Fundamentally, a green real estate project incorporates thoughtful planning and design features in a manner that allows the human element to flourish.

High performance green office buildings enable companies to achieve higher levels of productivity and profitability. They provide work environments where individuals can thrive, conjure up revolutionary ideas, and seize new opportunities. They serve as superior and healthier workplaces for people at all organizational levels.

These projects minimize energy consumption and costs, demonstrate environmental stewardship for their investors and occupants, and serve as cultural icons to our positive advancement as a society. Ultimately they leave a positive impact on our cities, which in turn continues our leadership and legacy for future generations.

Residential green buildings are designed to provide high indoor air quality that in many cases has a positive impact on a person's otherwise negative reactions to various airborne environmental factors. They incorporate energy efficient strategies that impact pocketbooks by saving families on their monthly energy bills. They provide an environment that can enhance people's health, wellness, and lifestyles.

In each instance, green buildings take us further away from the path of social and environmental wastefulness and down a path of advanced high-performance asset superiority. These environments positively impact our own personal health and well-being.

Green projects generally serve as shining examples of how to create long-term asset value while also demonstrating the positive personal and professional values of their developers, designers, builders and occupants.

Green Building Rating Systems

There are several measures of a green building. The two most widely recognized in the United States are the US Green Building Council's LEED™ rating system and the EPA's EnergyStar™ rating system. Both rating systems serve to provide a guideline along a number of factors, than rate the building based on its adherence to the conventions put forth.

USGBC's LEED™ Rating System

The USGBC created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system in 2000. The point-based LEED™ system was developed as a voluntary, consensus-based transparent set of best-practice guidelines encompassing all types of commercial buildings including each of the following:

Real estate investors, developers and designers utilize LEED throughout the development process as they seek to maximize their site and use, minimize energy costs, and create a project that embraces best practices across a myriad of disciplines.

For further information on the US Green Building Council including project case studies, additional details on the rating systems, membership, and other information, please click here or the appropriate links above.

EPA EnergyStar Program

The Environmental Protection Agency's EnergyStar™ program has been in existence since 1992. Energy Star is a US government backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.

Energy Star partnership offers a proven energy management strategy that helps with measuring current energy performance, setting goals, tracking savings, and rewarding improvements.

The system provides an innovative energy performance rating process with currently encompasses more than 21,000 buildings across the country. The EPA recognizes top performing buildings with Energy Star certification.

For more on the history of the Energy Star program, please click here.