One of the most common questions regarding green and sustainable building is added cost.

Here is a visual guide with relative added costs indicated as dollar signs.

Click on the image below to open the PDF.

It is important to think beyond only the first costs when selecting what to build.  Costs of environmentally beneficial measures can be divided into 3 areas.

1. No extra cost, e.g. proper window size and location, drip irrigation
2. Higher initial cost but with a direct payback to the occupant over time, e.g. Photo-voltaic renewable energy generation and LED lighting cost more but lead to lower utility bills and cost less in the long run
3. Higher initial cost but with a global environmental and/or social payback over time, e.g. FSC lumber