By Patrick Hogan, CEO, Handle.com
The term “going green” may seem like a marketing buzzword for many businesses to attract the environmentally conscious. But for the construction industry, it is a necessity to fight the climate crisis.
According to the Global Status Report published by the UN Environment and the International Energy Agency, buildings and their construction are responsible for 36% of global final energy use and 39% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide, more than any other industry. A huge part of these emissions come from fossil fuels consumed to power electrical appliances and provide heating, cooling, and lighting to buildings. In order for the construction industry to minimize its contribution to the climate crisis, it should become more eco-friendly and sustainable.
Fortunately, sustainable construction has been rapidly gaining momentum over the past few years. According to the 2018 World Green Building Trends report published by Dodge Data & Analytics, nearly half of construction business owners believe that they will build 60% of their projects with green practices by 2021.
While the goal of sustainable construction is to reduce the negative impact of the industry on the environment through waste management and energy-efficient practices, construction firms have plenty more reasons for sustainable construction beyond conserving energy and saving resources. Client demand and environmental regulations are still some of the top triggers for sustainable construction. Creating healthier buildings to improve occupant well-being is still one of the biggest reasons for building green.
That said, no matter how critical the issues that sustainable construction addresses, there’s no denying that following green practices poses significant operational and financial challenges to construction business owners. But even small steps can have a huge impact on sustainability. Here are some ways construction businesses can advance towards a more sustainable future.
1. Start with incorporating green practices in the design
The design decisions construction firms make have a long-term effect on a structure’s environmental impact. That is why it is crucial that construction businesses start incorporating design choices that not only minimize a building’s footprint but also have a positive effect on the environment and the people residing in it.
The best green design choices include:
- Creating well-insulated buildings, which need less energy to heat up and cool down
- Integrating renewable sources of energy to supply the building’s energy needs such as geothermal heating and cooling
- Using LED lighting, which is more energy-efficient and has a longer lifespan than incandescent and fluorescent lights
- Incorporating natural light, which improves occupant enjoyment while also reducing lighting needs
- Bringing fresh air from the outdoors through proper ventilation and effective filtration
2. Use sustainable construction materials and techniques
Another huge part of the design process is choosing the type of materials to use in the construction. For instance, using prefabricated materials can improve sustainability by reducing waste.
Prefabricated construction is the practice of assembling parts of a structure on a manufacturing site and transporting them to a construction site. Compared to traditional construction methods that may require extra materials and produce more waste on-site, prefab construction is more sustainable because the waste produced can be recycled within the factory where they are assembled. The controlled environment within the factory allows more accurate cutting, which further reduces the waste produced.
Using low-impact building materials can also offset the energy usage of the manufacturing of construction materials. As much as possible, construction business owners should look into using recycled and repurposed resources. Using locally sourced materials also decreases transportation costs while contributing to reducing vehicle emissions.
3. Go paperless and embrace construction technology
You may think a few stacks of paper is harmless compared to the waste coming out of a construction site, but this could build up over the course of many construction projects. Many parts of the construction process, from creating the initial design blueprints to filing lien waivers and informing stakeholders, use paper and are therefore wasteful. Embracing sustainability means replacing these paper plans and files and investing in sustainable construction technology.
Plenty of construction software has features that not only eliminate paper waste, but also improve the efficiency and productivity of a construction project. For instance, cloud collaboration lets stakeholders see changes in a plan in real-time, doing away with the need for paper plans to be updated and ensuring all members are on the same page. Sending invoices, lien waivers, and other lien documents via email instead of the traditional methods actually let contractors get paid faster.
Sustainability in the construction industry is a work in progress. Transitioning into more sustainable construction practices will not only help construction businesses reduce their negative impact on the environment but also provide financial and operational benefits. Take the first step towards sustainable construction today.
About the Author: Patrick Hogan is the CEO of Handle.com, where they build software that helps contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers with late payments. Handle.com also provides funding for construction businesses in the form of invoice factoring, material supply trade credit, and mechanics lien purchasing.
