In order for Britain's new buildings, offices and homes to be energy efficient a number of inaccurate preconceptions must be overcome, an environmental expert has warned.
Mark Clifford, author of Building Energy Efficiency: Why Green Buildings Are Key to Asia's Future, wrote in a Guardian article that there are three main barriers preventing the widespread rise of 'green' buildings in the UK.
The first myth, according to Mr Clifford, is that green buildings cost a lot more to build.
Although there could be significant initial costs, he admitted, industry workers from architects to suppliers are constantly reducing charges as they adapt to and develop in the new eco-friendly building world.
Even with a larger start-up outlay,
cheaper utility bills as a result of owning an energy-efficient home will soon make the building pay for itself, the writer asserted.
Secondly, Mr Clifford wished to contest the idea that green buildings are uncomfortable - with people sitting in the dark, shivering in the cold and sweating in the warm.
Energy-efficient offices have a lower turnover of staff and less sick days taken, according to studies, with a significantly higher capital value also enjoyed.
Finally, he used the Guardian piece to reject claims that if energy efficiency truly worked, every builder and developer in the world would have already done it.
Construction companies are interested in bottom line profit, he argued, meaning their reluctance to invest in green technology and fund higher initial payments is understandable, if a little short-sighted.
Buildings account for one-third of the world's energy use, Mr Clifford revealed, meaning measures to improve the rate at which it is used could have a tremendous effect not only on energy bill payers but on the environment.
The impact could be felt even further afield, he believed, writing: "Efficient buildings enable countries to produce and consume less energy, which supports economic development, because money is freed up for other projects, while promoting energy security and environmental sustainability."
Jason Orme, editor of Homebuilding and Renovating magazine, last week claimed that upgrading the efficiency of a home could increase its value and make it easier to sell.
