Next Stage of Green Building Industry: Water Efficiency

Over the next five years, water efficiency and conservation will become critical factors in green design, construction and product selection, according to McGraw-Hill Construction's latest SmartMarket Report. Architecture and engineering (A/E) firms, contractors and owners report that water efficiency is rapidly becoming a higher priority than other aspects of green building, such as energy efficiency and waste reduction.

According to the United Nations Environmental Program, buildings consume 20 percent of the world’s available water, a resource that becomes scarcer each year. Efficient practices and products provide significant opportunities for the A/E industry to respond to this trend and build high-tech, low-water-demand projects that will turn the tide on the water crisis and create the conscientious buildings of tomorrow.

The report covers involvement levels and growth opportunities over the next five years, as well business benefits, motives and obstacles encountered in this advancing market.

Highlights include:

• By 2013, 85% of industry reports that water efficiency will be an extremely important aspect of a green building.
• Owners are especially committed to water-efficient practices, with 42 percent reporting that more than three-quarters of current projects incorporate water-efficient designs; 50% expect to incorporate water-efficient practices in at least half of their building portfolios by 2013.
• Business benefits are the key growth drivers as companies focus on the bottom-line. Primary motivators include reducing energy use (87%) and reducing operating costs (84%). Respondents report that on average, applying water-efficient designs and products lead to 15% less water use, 10-11% less energy use, and an 11-12% reduction in operating costs.
• Increased government regulation and the desire to lower energy costs are also expected to trigger faster adoption of water-efficient products and methods. Seventy-three percent of respondents are motivated by energy cost increases, while more than two-thirds expect to respond to regulations on wastewater runoff (69%) and water efficiency (68%).
  

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