How much did the Common Fire building cost, and how much more does green building cost in general?
The Common Fire building was custom built for about $975,000, for a cost of right around $270/sf. This is the cost before discounts and donations of materials (which most people couldn’t expect to receive). The cost includes appliances and the well (which provides the water for the geothermal heating and cooling system as well as drinking water, so it seemed fair to count it). It does not include the cost of the large (12.9kw) solar electric system, which would cost about $50,000 after incentives from New York State, and it does not include the septic system (which required fill and a pump). Green building can actually cost the same or less than regular building, or it can cost more. It depends on the choices you make when “greening” your building. We have two brochures available that provide a range of green tips that are broken into three categories, things that cost the same or less, things that cost more up front but save money over time, and things that cost more and won’t save yo
