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Franziska - thanks for your comment - those are great questions!

Sefaira software helps architects, engineers, and contractors adhere to leading green building standards such as BREEAM (UK), LEED (US) and others. One of the issues we tackle is that it can be very costly and complex to follow green standards today, standards which changing quite regularly. The cost to properly design, optimize, research and certify a single green project can cost several hundred thousand pounds -- which covers additional planning, paperwork, materials research and coordination between 3rd parties. Sefaira software helps reduce these costs. Our mission is to bring down the cost of building a green building to the same level as that of a conventionally designed building.

As for CO2 and energy savings, with proper analysis, up to 30% energy savings can be achieved just by carefully designing a building's envelope (it's skin). Another big source of CO2 reduction on a green building can come from sourcing locally produced, recycled building materials. Many building materials are heavy (brick, lumber, boilers, chillers, drywall, tile, concrete), and consume a large amount of fuel to both make and transport. Sefaira makes it easier for contractors to select locally made building materials which contain recycled content, and thus have lower embodied CO2.

As for longevity and maintenance, green building standards today, such as LEED (US) or the Code for Sustainable Homes (UK) - are more stringent and demand higher quality than conventional buildings. It follows then that the longevity of such green buildings is longer - 40, 50 year designs are not uncommon. Regarding maintenance costs, building green can save 30% or more on operating expenses alone, due to reduced energy and water consumption, not to mention the labor savings associated with reduced boiler maintenance and less replacement of light bulbs throughout a green building.

Thanks for your questions!