GBI Celebrates Earth Day 2015

When it comes to defining green buildings, most of our community likely thinks first of energy efficiency. But on this Earth Day, with water shortages across our country, GBI is bringing to light what many may not completely understand. The fact is, water and energy systems are “interdependent.” According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 2014 report,
The Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities,¹ water is used throughout each phase of producing energy and electricity. Likewise, it takes significant amounts of energy to extract, convey, deliver and subsequently treat water. The DOE recommends using an integrated approach to evaluating water and energy demands.

For the building environment, green building rating systems address that need for integration. Our Earth Day message below reminds us how the step-by-step approach used by Green Globes helps facility and design teams consider a variety of opportunities to make their buildings greener – in this case with a focus on water. Efficient use of water in our buildings and landscapes is of significant importance to our nation and, as the DOE reminds us, also provides energy savings.

Visit
www.thegbi.org to learn more about using Green Globes. Follow us on Twitter @theGBIorg and @vworden for more great content and ideas.