Green building strategies have always sounded good in theory and on paper, but only now are we beginning to see just how effective they are in terms of real-world financial performance.

As you might recall, I provided an update last year covering preliminary findings from an independent study of Bentall Kennedy’s 300 office buildings and how green certification is yielding a strong ROI. Nearly seven months later the study continues to reveal positive payback in terms of tangible energy savings, as well as intangibles, such as cost of rent concessions, lease renewal rates and tenant satisfaction scores.

The two key takeaways from the latest update: 1.) Making buildings more sustainable is a wise investment; and 2.) Tenants care about certification.

The data clearly shows improved financial performance of green certified commercial buildings – but what does that mean for us?

Data Drives Decisions in Commercial Market

To homeowners, upgrading to energy-efficient products is often an emotional decision. For the commercial market it is much more about dollars, cents and data. Studies like Bentall Kennedy’s that prove the value of ‘building beyond code’ will become strong motivators for building owners and developers to invest in green building best practices.

The View from Here is that the commercial market could very well surpass residential in terms of green adoption. And for those of us who supply energy-efficient building products, real-life data will be our greatest sales ally as the market continues to shift.

What’s your View? Email me directly at eric.jackson@quanex.com.