Green and Non-Green School Buildings: An Empirical Comparison of Construction Cost and Schedule

The main goal of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is to create prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy saving green buildings. Several initiatives and steps have been taken by the USGBC and the construction industry to promote sustainable, cost-efficient construction practices. To stop further depletion of fuel energy sources, sustainability has been implemented on a large scale in such institutional buildings as schools, colleges, universities. Green buildings are designed to reduce operating costs by reducing energy consumption, but literature has shown that green buildings can cost more than non-green buildings. In this study, data were collected on construction cost and schedule for 30 Green School Buildings (GSB) and 30 Non-Green School Buildings (NGSBs) of the Clark County School District (CCSD) in Nevada. Statistical tests were performed to determine whether there was a significant difference in construction cost and time of completion between a GSB and an NGSB project. The results showed that the construction cost per square feet of a GSB is significantly higher than that of NGSB. In addition, the construction duration in building a GSB is significantly greater than that of an NGSB. The findings of this study will benefit further research on life-cycle cost analysis of green and non-green buildings.