Green Buildings

Green Buildings

Introduction: The adaptation of Green Building technologies has been rapidly growing in the United States. Principals of Green Building design have been used extensively in Europe over the last several decades and are becoming a consideration in the design for many projects in the U.S. A green building can be defined as any building that is sited, designed, constructed, operated, and maintained for the health and well-being of the occupants, while minimizing impact on the environment. Green building refers to those practices that promote occupant health and comfort while minimizing negative impacts on the environment.

USGBC: Leading the Green Building efforts is the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC is leading a national consensus for producing a new generation of buildings that deliver high performance inside and out. Council members work together to develop products, resources, educational and marketing tools that support the adoption of sustainable buildings. Members also forge strategic alliances with key industry and research organizations and federal, state and local government agencies to transform the built environment.

LEED™: Developed by the USGBC membership, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Green Building Rating System is a national consensus-based, market-driven building rating system designed to accelerate the development and implementation of green building practices. In short, it is a leading-edge system for designing, constructing and certifying the world's greenest and best buildings. The full program offers training workshops, professional accreditation, and resource support and third-party certification of building performance.

T.E.C. Systems & Green Buildings: As the areas leading Building Automation System contractor T.E.C. Systems is intimately involved with Green Building practices to provide the highest quality of service to our customers. Properly designed and installed Building Management Systems (BMS) are a crucial component in insuring the proper and efficient operation of a building. The BMS has a direct impact on the energy usage, environmental conditions, indoor air quality, and measurement and verification of a facilities operation. T.E.C. is an active member of the USGBC and employs LEED™ Accredited Professional Engineers to assure the highest level of product.

To learn more about Green Buildings visit:

        U.S. Green Building Council
        BuildingGreen.com
        New York State Green Building Initiative
        DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy