Green construction is expected to increase along with overall construction activity in 2014. Despite market pressures, or perhaps because of them, companies and building owners are emphasizing sustainability measures that lead to greater building efficiency, lower costs and a more productive workforce.

In an article from The Tennessean, Mike Leonard discusses the components of a high performance building and how companies are taking steps to define their role in creating sustainable, energy efficient spaces. Specifically, he asks readers to consider their definition of sustainability as it relates to their buildings.

Although many of Trane’s customers generally agree that sustainability means decreasing their environmental impact, we know that our customers’ definition of sustainability varies from one to the other. For one customer, sustainability may mean a carbon-neutral building. For another customer, it may mean using fewer materials, using less energy or producing less waste than what is average for the industry in which the company operates.

While much can be done in the design phase of a project to define sustainability objectives and goals in high performance buildings, Leonard states that the key to maintaining low energy usage is by running sustainable, ongoing operations. It’s essential to put a plan in place to track and measure performance to determine whether your goals have been met. With a defined plan, you can then take action to correct situations that fall outside of desired goals to ensure sustained performance of your operations.

Before embarking on any high performance building project, Trane ensures that we understand the mission of the customer and their sustainability goals. Applying integral solutions to meet these goals, ongoing benefits can be measured and improved upon year after year, furthering energy and cost savings to our customers. Although certifications like LEED include parameters for different levels of sustainability, we listen to and support our customers no matter whether they want to focus solely on cutting heating and cooling costs or whether they are hoping to achieve a LEED Platinum award.

Let Trane help you define your sustainability efforts . Click here to read more how we approach high performance buildings and sustainability.