Technology - April 2008

Innovative Technology

Aiding in Green Practices

by Deric Hill

It’s not easy being green. Easy or not, being green has become increasingly popular. With the latest computer aided drafting software at their disposal, architects now have the resources to make green building a realistic, cost-effective alternative.

Green building, the practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings and their use of energy, water and materials, thus reducing a building’s impact on human health and the environment, is accomplished through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal – the complete cycle of a building’s life.

Related concepts of sustainable development and sustainability are integral to green building. Effective green building can lead to reduced operating costs by increasing productivity and using less energy and water; improved public and occupant health due to improved air quality; and reduced environmental impact. In the broad context, sustainable architecture seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by enhancing efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy and development space.

Fortunately architects and designers today have a variety of design tools available to assist them in the analysis and modeling of their design projects. The developer of the AutoCAD family of two-dimensional and three-dimensional software products, Autodesk, believes in the importance of driving sustainable design awareness and adoption.

Practices most utilized include operating design software to predict and evaluate HVAC operating costs, energy modeling and baseline analysis, and evaluating and exploring alternative building materials to maximize energy performance and minimize environmental impact. The use of three-dimensional software models allows the architect to analyze various building orientations to maximize site use and minimize energy use and environmental impact, while also identifying and eliminating possible design conflicts within the structure.

In fact, according to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) database there are currently 78 LEED projects registered in Nevada.

The most prominent project on this list is the MGM Mirage Project CityCenter – the $7.4 billion development currently under construction on the Las Vegas Strip. With 18 million square feet of building space, CityCenter will dwarf all LEED-certified structures in the United States to date, bringing more attention to green design and possibly influencing still more architects, contractors and manufacturers.

CityCenter entered the LEED picture after 2005, when the Nevada Legislature created the nation’s only statewide tax abatement program for owners of LEED-certified buildings. The legislation allows businesses to cut property taxes up to 50 percent for 10 years for builders meeting national standards. It is estimated that MGM Mirage is already scheduled to save $90 million in 2007.

Through a combination of technological innovation and tax incentives, maybe it is easy being green after all.

Deric Hill
Deric Hill is president of Holman’s of Nevada, Inc., a technical services company.