What's It Mean to Rent Green in Manhattan?
The word green gets tossed around a lot lately. It's easy for companies to say they're "going green," but what does that usually mean? A new logo and a commercial with lots of clouds? Well, when it comes to Green Buildings, it's easy to see what it means to be Green...
The LEED Green Building Rating System presents a clear set of standards a building must meet to be a Green Building. Builders receive points for including certain Green features in their plans. This ranges from 1 point each for things like reduced light pollution to 8 points for energy optimization. 26 total points are required for a building to be Certified Green.
Let's look at how renting in a Green Building is different from renting in a regular New York apartment...
- Indoor environmental quality: Green Buildings provide features like excellent ventilation and daylight, air quality monitoring systems, pollution control, and efficient heating. When it comes to your immediate surroundings, being Green means being safe, comfortable, and healthy.
- Energy & water efficiency: Obviously, Green Buildings must meet all basic energy regulations. But to earn high scores, new buildings strive to optimize energy by at least 14%. Green power and on-site energy are also key traits.
- Responsible resource use: In addition to offering convenient recycling, Green Buildings tend to be made from local, rapidly renewable, recycled, or recyclable materials, and wood from certified forests.
- Sustainability: Green Buildings must be constructed to high standards. Residents are typically able to carpool, bicycle, and use public transportation with utmost ease. Leaving lots of nearby land as-is and undisturbed earns a builder even more Green points... and this means residents can enjoy a little more nearby nature than they would otherwise.
- Innovation: Builders can even earn bonus points by coming up with new ways to maximize Green.
