created out of straw bales (the remnants of grain harvesting) and a stucco mixture of sand, dirt and pigment (for color). It took approximately 240 bales to create this 1900 square foot home. And the homeowner has seen a significant savings in energy costs within just the past year of living in it.

A traditionally built home's walls are only about 6 inches thick. However, a straw bale is 18-23 inches thick and solid. This helps regulate the temperature of the home, keeping it warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. The positioning of the home also helped keep energy costs down. By placing the side with large windows pointed to the south and using a ceiling fan to move the air around, the straw home was able to maintain a comfortable temperature inside (69 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit) even when temperatures dipped to 54 or soared to 95 outside. This allowed them to spend a grand total of around $500 on their utilities for the whole of last year.

While hay may be for horses, straw is definitely great for houses. I don't see the Big Bad Wolf coming around and blowing this one down anytime soon either. Recycling is a great start to helping our planet, but we have to think much broader. Owning a home is an important part of so many people's lives. Finding new and interesting ways to re purpose used articles as building materials or finding natural alternatives like this straw house can save us money while also helping save our planet. It's a win-win situation for everyone!

Construction And The Environment - Green Building

This is a conclusion to our series of articles on ways in which construction affects the environment. Green building is a concept in construction which aims at creating environment friendly construction. The aim here is to reduce the impact of construction on the environment as well as coming up with remedial measures to resuscitate the already chocking environment. Below are just examples of green construction practices.

· Using renewable energy sources in buildings for example solar and wind energy in the place of electricity and fossil fuels.

· Coming up with designs that require minimum energy supporting systems like maximizing on day lighting in buildings as opposed to electric lighting.

· Reducing the use of timber in construction, especially rare and deciduous types, and in their place using fast growing species like bamboo and softwoods in controlled forests and plantations.

· Reusing timber as well as timber wastes like saw dust to make timber replacements.

· Tapping into rainwater and other precipitation for use in buildings to replace or supplement water from other sources.

· Reducing water wastage by making use of pressure control valves, low flush cisterns and the like.

· Reusing grey water (all used water in the house, other than from closets, bidets and such).

· Using porous materials in parking and general surfaces to allow for percolation of water for replenishing sub surface.

· Incorporating gardening and greening in built up areas, including the introduction of green roofs.

· Reducing earth-moving activities for construction works.

· Avoiding construction in environmentally fragile areas for example water catchment areas.

· Reducing the wastes from buildings that end up in land fills by ensuring sorting at source. A good example is where biodegradable wastes are put in different bins and used as fertilizers.

· Rehabilitating derelict land and mine fields by planting trees and such environmental conservation measures.

All these and many other similar measures will definitely nurture the environment. They will however need a lot of deliberation and forward planning so as to make success. It is also worth noting that green building is usually more expensive upfront but could be affordable in the building life cycle. Furthermore, the extra cost in money will be compensated in a sustainable environment.

Green construction is a collective responsibility and should be sought by all and sundry. Architectural association and building regulatory boards the world over should put all the necessary efforts to have their jurisdictions adopt green construction. Governments should also demonstrate green building in their projects to have their subjects easily accept them. Learning institutions and training institutes should also put enough emphasis on these procedures. Green construction materials and equipment should also be zero rated to reduce costs as well as create a preference.

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Green Building Products Will Get Your Buyers Attention - Success In The New Marketplace

The use of green building products even for remodeling have gained the attention of many in the past several years, what have been a challenge for most homeowners is knowing where to find eco-friendly building products. There are many companies that are promoting quote green and energy efficient Products, but do they really live up to their claims? Substantiating these claims would make it easy to know where to look.
Lumber is necessary building material in most projects and if used in the right way can produce a tremendous amount of energy and environmental savings.
Sustainable Lumber Products
· Dimensional Lumber
· Wood Flooring
· Plywood
· Paneling
· Cabinetry
Green building materials as mentioned above can be produced using diverse materials from different parts of the planet. The question is,How can the average homeowner tell whether these materials they're selecting are prepared properly? Firstly,there must be a FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificate to give the homeowner the confidence that they're purchasing a legitimate environmentally friendly product. FSC is a non-profit organization and operates independently, their certification process offers the forestry professionals a higher level of social awareness and responsibility for the environment. This certification is important to the homeowners; because it identifies that the wood that was used has been harvested in accordance with the standards that have been set by the forestry management.
Green Interior Products
Because of some products such as flooring, countertops and cabinetry which are used from raw material can also be considered ecologically friendly, though they may not have a certificate labeled on them. This also includes an array of other interior finishing. Consider bamboo and cork, they're rated at the top when it comes to green building flooring products due to their renewable nature. Notwithstanding, these raw materials are grown in certain countries in the world which means the transportation fees would me astronomical. Also the glue that is use to put these products together will emit VOCs. So, a homeowner needs to consider carefully when selecting those interior finishing.
Recycled and Recyclable
The products that are getting a lot of attention today are the recyclables; the marketplace is full of them. They are namely carpets and wall-coverings. Shaw and Mohawk which are two large carpet manufacturers in the U.S have come up with a solution to recover used carpets for recycling by removing the backing from them. The Vinyl wall-covering companies have also got into the field of recycling by creating products of such nature. Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams are two paint companies that have given serious considerations to their product by developing products that give little fumes and toxins. Green building products are available it all depends on where you are in the world, for it differs in the region or country you belong, homeowners have many options.
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Sustainable Building for Education

Sustainable building is now high on the agenda. There is currently social, political, and legislative pressure to ensure that any new school buildings are seen as "sustainable". This is a part of your drive to be an Eco-School. This includes any shelters and gazebos, as well as new classrooms.

With so much to think about whilst primarily focused on budget and deadlines, how can you ensure that your school building is truly sustainable, and causes minimum impact on the environment through manufacture, construction, life span; and, at the very end of its life, demolition. Our recommendation would be to choose timber for sustainability, and off-site manufacture for budget and speed of delivery.

Timber is the planet's only natural, renewable, recyclable construction material: it has been used in construction for many thousands of years. Now with FSC or PEFC certification you can be confident in its sourcing as well.

In order to keep the focus on the budget at the same time as sustainability, we would suggest you look at off-site manufacture: buildings which are factory prepared prior to delivery to site, and consequently provide large savings on construction costs through reduced build periods and site disruption: systems such as Cabinco's MPL shell buildings. The logs are precision factory engineered and then delivered to site ready for speedy, accurate, construction of an individually designed sustainable building.

The larger the proportion of timber in your new school building, the more chance of a fully recyclable building envelope. Timber does not have to be restricted to just the outer skin which gives the appearance of sustainability, but can extend to the inner walls, floors, windows, doors, roof structure and even the final roofing material through such options as cedar shingles. A solid wood solution.

Checklist for Sustainable Buildings

Sustainable sourcing of materialsNoise, Odour & dust during constructionWaste to landfill during manufacture and constructionMaintenance and energy required during use of the buildingRecyclability after the end of the building's natural life.Overall Carbon Footprint

Carbon Footprint

The carbon footprint is an assessment of the impact of the school building on the environment. It looks at all aspects of the processes involved in delivering your built solution in great detail, and includes such things as the energy used in manufacture, where that energy comes from, whether it is renewable energy; energy used in transportation of materials, including the fuels used; construction phase energy and waste; in service energy consumption; and, finally, end of life energy use - or NOT in the case of timber, which can be reused as fuel.

Research shows that timber buildings have the lowest whole life carbon footprints of all.

A company with a real focus on supplying sustainable buildings will provide all this information on its website. Cabinco is award winning expert in designing and constructing sustainable school buildings and eco-schools throughout the UK. Visit the website for more details.

Building Green Home Real Estate Helps More Than Just The Environment

"Going green" is seemingly the latest theme of the day.

A trend that can be seen in everything from the newest cleaning solutions on the market to the invention of solar paneled roofs, how to make a green home is central to the design schemes utilized by today's architects.

What is the purpose behind building green living homes?

Simply stated, green energy efficient homes contribute to the cause of saving the planet.

And besides the energy saving aspect, building a green home changes the overall affordability of owning real estate.

For example, those who live in energy friendly homes do not have the need for the general utility set-ups (such as electricity) that are required for residents of non-green communities. And because the demand for these utilities becomes lower as a result of green neighborhoods, the prices go down for everyone who still has to rely on other methods for their power.

In addition, the construction costs for green built homes are often much less than what would be spent on a creating something conventional - a fact that also gives green residences a better chance at being approved for a building permit.

Another advantage of green home real estate is that it provides a way to maintain the environment so that the occurrences of detrimental atmospheric events have a chance at slowing down. As a matter of fact, government studies have shown that if all buildings in the United States followed the standards set by green construction, the end result would be a 10% decrease in the emissions that create global warming.

A measured 70% reduction in waste from using green materials for construction is a further plus of modern green homes.

This waste reduction is possible because much of the time the materials used in green friendly homes are recycled - a process which also has the advantage of helping to decrease the overall cost of the project. And, green homes are further able to add to the savings factor because these types of structures have a much longer life span than those homes constructed by non-green methods.

What are some of the green building techniques used to turn a home into an environmentally friendly residence?

A simple way to start on the path to building a green home is by using certain kinds of wood when designing the home's floors. One such wood that meets the standards of green construction is bamboo.

Not only is bamboo unusually durable, but the rate at which it is able to replenish itself (between five and ten years) is a much less amount of time than the fifty to one hundred years of maturation time on other woods selected for flooring purposes.

The paints used on the inside and outside of the home also make a difference as to whether or not said home can be called "green."

Paints of the non-green variety contain toxic metals, solvents and harmful VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) that are damaging when inhaled by those performing the painting task. Paints of this kind also create by-products such as more smog and pollution that are added to the atmosphere.

Using zero or low-VOC paint is a green building technique that protects the occupants of the home while also helping to clean up the environment at the same time.

Low or zero-VOC paints do not contain the toxins found in the paints from the past, nor do these types of paints dry and still continue to release their dangerous substances into the air.

The manner in which a garden is kept is another qualifying factor when it comes to whether or not a home can be considered a green friendly residence.

For example, buying simple hand tools for one's gardening needs (instead of purchasing items that run on gasoline or electric power) helps to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that escape into the air, while giving the user a bit of exercise at the same time.

Raking and sweeping leaves and other yard debris instead of using a leaf blower to do the job is a second way to go green in the garden - as leaf blowers operate on gasoline and thus release those carbon dioxide emissions that are best avoided when possible.

Best of all, choosing not to rake the leaves and instead using them to surround the garden's plants is one way to create a natural mulch - and pairing these leaves with used coffee grounds will cause an extraordinarily lush garden to bloom.

Using non-toxic pesticides to make insects and other animals stay away from the garden is another method aimed toward making the environment a more green place to co-exist. It can be as easy as placing earthworms and ladybugs into the foliage to keep these pests away.

And, toxin-free pesticides also have the advantage of keeping the water supply in a cleaner state, as there is no risk of the run-off from dangerous gardening chemicals contaminating the water if said chemicals are not being used.

Whether it is the actual materials used for construction of the home or the tools meant for the garden, there are many ways to incorporate green techniques to make for a much healthier place to co-exist.

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What Are the Benefits of Green Building?

GE Appliances & Lighting recently opened a new data center at its Kentucky headquarters, equipped with innovative high-efficiency cooling systems. It also utilizes high-density servers containing more computing power per square foot, thus, reducing the amount of energy the center needs for cooling. The company has even installed water saving fixtures to reduce water consumption in the building by 42%.

Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, last year announced its intention to meet most its water heating needs by relying on 378 solar panels, which will heat 140,000 liters of water every day. According to its management, the sustainable investment is expected to save 3,200 kWh of energy per day, accumulating to 690MWh of energy savings annually.

Hervey Bay's Riviera Resort broke a solar panel record in Queensland this month by installing more solar panels on its six-story building than any other construction in the Australian state. The owner of the resort claims that he has enjoyed $16,000 in energy savings - a reasonable return on his sustainable investments.

Businesses aren't the only ones taking advantage of eco-friendly tweaks and innovations. ZeroCottage in San Francisco, a net-zero energy project-under-construction by David Baker and Partners Architecture, is employing the benefits of high-performance windows, air-tight folding doors and wall assembly, rainwater reclamation and efficient water heating. Kelly and Matt Grocoff, a Michigan couple, reconstructed their 1901 2200 sq. ft. Victorian-style home and turned it into a net-zero sustainable investment. It cost the family a total of $47,130, with an expected return of $104,000 over 20 years.

According to calculations by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), buildings in most countries take up at least 40 per cent of national energy use. In the European Union, the construction industry eats up 42 per cent of the EU's final energy consumption and accounts for about 35 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), estimates the European Commission. In an economy where companies and homes are cutting costs across the board, energy is one of the first areas to feel the slash. Governments are taking this trend into account and are encouraging energy-saving sustainable investments through incentive tools such as tax breaks and feed-in tariffs.

2010 Deutche Bank Research figures indicate that green buildings enjoy energy savings of about 30% more than conventional buildings. Sustainable buildings generally tend to use less water and are cheaper to maintain. McGraw-Hill Construction's Green Outlook 2011 report values the growth of U.S. green building construction at 50 per cent from 2008 to 2010. Green buildings represent 25% of all new construction in 2010 and, according to McGraw-Hillprojections, the market size will likely rise to about $135 billion by 2015. The UK will likely see increases in the sector as well as the government has set up the goal to increase energy reductions in the country and to achieve carbon neutrality in all new English homes by 2016, per WBCSD.

Before embarking on greening the office or home space and reaping the benefits of energy cost cutting, government incentives and more affordable building maintenance, investors need to thoroughly educate themselves on their nation's industry standards and regulations. As the sustainable constructions investments market picks up speed, it brings with it the persisting need for quality asrurance.

There are several third-party entities that set up standards and certify buildings constructed under sustainable investments initiatives. In the U.S., the leading green building certification system is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed LEED in 2000, to provide housing and commercial building owners and operators with a set of measurable criteria that evaluate the building's practicality, design, effectiveness and management efficacy.In the European Union, and UK in particular, the widely used regulatory system is BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). Established in 1990 by the UK Building Research Establishment (BRE), BREEAM had the purpose of evaluating the sustainability of new commercial buildings. It has since expanded to also include residential buildings under its umbrella. In 2003, the Green Building Council of Australia launched Green Star - a rating system to quantify the environmental effects of constructions as well as the improvements brought about by innovations in the building sector.

To find out more about sustainable building and ethical investments, go to sustainable-investment-guide.com. Sustainable Investment Guide is an informational portal keeping you up to date on carbon credit market facts, trends, news and sustainable investment opportunities.

Nursery Building - Guide to Planning a New Nursery

So you have made the decision and are planning on purchasing a new nursery building. Whether this is your route into business, or a development of an existing business, there are a lot of things to think about. Here is a quick guide to some of the points you need to consider.

Size of building

Each additional square meter will have a cost implication; so it is essential that you get the layout of your new nursery building just right. You need to consider not only the numbers of children, staff, and rooms necessary, but also plan them so that there is minimal wasted space. If you choose a building which is individually designed, and unique to your business, then you have an ideal opportunity to do this.

Indoor Play for Nursery Buildings

Perhaps the most obvious, but the first thing to consider is the space allocation you will need. National standards exist for the allocated play areas for nursery age groups.

Space standards represent minimum space per child for the whole provision;

England and Wales;

Age Group under 2 years - 3.5 sqmAge Group 2 years - 2.5 sqmAge Group 3 - 7 years - 2.3 sqm

Scotland;

Age Group under 2 years - 3.7 sqmAge Group 2 years - 2.8 sqmAge Group 3 - 7 years - 2.3 sqm

This area can include space for quiet play or relaxation. It can easily be planned to provide areas dedicated to messy or wet play within the rooms. Provision of water fountains is also popular. Where preferred, layouts can be planned to give access to the w.c direct from the main play rooms to minimise interference with staffing levels.

Adequate Storage

As some areas may have more than one function, many nurseries benefit from walk-in storage areas, where play items can be stored between sessions. Planned storage can be particularly important to nurseries who share the main facilities with other community groups. This can be built into the floor plan of a new building and give you neat, organised, storage which will help extend the life of the toys and equipment you provide.

Toilet Facilities

1 w.c and hand basin to every 10 children over 2 years. Part M applies, so disability access requires an additional w.c. Many nurseries are able to use this as their staff facility as well which helps maximise use of space within the new building.

Outdoor Play

Safe outdoor play areas can be secured as part of the new project through considering L or T shaped nursery buildings. Here a partially enclosed area is created by the building shape giving ideal opportunity for covered verandas which offer all weather play. Remember to include outdoor taps for the children's gardening activities

Staffing Ratios

1 member of staff for every 3 children under 2 years of age1 member of staff for every 4 children aged 2 years1 member of staff for every 8 children aged 3 to 8 years of age

Office Facilities

A small office will give you the opportunity to have the necessary space and quiet to conduct any meetings (staff/parents/suppliers) and, if positioned next to the main access door, can ensure that you as owner/manager see every person who comes into your premises.

Kitchen

Depending on the type of care you are offering, you will either require a basic food prep area, where you can prepare mid-session snacks and drinks, or a full kitchen, where day care children have their healthy meals prepared. Planning the position of this can help you save space.

Decoration

A warm, inviting, and safe environment will work for children and parents alike. Choose something that will set your business apart from the norm: like this lovely log building, filled with primary colours to stimulate young minds set against the warmth of the log wall.

Speed of Construction

Especially important if you are replacing an existing childcare building and do not want any interruption to your business. Certain build options, such as off-site manufacture, ensure that a large amount of the construction preparation is carried out prior to arriving on site. This can mean that a complete new nursery building is created in as little as 4 weeks

Disruption during the Build

When you are building your new premises, and hoping to create a positive impression on the community, you want a construction solution that will create interest and enthusiasm. Look out for the Considerate Constructors Scheme: participating companies have a focus on ensuring that they are good neighbours during the build process, which will stand you in good stead with the community when you open for business.

Sustainability

When you have planned out your new building you can start to look at the sustainable options as well. Make sure that your new building demonstrates your commitment to the environment by choosing a building that is constructed from sustainable materials, is energy efficient, and low maintenance during use, and will not be a detriment to the planet when It reaches the end of it its life.

Your new nursery building will not only be your place of work, but the face of your business: you want it to reflect your company's ethos. For more information on pre-school, school and sustainable buildings visit our website.

What are the benefits of green building?

GE Appliances & lighting has recently opened a new data center at its headquarters in Kentucky, equipped with innovative high-efficiency cooling systems. It also uses high density containing more computing power per square foot, thus, reduce the amount of energy, central cooling needs. The company has installed even save fixtures to reduce water consumption in the building of 42% water.

Burj Dubai, the highest of the world building, Khalifa last year announced its intention to meet more water heating needs by relying on 378 solar panels, which will be heat 140,000 litres of water each day. Under his management, sustainable investment is expected to save 3 200 kWh of energy per day, accumulating on 690MWh of energy per year.

Riviera Resort Hervey Bay beat a record solar panel in Queensland this month by installing more solar panels on his six-story building that any other interpretation in the Australian State. The owner of the station claims that he received $ 16,000 for energy savings - a reasonable return on its sustainable investment.

Companies are not only taking advantage of the eco-friendly of adjustments and innovations. ZeroCottage in San Francisco, a zero net energy project-under-construction by David Baker and partners Architecture, employs the benefits of high performance windows, folding doors sealed and wall Assembly, State of rain water and efficient water heating. Kelly and Matt Grocoff, a couple of Michigan, rebuilt their house style Victorian feet square of 1901 2200 and transformed into an investment sustainable zero. Cost the family a total of $47 130, with a return of $104 000 more than 20 years.

According to calculations by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), buildings in most countries took place at less than 40 per cent of national energy consumption. In the European Union, the construction industry eats up to 42% of EU final energy consumption and represents about 35 percent of all gas emissions greenhouse (GHG), estimates of the European Commission. In an economy where businesses and homes are reducing overall costs, energy is one of the first to feel the slash. Governments are taking into account of this trend and encouraging saving energy of sustainable investment incentives such as tax relief tools and feed in tariffs.

2010 Deutsche Bank Research figures indicate that green buildings benefit from savings of approximately 30% more than conventional buildings. In General, sustainable buildings tend to use less water and are less expensive to maintain. Report of the McGraw - Hill Construction Green Outlook 2011 the values of the U.S. green building construction 50% growth between 2008 and 2010. Green buildings represent 25% of all new construction in 2010 and, according to McGraw-Hillprojections, market size will probably rise to about 135 billion by 2015. Will the UK probably see increases in the sector as well as the Government has set up the goal to increase energy savings in the country `nd to achieve carbon neutrality in all new English homes by 2016, by WBCSD.

Before undertaking the greening of home or office space and take advantage of the benefits of the energy cost of Cup, the incentives and maintenance of the buildings more affordable, investors must carefully to learn about industry standards and regulations of their nation. As the investment market sustainable constructions picks up speed, it brings with it the need ongoing quality assurance.

There are several entities of third party who has implemented standards and certify buildings constructed in sustainable investment projects. To the United States, the Green main system of certification of buildings is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed LEED in 2000, to provide residential and commercial owners and operators with a set of measurable criteria that assess the practical efficiency, design, efficiency and building management.In the European Union and UK in particular, the regulatory system widely used is the method of environmental assessment BRE (BREEAM). Created in 1990 by the UK Building Research Establishment (BRE), BREEAM was designed to assess the viability of new commercial buildings. It has since expanded to include residential buildings under its umbrella. In 2003, the Green Building Council of Australia launched Green Star - a system of notation for quantifying the environmental effects of the constructions and improvements made by the innovations in the building sector.