Dec. 5, 2011: Report Says Green Buildings Cost Less to Maintain
WASHINGTON — In addition to emitting less carbon dioxide and using less water, sustainably designed federal buildings cost 19 percent less to maintain, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The results are included in a white paper released by the General Services Administration (GSA).
The GSA commissioned PNNL to conduct a post-occupancy evaluation of 22 green federal buildings from across the country. In the report, PNNL found that, on average, green buildings, compared to commercial buildings in general: