Sustainability and Green Building in Broward County
As government incentives and general standards within the construction industry move towards more greener requirements, buildings and commercial spaces are naturally becoming more green – signaling that both parties are moving towards the same thing.
What is Green Building?
The purpose of green building is to preserve the large amounts of energy, water, and electricity that is used. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 30% of energy is wasted by commercial buildings. This amount is harmful and pollutes the air because of the sheer amount of waste that it produces, which also pollutes the soil and water. Florida has been committed to combating this issue by immersing the state with green buildings to efficiently use resources, reduce waste and degradation, improve air quality and increase productivity by integrating with communities. Many of these buildings are also made with recyclable materials and use lots of reflective materials to emit natural sunlight rather than solely depend on electricity.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
This department strives to protect the environment and its people by setting standards of sustainability with their Green Lodging Program. These standards consist of good air and water quality, ridding areas of toxic chemicals, recycling and composting, reducing carbon emissions and waste. They manage natural resources and enforce laws of environmental preservation.
There are many corporations that conduct the construction of green buildings, as well as the modification of buildings. They certify buildings of businesses, homes and commercial spaces, upon standards of sustainability.
The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC)
The FGBC promotes sustainability by educating the people of Florida on its benefits upon themselves and the environment. A more eco-friendly future in construction leads to houses being more affordable. The FGBC manages a certification program based on green building standards and every project or building that is trying to receive certification must meet each standard to be granted points, which then determine the level of certification earned.
FGBC Projects
Melody Tower Luxury Apartments
Located in Downtown Miami
- Natural lighting, energy saving appliances and motion sensored lighting are features installed to control and reduce waste and energy.
- To conserve water, low water pressure systems, drought tolerant plants and irrigation systems were installed.
Beachwalk Elite Hotels & Resorts
Located in Hallandale Beach, FL
- The resort was rid of any hydrochlorofluorocarbons and halons from the air system to prevent any health risks to the body from exposure.
- Reflective walls and windows were installed to allow natural sunlight to reduce the use of electricity and light energy.
- 75% of the waste produced from construction was recyclable.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
LEED was created by and is managed by the U.S. Green Building Council, which encourages buildings to be transformed into sustainable structures, with departments all over the U.S. With a similar goal and purpose as the FGBC, they develop resilient, green, inclusive, sustainable and smart cities. Like the FGBC, a point system is used to determine the certification type of cities, communities, construction, building operations, businesses and residential properties.
There are multiple areas in Florida that are certified under LEED including:
- Broward County, FL
- Pinellas County, FL
- Palm Beach County, FL
- Hillsborough County, FL
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Orlando, FL
- Atlantic Beach, FL
LEED Projects
In Florida (particularly in Broward County), LEED has certified the following construction of buildings:
- Pompano Beach Library and Cultural Center
- Broward County Courthouse
- Greater Fort Lauderdale – Broward County Convention Center
- Young at Art Museum and Broward County Library
With the large amount of natural fauna and green spaces within Florida, we have concisely listed and described some more notable places in three categories: Green Hotels, Green Real Estate and Green Businesses.
Green Hotels
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
This hotel was constructed with green building intentions, meaning that it was built with recyclable materials and they conduct green practices. Conscious about the bad effects of chemicals and germs, they make sure to wash bed linens with baking soda 20 times. Bed mattresses also don’t have any formaldehyde and are washed with baking soda. Scented products, smoking and domestic animals are also prohibited from entering the establishment.
Green Real Estate
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This city is certified gold under the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for enforcing standards of conservation, reduction of waste, quality improvement and ridding of toxic chemicals. Ft. Lauderdale was certified by the FGBC as the Florida Green Local Government in creating a more eco-friendly environment within the state.
Green Businesses
This company meets LEED requirements of green practices by manufacturing aluminum building products for high-end residential and commercial properties using sustainable materials in a clean-tech factory that is powered by a wind turbine.
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