It may not be making national headlines yet but the Green movement that’s hitting Non-Residential construction continues to gain steam as 2016 rolls into a booming 2nd quarter. In this post, we’re going to dig into some of the interesting new products and trends that are helping the movement to gain more traction. We’ll also take a peek at the horizon to see what trends are on deck as the next potential high impact movement for Non-Residential construction.
New Technologies and Trends to Watch in 2016
Perhaps one of the most obvious (and ROI friendly) green initiatives is the use of passive solar systems in new construction projects. The amount of solar radiation we get blasted with on a daily basis gives us access to a virtually unlimited power source but, until recently, solar capture technology has come with such a high price tag that solar has been effectively priced out of the new construction market. However, thanks to recent technological advancements and new building practices, passive solar is starting to catch on. The key with passive solar is that newly constructed buildings need to be oriented within 5 degrees of due south to get the maximum benefit. In residential construction, this can be difficult to achieve at an order of scale that’s large enough to have an impact on ROI, but with larger non-residential projects this is much less of an issue!
Water reclamation systems have long been a must-have in the agriculture industry as well as at places like theme parks and golf courses. Now that the price of potable water is increasing across the nation, builders are looking at new ways of doing things that will have the maximum effect for their new projects and will attract efficiency minded tenants.
The maximum average expected water savings from any greywater system is about 50,000 gallons a year for a family of four. When that is translated to a non-residential building that can support several thousand individuals on a daily basis, the water savings scales at an order that makes this type of green initiative incredibly cost effective. Even assuming a moderate water cost of $2.00 per gallon, the math becomes clear pretty quickly.
Up Next
In a follow up to this post, I’m going to highlight some other trends and technologies worth watching in 2016, namely:
- Chiller Boiler Systems
- DC Power
- The Green Roof and The Living Wall
On a side note, as we approach the end of April, time is running out to win my raffle where the grand prize is a $400 Yeti® cooler! If you, or anyone you know, might be interested in a chance to win – you can sign up here!
– Tyson Conrad