Earth Day: “Going Green” In the Construction Industry

Global organizers of Earth Day announced that the theme for 2022 is Invest in Our Planet-which aims to promote a sustainable environment that prioritizes creating a fair global economy, preserving human life and natural resources.

The campaign mirrors similar calls from environmentalists and advocates for engineers and construction organizations to adopt sustainable business models in their day-to-day operations.

Sustainable Construction: What is it?

 Sustainable or green construction emphasizes a need for global efforts to minimize depletion of natural resources, cut environmental hazards, and increase awareness and advocacy for a healthy environment. Construction designers historically focus on performance, cost, and massive use of raw materials.

‘Key principles within green construction operate on the foundation of conservation, reuse of resources, recycling/renewable, protecting nature, the use of non-toxic materials and quality results.’

Economists project that construction companies will generate revenue close to $17 trillion by 2025- with North America taking a 26% stake in the market. The pandemic and inflation have changed the industry as rising costs of building materials have resulted in a profit loss of close to $61 million in GDP.

The Gradual Shift in Green Construction Practices

The construction industry accounts for close to 40% of CO2 emissions. The sector faces challenges in keeping environmental sustainability and managing the cost of raw materials while meeting regulatory measures when developing guidelines within each stage of development.

Organizations like the World Green Building Council focuses on climate action, incorporating natural systems and circular economy strategies in building practices that have sparked a change in development globally.

Green advocates emphasize that these practices will help the job market by creating green jobs, addressing labor shortages, managing rising costs during the project’s life cycle, and increasing the return on investment (ROI) in the green infrastructure.

Here are three ways how the construction industry can implement a comprehensive plan that embraces the lean philosophy:

» Sustainable Project Management Software.

Lean manufacturing focuses on value maximization and waste reduction. Engineers and construction companies must focus on time efficiency and how to use every available resource on a construction site. Advanced construction software replaces paper in the digital age, maintains efficiency, and scales time-to-completion on projects.

The pandemic has heavily affected supply chain management, including material shortages, freight delays, and commercial truck shortages.

Planet Together – an advanced planning and scheduling platform, believe that designing sustainable methods requires implementing an integrated process with systematic decision-making capabilities that save money and allow initiative-taking planning to address uncertainty during the process.

» Use Alternative Materials.

One of the most wasteful practices in construction is excessive building materials. Concrete production produces 1.6 billion tons annually and close to 10% of carbon dioxide (CO2). The cost of raw materials and the supply chain effects are shifting.

Concrete blocks, bamboo, plastic waste, and green concrete are sustainable options to consider—the use of these decreases the depletion of natural acreage and lowers energy costs.

The insulation industry offers a wide selection of eco-friendly options, like the one-step installation of continuous panels suitable for interior or exterior wall surfaces in new and retrofit construction and portable units like shipping containers.

No need to remove and throw away the existing siding saving space in land fills. Quote, ” you can’t throw stuff away because someone lives away.”

When modified with sustainable insulation, portable containers protect tools from harsh climates on construction sites, supply a barrier to moisture, and regulate the environment within the unit.

» Renewable Energy Workforce.

As sustainable design and wellness factors influence sustainable construction, the demand for green-certified professionals in the commercial and residential sectors has increased exponentially. Renewable energy jobs account for close to two million positions in the construction sector. Green construction requires professionals with a wide range of skills to help design, build and maintain green infrastructure. Electricians and construction managers are some of the fastest-growing careers within the green sector.

Government incentives and tax reductions for companies that invest in green infrastructure are increasing to attract businesses. These perks save money in the long run.

As the demand for affordable housing and customized office space grows, the portable storage container business can create more job opportunities. The units help the environment, promote upcycling, are compact and economical.

Working Together to Preserve the Planet

Sustainable practices within the industry have grown as the improvement of supply chain management technology, and lower costs have allowed engineers and companies to adapt to change. The industry can build a pathway to answering the growing demand from advocates and consumers who want a cleaner future and protection of the planet.

The tangible benefits that we’ll see in sustainable construction will reduce carbon emissions, create value and equity within the workforce, provide access to affordable housing, and preserve the quality of life.

Download the NPSA Issue 1, 2022 Dispatch

In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy launched the Challenge Home Student Design Competition wherein 28 teams from universities across North America took to developing new and innovative solutions to today’s top building issues. In the United States, 70% of all electricity consumed is used to power buildings. Encompassing everything from schools, restaurants, hospitals, homes and offices, more than $400 billion (that’s $400,000,000,000.00) a year goes toward powering these structures and it’s estimated that about 20% (or $80,000,000,000.00) is completely wasted.

The teams that won the 2008 and subsequent competitions used state-of-the-art materials and advanced techniques to produce zero energy ready homes. Today, the DOE has used these innovations to set up strict new standards and requirements for builders of tomorrow’s homes. The goal is to prepare for a net zero energy future, one in which homes and buildings are designed to reduce their energy consumption radically enough to be offset entirely by clean, renewable sources.

The mark of the Zero Energy Ready Home logo signifies a strong commitment to protecting the environment, creating jobs, and saving money and energy by building quality homes with high levels of comfort, efficiency and durability. It is no small measure which is why we are proud to announce that since 2008 InSoFast was accepted as Zero Energy Ready Home Partner. This certifies our high-performance panels as valuable component in a movement toward a cleaner, healthier, and more efficient future.