Building for a green future

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A wave of green building laws is sweeping the nation, forcing builders to install solar panels, fluorescent light bulbs and roofs with vegetation whether they like it or not.

Green buildings are designed for energy efficiency and healthy indoor spaces, usually with recyclable materials and low-energy fixtures that create little pollution.

Traditional buildings account for about 38 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions, or greenhouse gases, that many scientists say add to global warming, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

"We think green buildings can play a significant role in reducing energy use and global warming," said John Surrick, spokesman for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, whose headquarters outside of Annapolis is one of the greenest of buildings.

There are more than 76 million residential buildings and nearly 5 million commercial buildings in the United States. By 2010, another 38 million buildings would be added at the current rate of construction.

Buildings rank as one of the biggest drains on the nation's and the world's energy and water resources.

In the United States, buildings account for 39 percent of total energy use, 12 percent of total water consumption and 68 percent of total electricity consumption, the EPA reports.

"If we take the path we've taken now, that's not sustainable," said Diana Horvat, principal in the D.C. architectural firm Envision Design.

Nationwide, about 53 cities offer incentives or set requirements for green building design. They resulted in about $7.73 billion of construction projects last year being built under "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design," or LEED, standards of the U.S. Green Building Council, a trade organization that advocates green buildings. In addition, 10 counties, 17 states and 11 federal agencies have approved green building requirements.

"I'd say we're adding about five to 10 cities a month," said Taryn Holowka, spokeswoman for the U.S. Green Building Council.