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7 Sustainable Construction Methods Every Owner Should Know

Published Date
Author Team Kahua

Sustainable construction uses building practices and materials that reduce environmental impact and improve operational efficiency, and it’s becoming increasingly more mainstream. Federal and local governments are requiring stricter standards for emissions during construction and operation.

Tenants demand spaces with higher energy efficiency to reduce their overall costs. And, owners are seeing greater lifecycle value for their properties when they embrace construction innovation and use sustainable construction methods.

But, many owners don’t know where to start. This article guides you through what sustainable construction looks like in practice, including materials to choose, energy and water methods that make the building more efficient, locations to look for, and even how to prepare for ongoing upgrades. Read on to learn about:

  1. Use Sustainable Building Materials 
  2. Adopt Modular and Prefabricated Construction 
  3. Integrate Renewable Energy Systems 
  4. Improve Energy Efficiency in Building Systems 
  5.  Implement Greywater and Rainwater Reuse
  6. Choose Sustainable Site Selection and Land Use 
  7. Plan for Lifecycle Value and Retrofits Building Smarter and Greener with Kahua
  8. FAQ: Sustainable Construction 

1. Use Sustainable Building Materials 

You may be familiar with renewable resources for building materials like wood, but wood is no longer the only sustainable option on the market. So, what are sustainable building materials?

Today’s sustainable building materials include recycled, reclaimed, and newly formulated versions of standard building materials:

  • Recycled steel
  • Bamboo flooring and finishing materials
  • Reclaimed wood from other sites
  • Low-carbon concrete. Recycled glass
  • Terrazzo and other composite materials
  • Adobe, clay, and other traditional building materials

When construction companies make the switch to sustainable building materials, they see benefits across the entire lifecycle.

The sourcing, construction, and building operations benefit from reduced emissions. Tenants benefit from healthier buildings that expose them to fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from some conventional supplies. And, owners see cost reductions over the building’s lifecycle that make the minimal upfront investment worth it.

Owners looking to improve costs for a building’s lifecycle must keep diligent accounting of materials, construction submittals, and other documentation. Organized documentation will make audit processes easier when submitting for tax incentives and improve certification speed.

2. Adopt Modular and Prefabricated Construction

Modular and prefabricated construction methods make use of mass production techniques to create common building materials that construction companies can use in innovative ways.

These materials are built off-site within a highly-controlled environment like a factory or plant, and then shipped to the construction site. A factory build can increase the overall quality of materials, as the process includes systematic controls and quality checks.

Modular and prefabricated construction materials can also reduce material waste, as factory conditions lend themselves to constant process improvement that decreases waste and makes the best use of all available material. When mass-produced, excess materials that would be hauled away with the trash can be reused and repurposed for new builds.

Because they are built off-site, modular and prefabricated materials can be assembled at the same time as other on-site work is completed. For example, the walls can be framed and shipped to the site while the foundation is poured.

Modular building methods require planning to reap the benefits of improved efficiency and faster builds. An asset-centric project management® tool can help the team manage new modular workflows and centralize collaboration among stakeholders — two methods crucial for managing the tighter timeline and increased organizational needs that the methods demand. 

3. Integrate Renewable Energy Systems

Renewable energy systems take advantage of a building’s environment to produce energy for the building. Common examples of renewable energy systems include solar panels (photovoltaic), wind turbines, and geothermal heating systems.

In addition, systems that incorporate solar panels into the sides or tops of buildings (building-integrated photovoltaic), battery energy storage systems (BESS), and biomass reuse systems are increasingly found in today’s new constructions. R

enewable energy systems provide long-term savings on energy, as the buildings reduce their reliance on the power grid, sometimes even contributing energy back to the grid. Buildings that implement these systems may also comply with green standards and move corporations toward emissions promises.

In order to comply with regulations and carbon emission goals — and share pertinent data with tenants or buyers — teams should track existing and new renewable installations across the portfolio. When taken in the context of energy savings and compliance gains, this data can attract future tenants and buyers.

4. Improve Energy Efficiency in Building Systems

The latest in building systems can make a significant impact on energy efficiency for building operations. Modern tools like smart HVAC, insulation, and LED lighting decrease energy consumption and improve outcomes for the energy that is consumed.

Energy-efficient building systems also work for existing buildings looking to improve efficiency standards through retrofits. The long-term benefits are clear:

  • Owners who choose modern insulation and sealing techniques can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs, according to ENERGY STAR.
  • LED lighting uses up to 75% less energy and lasts 25 times as long as incandescent bulbs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, making LED lighting an ideal option for any building owner looking to reduce utility costs and increase performance ratings.
  • Smart HVAC systems that can program heat and cooling schedules according to usage stats and energy analysis save owners an average of 8% on total heating and cooling costs per year, according to ENERGY STAR.

Planning improvements via energy-efficient systems and tools should happen alongside construction estimating, and owners can use lifecycle management software to track efficiency upgrades as well as their benefits.

5. Implement Greywater and Rainwater Reuse

Water reuse systems that take advantage of the location’s rainwater and the building’s greywater systems can add further advantages in terms of water conservation and lower operating costs.

Greywater recycling uses water from existing, non-sewage (flushed toilets, for example) water systems within a building, like sinks, taps, showers, and washing machines for non-potable uses, like flushing toilets, irrigation, and clothes washing.

Rainwater recycling systems use rainwater collected from roofs, gutters, and other collection points for non-potable uses. It’s most commonly seen collected in a rain barrel for landscape irrigation purposes.

Greywater and rainwater reuse and recycling systems can lower operating costs and improve water conservation for buildings.

If desired, these systems can be retrofitted onto existing buildings. And, in some regions, they can even be extended with filters and sanitization tooling to create potable water for use in showers and for cooking.

Water reuse and recycling systems can bring significant value to new or existing builds if the proper documentation is collected and reported. Owners should carefully organize and save conservation documentation for certification and compliance reporting.

6. Choose Sustainable Site Selection and Land Use

Owners and designers can leverage their knowledge and understanding of land use to their advantage by choosing sites that lend themselves to sustainable practices. When shopping for sites, those that do the following can increase the building’s efficiency at no extra cost:

  • Maximize natural light: Decrease the need for daytime lighting and winter heating.
  • Make use of natural airflow: Decrease the need for additional heating and cooling techniques.
  • Avoid ecologically sensitive sites: Decrease mitigation expenses and potential fines.

Building sites with some or all of these features lend themselves to reduced environmental disruption and long-term resilience.

Choosing optimal sustainable building sites does take planning and collaboration. By using software that allows separate agencies like design, ownership, and construction to communicate around a centralized project from the site-level stage of planning, the team can find sites best suited to the goals of each agency.

Want to learn more about the latest in construction sustainability trends?

Our sustainability webinar has insights owners can use to lead greener projects from site selection to retrofits.

7. Plan for Lifecycle Value and Retrofits

What is sustainable building for owners of existing properties? Sustainability extends throughout the lifecycle of a building, well beyond the new build stage.

That’s why owners should continue to learn about innovation in sustainability, plan for the implementation of the right eco-friendly efforts for their portfolio, and budget for implementing those tactics.

Sustainable building methods and systems lead to longer asset life, improved return on investment (ROI), and continued compliance with evolving standards. When owners track their efforts against financial realities, they can get a clearer picture of real-world savings over the lifecycle of their portfolio.

Asset management and facility management systems help owners document and analyze their sustainability efforts to get a full understanding of their value, even after decades of ownership.

Building Smarter and Greener with Kahua

Sustainable construction methods, when implemented and tracked efficiently, lead to reduced costs, increased compliance, and greater lifecycle asset value. Owners have the power to drive sustainability in their projects through the right practices, including researching the latest methods, documenting sustainable practices, and analyzing the results across their portfolio.

Kahua Construction Management Software for Owners empowers owners to make sustainable projects measurable, auditable, and achievable. Request a demo today to learn more about Kahua construction management solutions.

FAQ: Sustainable Construction

What Are the Challenges of Sustainable Construction? 

Sustainable construction brings challenges often seen in emerging spaces, including:

  • Higher up-front costs
  • Supply chain limitations
  • Regulatory complexity
  • Lack of stakeholder confidence
  • Need for better project visibility

Kahua construction management software can surface data from owner portfolios to help them analyze sustainability efforts across projects and stay on track for maximum benefit.

What Is the Most Cost-Effective Sustainable Construction Method?

The most cost-effective sustainable construction method for any project will depend on the project’s location, budget, and overall needs.

Prefabricated or modular construction methods can bring down costs for large-scale projects, while energy-efficient systems like smart HVAC systems or LED lighting can produce high ROI for the scale in smaller projects.

How Do Sustainable Methods Reduce Compliance Risk?

Compliance risk reduction is largely tied to material and method documentation that can then be used for audits and reports. Sustainable methods and materials, in particular, often come with supply tracking and certifications, and other documentation that proves sustainability.

A document management system tied to construction asset tracking, like that found in Kahua, can simplify reporting and compliance work, improving overall compliance and reducing risk.

How Can Owners Ensure Contractors Follow Sustainable Building Practices?

Owners can ensure contractors can follow sustainable building practices by:

  • Requiring sustainable methods and efforts within contracts.
  • Using documentation checkpoints to verify practices.
  • Using compliance tracking within project management software, like that found in Kahua.