Little Tree Bali - Green Building Centre

More than enough reasons to build green in Bali

No doubt you are hearing a lot about green buildings or green homes these days. Even in Indonesia, there is a growing interest and awareness in building homes, apartments, and villas that have a reduced impact on the environment. But why is this so important? 

The built environment has a considerable impact on the environment and natural resources. From the materials that are used during construction to the actual energy expenditure to run buildings (air condition for example), buildings have a negative ‘footprint’ that impact on water quality, landscapes, and even traffic and greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change, among many others.

Long-term savings

Another reason for building green is that by introducing efficiency measures into a building, for example a solar panel to generate electricity or UV-resistant windows, you can actually reduce your operational costs over the long term in terms of smaller electricity bills.

Property value

Although many green buildings come with a slight premium, they can yield 10 times as much over the entire life of the building (The Cost and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings, 2008). Studies have shown over a 20 year life period, some green buildings have yielded $53 to $71 per square foot back on investment (The Cost of Green Revisited, 2007).

Health benefits

There are also health benefits. For example, an eco-friendly paint with low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds is less likely to affect you, your family or your guests. Benefits to the actual inhabitants of green buildings generally come from improved indoor air quality, and enhanced lighting.

Sustaining Bali’s environment

In Bali, the relentless expansion of the built environment means that:

1. Electricity demands keep on growing, resulting in frequent blackouts and growing use of coal to produce electricity.
2. The legendary landscapes that have made the island famous are being replaced by buildings that are sited with no consideration for their visual and environmental impact. This is progressively affecting Bali’s appeal and future potential as a tourism draw.
3. As more cement and roofs cover the island, rainwater run-off is not penetrating the soil but often is directed to gutters and sewers and is then channelled into the sea. This can worsen floods.

This is only a brief overview of the benefits of green buildings. For more resources, check out the links below.