Individuals today are becoming more eco-conscious and many people are taking measures to apply eco-friendly measures to their houses and life. Green construction is a great way to limit harmful waste, help combat climate change, and in many cases, allow the customer to earn some of the money back that they put into the project.
The main issue with going green is cost. Kevin Crawford, an instructor of Construction Technology at Upper Bucks Technical School, stated on the matter that, “It costs a lot more money to be eco-friendly.” The cost of green technology is a lot higher than building with basic construction materials. While an asphalt shingle may cost the buyer up to $6 per square foot, a solar shingle may cost up to $25 per square foot. This difference in cost drives many people away from purchasing these technologies. Another issue related to home construction is wanting to save money on HVAC costs. People start sealing up their houses to save money on heating and air conditioning. Crawford commented, “The 2018 new code is being about more energy efficient and sealing homes better.” The sealing cuts the cost of the HVAC in a house but can cause issues with air quality since all they are left with is recycled air. More recently constructed houses have a fan, usually in a bathroom, continuously running and pumping outside air into the house to keep the air fresh.
To help with the upfront cost of things like solar shingles, the government offers homeowners a tax reduction to offset the cost. Michael Ladd purchased these solar shingles and explained the details of his purchase. “The turnaround will be approximately 12 years. The government gives a tax credit of 30% of the price of the solar shingles. We will get this money with our next tax return.” When it comes to being eco-friendly, little things here and there can make a difference, whether consumers purchase more efficient LED lights, add solar panels or invest in wind turbines. Committing to invest in green technology is the only way it will pay off. While the upfront cost of the materials may be high, the tax credit, increase in resale value, and profit made from collecting energy allow eco-friendly homes to provide greater returns than a traditionally built house. The construction industry hopes that changes in the future. As Crawford disclosed, “The biggest thing is it would take more people to do stuff in the industry to make things cheaper.”, meaning if demand went up, the cost of producing eco-friendly homes would become more affordable. As the industry adjusts to more eco-friendly technology and becomes more efficient in producing it, greenhouses will likely become more popular and more common across the landscape of America.
Sources:
https://home.akitabox.com/industries/architecture-engineering-construction/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/self-healing-concrete
https://blog.attuneiot.com/2017/05/30/top-10-sustainable-building-methods
