Incentives for Green Buildings in Jacksonville?
What Makes a Building Green?
A green building utilizes design, construction, and maintenance practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of the building on occupants and the environment. Integrated strategies that solve multiple problems are commonly used. A green building places a high priority on health, environmental, and resource conservation performance over its life cycle. Green design emphasizes a number of new environmental, resource, and occupant health concerns:
1. Reducing human exposure to noxious materials
2. Conserving non-renewable energy and scarce materials
3. Minimizing life-cycle ecological impact of energy and materials used
4. Using renewable energy and materials that are sustainably harvested
5. Protecting and restoring local air, water, soils, flora, and fauna
6. Supporting pedestrians, bicycles, mass transit, and other alternatives to fossil-fueled vehicles
7. Most green buildings are high-quality buildings; they last longer, cost less to operate and maintain, and provide greater occupant satisfaction than standard developments. Sophisticated buyers and lessors prefer them, and are often willing to pay a premium for their advantages.
The US Green Building Council wants to know what you think about possibly giving incentives for developing green buildings. Written public comments are due by November 30th and are to be sent to:
Robert Schuster, P.E.
Environmental Protection Board
117 W. Duval Street, Suite 225
Jacksonville, Florida 32202
Visit “Jacksonville’s Proposed Green Building Ordinance" at www.sustainabuild.net for more information
