Green Build States Top Forbes List

Vermont, Washington and Oregon were ranked the top three greenest states by Forbes in regard to energy efficiency, low carbon emissions and green building. The magazine looked at each state in six equally weighted categories: carbon footprint, air quality, water quality, hazardous waste management, policy initiatives and energy consumption.

The ranking evolved with information from the American Lung Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PIRG (water), U. S. Green Building Council and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Department of Transportation, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club.

On top: Vermont, Oregon and Washington. All have low carbon dioxide emissions per capita (or “carbon footprints”), strong policies to promote energy efficiency and high air quality, as indicated by their major metro areas that are low in smog and ozone pollution. They’re also among the states with the most buildings (on a per capita basis) that have received the U.S. Green Building Council’s benchmark certification, known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

It does not surprise me that the greenest states are those with strong Green Building initiatives. Buildings account for almost half of the U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, 30% of raw materials, 36% of energy used, 12% of potable water used and 30% of waste. Green buildings reduce all of these impacts.

Combining the annual energy required to operate residential, commercial, and industrial buildings along with the embodied energy of industry-produced building materials like carpet, tile, glass, and concrete exposes buildings as the largest energy consuming and greenhouse gas emitting sector.

- Architecture2030

U.S. CO2 Emissions by Sector

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration statistics

The top ranked state of Vermont is home to BuildingGreen.com, one of the premier authorities in the industry and publishers of Environmental Building News which is widely regarded as the leading publication in the field. If you think green building is a fad, think again. The market for green, environmentally responsible building is one of the fastest growing sectors of the construction industry up 20% in 2005, 30% in 2006 and showing no signs of slowing down in 2007.

The USGBC LEEDs program is not the only green building initiative, although it is the most rigorous. The EPAs Energy Star program has a similar focus, especially in regard to energy and water efficiency. Another great program is the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) which gives homes an energy report card complete with areas that need improvement, an estimate of improvement costs and the expected energy savings. A home with a HERS score can qualify for an energy efficient mortgage (EEM). One of the nationwide leaders in HERS is the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).

Green States + Green Buildings = Green Market.

Links:

• America’s Greenest States at Forbes
• U.S. Green Building Council
• BuildingGreen.com
• RESNET
• Energy Star