Before Green Building Week, the emphasis is on benefits

(Nigel Young Foster + Partn)

From September 20 to 26 a series of events will be taking place across the globe as part of World Green Building Week.

Organized by the World Green Building Council, this year's event builds on the success of World Green Building Week 2009 and hopes to raise the profile of green buildings on a global scale. A series of conferences, galas, festivals, lectures and business meetings will address the importance of green buildings and the role of architecture in promoting environmentally sustainable lifestyles.

The majority of green buildings conform to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED certification, though some green buildings use even stricter standards and are classified as ‘zero' energy - they produce as much or more energy than they consume.

In addition to being environmentally friendly, green buildings also have health and economic benefits; researchers at Michigan State University recently published a study concluding that employees working in a LEED-certified building were likely to take fewer sick days and have a higher rate of productivity than workers in a non-LEED certified building.

McGraw Hill Construction, a sponsor of World Green Building Week, found that houses certified as green are more secure against price erosion, and separate studies found that houses with high energy efficiency and environmental ratings tended to sell for a higher price than those without.

Online green building courses are available for homeowners that wish to improve the environmental friendliness, or value of their house.

For a full list of participating venues in World Green Building Week and a calendar of events see:

http://www.worldgbc.org/component/content/article/239

For information on online green building courses see:

https://www.usgbc.org

www.cleanedison.com

http://www.green-buildings.com/

More information about local networks, courses and access to World Green Building Council resources see:

http://www.worldgbc.org/