U.S. Trends
1. Green building growth to rebound
LEED project growth was slow in 2011, only gaining 3 percent for the year. But while LEED certification on new projects may take longer to gain much steam, the program’s retrofitting arm, LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM), is quickly gaining traction.
2. Federal momentum has slowed
3. LEED-EBOM will gain momentum
4. Water issues grow in importance
“Even the water-wet areas have water problems brought on by infrastructure problems and population growth,” Yudelson says. “Florida doesn’t have a place for a reservoir in the entire state, so even if you have a slight drought, you have big problems.”
5. Zero-net-energy to gain traction
“Zero-net-energy needs to be in your future,” Yudelson says, adding that it works best on two- to four-story buildings that use only between 30,000 and 35,000 British thermal units per square foot per year.
Global Trends
6. Green building movement will continue to grow
7. Performance disclosure
Already popular in the European Union and Australia, requirements for buildings to disclose their energy use are gaining traction in the U.S.
8. Global carbon ratings
Carbon ratings that remain standard across countries are of particular interest to global property management companies. “If your company is committed to sustainability, you’re going to have to report this,” he says.
9. Solar power stalls
“Solar power is kind of slowing down,” mostly due to the costs involved, Yudelson says, adding that the focus is shifting instead to energy efficiency.
10. Building management goes into the cloud
As buildings get more complex, Yudelson says, “we’re seeing the need for software that allows us to manage buildings out of the cloud.
Claire Easley is a senior editor at Builder magazine.
All information is from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, prior sale or withdrawal without notice. No representation is made as to the accuracy of any description.
