Respondents Indicated a Widespread Commitment to Sustainable Practices NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Turner Construction Company, recognized as the leading general builder and the largest green builder in the United States, today announced the results of a new Market Barometer survey that focused on environmentally-sustainable, or "Green," building, and on sustainable practices in general. Key findings revealed that companies remain committed to constructing Green buildings. While executives remained committed to incorporating sustainable building practices into their building programs, fewer said their companies were likely to seek LEED certification from the US Green Building Council when constructing a Green building. Brightening Outlook for Construction Projects Among real estate owners, developers, and corporate owner-occupants, 64% said they expect to undertake new construction projects over the next 12 months (up from 46% in the 2010 survey), and 71% said they expect to undertake renovation projects over the same period (up from 58% in the 2010 survey). Widespread Commitment to Sustainable Practices Ninety percent of respondents said their companies were committed to environmentally-sustainable practices. Of that percentage, 56% of executives said their companies were extremely or very committed to following environmentally-sustainable practices in their operations, while an additional 34% said they were somewhat committed. In addition to citing financial reasons for this commitment, executives were most likely to cite broader considerations as extremely or very important including belief that it's the 'right thing to do,' (68%), impact on brand/reputation (67%), and customer requirements (61%), along with cost savings (66%). Reducing Energy Costs and Operating Expenses are the Key Drivers to Green Construction Executives were most likely to cite financial factors as being important to their companies' decisions on whether to incorporate Green features in a construction project. Respondents indicated that energy efficiency (84%) and ongoing operations and maintenance costs (84%) were extremely or very important to their decisions. Fewer Companies Plan to Seek LEED Certification Although the vast majority of companies remain committed to Green buildings, the percentage of executives who thought it was extremely or very likely that their company would seek LEED certification if they constructed a Green building was only 48%, down from 53% in the 2010 survey and 61% in the 2008 survey. Among executives who said their companies were not likely to seek LEED certification, the most important reasons cited were the cost of the certification process (82%), staff time required (79%), time required for the process (75%), and the overall perceived difficulty of the process (74%). Concerns Persist about Construction Costs and the Length of the Payback Period When asked what length of payback period would be acceptable when considering Green features, 44% of executives said they would accept five years and almost 80% of executives said they would accept a payback period of five years or longer. Despite the acceptance by most executives of an extended payback period, 61% of executives still felt that the length of the payback period was an extremely or very significant obstacle to the construction of Green buildings while 62% cited higher construction costs. To view the full report, please send an email to: turner@tcco.com.
