Increasing the energy efficiency of your commercial building can reduce monthly utility bills and improve the comfort of your tenants during every season of the year. Tracking the most innovative green-friendly building trends can allow you to attract new tenants and to enjoy an improved position in the Texas commercial real estate market. A Houston concrete contractor or construction specialist can provide you with added information on the various green-friendly options available to you. Here are five of the most important green construction trends that will shape the commercial construction industry for 2015 and beyond.
Upgraded Lighting Options
As more companies upgrade to LED lighting solutions for their offices, warehouses and industrial facilities, the range of options available to builders will continue to expand to meet increased demand for designer fixtures and lighting systems. LED lights provide an ideal balance between energy efficiency and clear visibility, making them a cost-effective investment for commercial buildings and providing an added selling point for green-conscious tenants and buyers.
White Roof Projects
One of the easiest and most innovative ways to increase the green quotient of your commercial building is to work with a Houston industrial painter to apply a solar-reflective coating to black tar roofs. These white roofs reflect much of the heat and light from the sun back into the atmosphere, reducing cooling costs for commercial facilities during hot Texas summers and providing added comfort for tenants throughout the year.
Concrete Floors and Walls
Long prized for its exceptional insulating value and its durability, concrete has recently become a popular choice among residential designers for textured or smooth flooring installations. Commercial builders are now incorporating this green-friendly building material into floors and walls to create unique and beautiful environments that provide real energy savings for tenants and building managers. Concrete panels can add insulation and elegance to Houston metal buildings while ensuring a more comfortable environment for tenants and workers in these industrial and commercial environments.
Ductwork Optimizing and Sealing
The experts at the U.S. Department of Energy have identified leaky ductwork as one of the most common issues leading to reduced energy efficiency and decreased comfort inside commercial and residential buildings. By ensuring that ducts are properly sized and sealed to prevent the loss of conditioned air, commercial builders and property owners can lower utility costs associated with heating and cooling these buildings and can provide greater comfort for tenants throughout their facilities and office spaces.
Alternative Energy Sources
Most commercial buildings are expected to remain squarely within the power grid. However, supplemental solar systems and passive heat collection devices are rapidly becoming an expected part of modern commercial construction. These advanced alternative energy devices can reduce reliance on the existing power grid while generating power that can be used to support that same grid and to reduce electricity bills to a significant degree.
By working with an experienced Houston general contractor to design your commercial facility, you can obtain expert guidance on the most practical green-friendly construction options for your project and the likely returns on your investment for these environmentally responsible additions. This can help you balance budget concerns with long-term green initiatives to ensure a brighter future for your business and for the entire planet.