International. Having a sustainable building increases the satisfaction, comfort and happiness of the occupants, as revealed by a study published by the company DTZ. While the main aspect driving the implementation of green certifications such as LEED and Energy Star is the savings in energy and water costs that can be achieved, as well as the social-environmental responsibility of companies, it can now also be included as an important benefit that the occupants of certified buildings tend to be more satisfied than those of conventional buildings.
The DTZ survey compared occupant responses from 61 LEED-EB certified buildings, Energy Star and the Office of Management and Budget's Sustainability and Energy Scorecard, as well as conventional properties without certification.
The researchers found that buildings with at least one certification scored on average seven points higher on the satisfaction scale than non-certified buildings, while properties with two or more certifications scored even higher.
In addition, Energy Star certified buildings received on average 30 points more, while LEED-EBs scored 10 points more than non-certified buildings.
"Sustainability is not only a measure to improve our environment, it is also a solid, proven and positive impact business practice, offering benefits from reducing costs to improving the service offered to customers," said Marla Maloney, president of asset services for the Americas at DTZ.
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