travel. With appropriate policy interventions, these improvements could be implemented quickly and

could significantly reduce overall GHG emissions.

C. Green Buildings

Several individual, community, and state initiatives are promoting the

implementation of green building practices in new residential and commercial

construction.

The most impressive progress in residential green building development and construc 

tion is the result of communities and developers wanting to distinguish themselves as leaders in efficient

use of resources and reducing waste in response to local issues of land use planning, energy supply, air

quality, landfill constraints, and water resources. Developers and owner/operators who have a business

purpose in considering the life cycle cost and resource aspects of their new projects are providing the

Box 1

Greening Four Times Square

Four Times Square, a 48 story skyscraper and the

percent relative to comparable

first major construction project in Manhattan in 10 years,

projects. For example, low 

is one of the most environmentally and technologically

emissivity glass windows take

+

advanced buildings in the nation and it is being called

up 7 feet of a 9 foot ceiling

the first environmental office building in New York.

23 

height, providing daylight to

The Durst Organization set out to build an environ 

25 percent of each floor.

mentally responsible or  green  1.6 million square foot

Extremely efficient natural

office building that would adopt exemplary standards for

gas fired CFC free absorption

energy efficiency, indoor ecology, sustainable materials,

chillers avoid the substantial

and responsible construction, operations, and mainte 

energy waste normally lost in

nance procedures.

transmission from electric

power plants to electric

The developer's determination to build green drew

chillers in buildings. 

the interest and assistance of many energy experts. A New

York state research and development grant, funded by

The two on site fuel cells generate about 3,500

DOE's State Energy Program, supported the developer's

megawatt hours per year they are fueled by natural gas,

use of the advanced energy analysis program  DOE 2. 

but no combustion is involved and the byproducts are hot

water and CO

+

The program assisted in the selection of all heating, venti 

2

derived from natural gas. In addition photo 

lation, air conditioning, and lighting systems and exterior

voltaic cells are being used to a limited degree to generate

cladding materials and techniques. The architects found

energy as an on site demonstration. The  thin film  photo 

that the robust economic framework of DOE 2 was critical

voltaic (PV) cells are integrated into the  spandels  on the

in gaining tenants' favor for energy efficiency measures by

building the area of the facade between the top of one

showing their financial benefits.

window and the bottom of another an example of BIPV

(building integrated PV). 

The energy efficient technologies employed in the

skyscraper have reduced operational costs by 10 to 15

12

+

Towards a Climate Friendly  

Built Environment