Appalachian Sustainable Development is a member of the following:

• US Green Building Council

• Western NC Green Building Council

• National Association of Home Builders

• North Carolina Association of Home Builders

• Asheville Home Builders

• Virginia Association of Home Builders

• Roanoke Regional Home Builders Association

• Founding member of the Holston Valley Green Building Coalition

Why Build Green?

In the United States, buildings account for:
39 % of total energy use
12 % of the total water consumption
68 % of total electricity consumption
38 % of the carbon dioxide emissions

Environmental benefits

• Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems

• Improve air and water quality

• Reduce waste streams

• Conserve and restore natural resources

Economic benefits

• Reduce operating costs

• Create, expand, and shape markets for green product and services

• Improve occupant productivity

• Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Social benefits

• Enhance occupant comfort and health

• Heighten aesthetic qualities

• Minimize strain on local infrastructure

• Improve overall quality of life

 

About Green Building

The buildings in which we live, work, and play protect us from Nature's extremes, yet they also affect our health and environment in countless ways. The design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal of buildings takes enormous amounts of energy, water, and materials, and generates large quantities of waste, air and water pollution, as well as creating storm-water runoff and heat islands. Buildings also develop their own indoor environments, which present an array of health challenges. Where and how they are built affects wildlife habitat and corridors and the hydrologic cycle, while influencing the overall quality of human life.

As the environmental impact of buildings becomes more apparent, a new field called green building is gaining momentum. Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. Research and experience increasingly demonstrate that when buildings are designed and operated with their lifecycle impacts in mind, they can provide great environmental, economic, and social benefits. - EPA

Green Building Links