Sustainable construction will play a pivotal role in the fight against climate change. Commercial builders who go green will benefit from improved brand loyalty and may be eligible for tax credits, too. 

Going green doesn’t mean you need to turn your back on brick-and-mortar, either. There are plenty of innovative ways to cut down your carbon use and minimize the ecological harm your construction firm causes. 

Get the ball rolling by embracing sustainable business practices. Even small changes, like switching to biofuels or buying EVs, can cut down your emissions and help you build a reputation as an eco-friendly constructor in the community. 

Biofuels

Going green is easier today than ever before. Even multi-million dollar construction projects like the recently renovated Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle make use of renewable energy, wastewater collection, and long-lasting guardrails that won’t end up in landfills. 

As a construction professional, you can keep up with regulatory pressures and minimize your carbon footprint by utilizing biofuels whenever possible. Common biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel are up to 86 percent cleaner than traditional gas and can be produced domestically. Many biofuels are made from food waste, too, meaning less energy is used to process garbage that could be used for fuel. 

You don’t have to switch your entire fleet of compactors and backhoes to biofuel, either. Instead, start small and experiment with non-essential machinery. For example, if you’re working on a project through the winter, consider testing biofuels on trailer heaters and a few of your older excavators. Any machine or vehicle that uses diesel can be converted to biodiesel easily as all diesel engines can run on B20 fuel. You don’t even need to clean the engine first — just fill it up as usual to immediately reduce your carbon emissions.  

Sustainable Tech

Green construction is in high demand currently. This is good news if you want to embrace sustainability, as many clients will pay a premium if you’re able to offer net-zero builds and low-impact construction sites. You can reduce your emissions and protect the environment by leaning on new sustainability tech like: 

• Smart Appliances: Build your appeal amongst homeowners by installing energy-efficient smart appliances as standard on all new builds. 
• Solar Power: Switching to solar can cut your carbon emissions and reduce your long-term operational costs. 
• Low-Emission Materials: Most suppliers now offer low-emission versions of common materials like green tiles, hempcrete, and structural timber. 

Get ahead of the competition by offering green construction packages to clients with a passion for the environment. This will help you stay up to date with the latest trends in construction and ease the transition towards a more sustainable business model. 

Electric Vehicles

Moving materials and liaising with clients will put hundreds of miles on your fleet of vehicles. This is a real issue, as it’s easy to incur high carbon costs when filling up with gas and diesel. As a progressive, climate-conscious construction professional, you can build for tomorrow by transitioning to a fleet of electric vehicles (EVs). The benefits of choosing EVs over combustion engine cars include: 

• Reduced Emissions: Even though EV’s electrical power is generated primarily by coal plants, EVs still have lower emissions than their combustion counterparts. 
• Reduced Costs: The high MSRP of EVs is offset over time thanks to the lower cost of electrical energy. This is particularly important if you’re driving several hundred miles a week and want to bring down your gas costs. 
• Over-the-Air Updates: High-tech EVs benefit from regular software updates that improve their security and upgrade the efficiency of EV batteries. 

Shifting to a fleet of electric vehicles shouldn’t break the bank, either. Reducing your carbon emissions by switching to EVs may help you qualify for cost-reducing green tax credits offered by the U.S. Department of Energy through their “Commercial Electric Vehicle (EV) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Tax Credit” scheme. 

Conclusion 

Embracing sustainable construction growth will cut your costs and help you build a business that clients love. Going green can help you qualify for tax credits and financial incentives, too. Start slow with new tech like biofuels and scale up your sustainable operations as demand grows.  

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