The Power of Zero: Cost Study

LEED certification is generally accepted as a starting point for most projects, with Gold and Platinum now commonplace. Designers and builders are looking to standards such as Living Building Challenge (LBC) and Net Zero to provide the next level of challenge. While questions of cost implications for building to LEED have been laid to rest, there are outstanding questions about the impacts of building green to the next level. There is a growing awareness that cost-effective achievement of net zero and regenerative buildings requires a radical rethinking of design, delivery, construction, and operations processes.

Integral Group  partnered with Davis Langdon and BNIM to explore the cost implications of building to “next generation” standards. Our report uses statistical analyses and anecdotal assessments of actual projects, comparing costs for specific systems, as well as overall construction costs of the greenest projects, using Net Zero, LBC, COTE Top Ten, and Architecture 2030 standards to quantify performance, against industry standard projects.  Using case studies, the study illustrates technologies, design and delivery strategies, as well as methodologies and best practices that enable effective cost management of  high performance buildings.

Researchers include the authors of “Understanding the Cost of Green” (2004), and practitioners who are building the greenest buildings and communities in the world. This collective experience, along with access to cost and benefits data for over 200 “next generation” projects, forms the basis for the research.

Download The Power of Zero