Green construction cuts lifecycle costs
A new doctoral dissertation from KTH shows that the increased costs of environmentally friendly construction are recouped after five years, providing direct savings for the rest of the building’s lifetime.
"Over the course of a structure’s lifecycle, green construction can save substantial amounts of money, especially in light of projected future increases in energy prices," says Agnieszka Zalejska-Jonsson, the KTH researcher and doctoral student behind the study.
In her research, Zalejska-Jonsson studied investment, operating costs, profitability and energy consumption in green buildings.
A total of 24 companies working with energy efficient buildings, including Sweden’s NCC, Peab, Skanska and Veidekke, participated in interviews and questionnaires. A number of property managers and some 250 tenants also contributed information to the research project.
"This study shows that attitudes toward green living are generally positive. We hope that the research results will inspire the construction industry to increase investment in green construction," says Zalejska-Jonsson.
The project was initiated in 2009 by Staffan Hintze, Research and Development Manager at NCC Construction, and has continued at KTH under the supervision of Hans Lindberg, Staffan Hintze and Stellan Lundström.
The project is financed by NCC and SBUF, the Development Fund of the Swedish Construction Industry (Svenska Byggbranschens Utvecklingsfond). Agnieszka Zalejska-Jonsson plans to complete her studies with a doctoral thesis in 2013.
For more information, please contact Agnieszka Zalejska-Jonsson at +46-8-790 80 19 or agnes.jonsson@abe.kth.se
Katarina Ahlfort