Green building refers to a building construction mechanism designed to protect a large portion of the natural environment surrounding a built-up area. It is not limited to this, but also includes a holistic approach to building construction, and recognizes that the building being built will have a significant impact on the natural environment (including the people living in the building). Green building initiatives therefore seek to enhance the positive impacts while mitigating the negative impacts throughout the life cycle of the building.

In essence, it's all about encouraging environmental responsibility and resource efficiency. It can also be defined as the construction, design, planning and operation of buildings, maximizing the consideration of sustainable energy and water use, evaluating the impact of building materials on the project site and the ideal indoor environmental quality.

Most of the world's buildings consume more than 50% of their electricity, water, energy and materials. In addition, buildings account for 18% of global emissions, equivalent to about 9 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year. At the same time, buildings take up a lot of natural land space. Therefore, the adoption and use of green design and construction aims to mitigate these environmental impacts.

Preventing site degradation during construction, managing sprawl, controlling resource use, and ensuring energy-efficient buildings are green building goals that reduce the overall impact on the environment. This helps to conserve natural resources, improve water and air quality, and protect ecosystems and biodiversity.

Green buildings combine a variety of measures to reduce energy consumption, including energy requirements for the extraction, processing, transportation and installation of building materials. Most importantly, green technology and design insist on reducing operating energy to meet the needs of services such as electricity and heating.

This means that green buildings use less operating energy and can reduce overall life cycle energy consumption by up to 30%. This is facilitated by the use of passive solar building design for heating and lighting; insulation of walls, ceilings and floors; and the use of renewable energy. In the long run, green buildings ensure lower embodied and operating energy.

Green buildings need to protect water quality and reduce water use. It is part of the sustainable principles of green building that encourage the efficient use of water. Green construction measures ensure the collection, use, purification and reuse of water throughout the construction period. In addition, during the life cycle of the building, water protection and conservation can be promoted by installing mechanisms to recycle used water and minimize water waste.

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is one of the many concerns of healthy living, and it can be better managed through the use of green building technologies. Utilizing green building technologies, the indoor environment is designed to provide comfort, productivity and well-being for the occupants within the building. These include indoor air quality (IAQ), lighting quality and thermal quality.

Indoor air quality addresses the problem of volatile organic compounds and other air pollutants (such as microbial particles). Proper ventilation and air filtration are also included to ensure adequate flow of fresh and clean air. The decorative materials used in the interior of the building are also environmentally friendly, with zero volatile organic compounds, thereby improving indoor air quality.

One of the many challenges facing traditional building construction techniques is the proper maintenance and operational responsibility of the building. Green buildings provide solutions through sustainable building design, ensuring optimal operation and maintenance.

This is because every element of a green building is incorporated into the operation and maintenance of the entire building life cycle. Reducing waste, recycling, improving air and water quality, conserving resources and improving energy efficiency can effectively ensure optimal operation and maintenance

Green buildings are primarily designed to reduce waste of water, energy and materials during and even after construction. Studies have shown that most of the waste comes from commercial buildings, which has led to the continued growth of landfills. By using green building technologies and designs, it is easier to reduce the amount of waste generated by building occupants because these technologies and designs integrate on-site solutions such as compost bins. The water is recycled and used for non-potable uses, such as car washes and flush toilets. Energy-saving systems and electrical appliances have also been installed in the building to reduce energy waste.

Facts have proved that the operating and construction costs associated with traditional construction mechanisms are quite high, and the material requirements are also high. Green materials and construction techniques help cut operating and construction costs by more than half, all thanks to their cost-effectiveness.

Non-toxic, renewable and reusable products such as renewable plant materials, recycled metals and recycled stone ensure high performance while reducing long-term maintenance costs. In addition, these products are not only affordable, but also durable.

The use of green buildings is one of the designs that allows air and light to flow freely into high-rise apartments. The use of this design helps to save energy and improve the well-being of the occupants of the building. This design is widely used in cities and central business districts to reduce the need for air conditioning and day lighting. The Lumiventt of DMCI Homes in the Philippines is one such technology. The purpose of green building is very simple, that is, to integrate the principles of airflow and lighting into the architectural design technology of ventilation and natural lighting.

The cold roof is a green design designed to reflect heat and sunlight. Therefore, this can keep the house at standard room temperature because it reduces heat absorption and heat emission. The design uses reflective paint and special tiles that absorb less heat and reflect most of the solar radiation.

For example, a cool roof can reduce the temperature by more than 50 degrees Celsius in summer. Therefore, the cold roof minimizes the dependence on air conditioning, thereby reducing energy use, thereby reducing the cumulative greenhouse gas emissions of the power plant. A cool roof can also mitigate the heat island effect in urban areas.

Proper landscaping techniques to ensure stormwater management are part of the green building approach. It aims to control erosion in rural areas and flooding in urban areas caused by unexpected downpours. With proper landscaping, large amounts of water can be easily managed. The use of plants in landscaping can be used as an effective means to purify rainwater and reduce soil erosion.

The use of efficient water supply systems and reuse technologies is part of the green building approach. The main goal is to reduce water waste and encourage as much recycling as possible. For example, the use of dual pipes, gray water reuse, rainwater harvesting and water conservation devices can ensure that water is adequately managed, recycled and used for non-portable purposes such as car washes and flush toilets.

Double pipes in particular can reduce sewer flow and increase the potential for on-site reuse of water. It is estimated that buildings use about 14 percent of the planet's drinking water, and green water supply and reuse technology intends to reduce that by 15 percent to address the shortage of fresh water in urban areas.

Smart glass and low-emissivity windows are new technologies and designs adopted in the field of green building. They are glass materials coated with metal oxides, which can block the strong solar radiation in summer and reduce the heat emission in the house in winter.

Subsequently, smart glass and low-e windows minimize dependence on air conditioning, thereby reducing energy use, thereby reducing cumulative greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Zero energy buildings refer to green engineering design that focuses primarily on the use of renewable energy to ensure the improvement and improvement of energy efficiency in commercial buildings and residences. Examples of such energy sources include wind and solar power, which allow buildings to operate independently without the need for mains power. In addition to saving energy, the use of zero-energy design also reduces greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Green building techniques also include building construction using sustainable and eco-friendly materials. It involves incorporating sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable materials throughout the construction process. The use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials, free of toxic chemicals and volatile organic compounds, eliminates indoor pollution, natural decomposition, and does not harm the environment. In addition, the use of green building materials such as recycled metal and recycled stone can avoid the depletion of scarce natural resources.

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