Contractors see growth in green schools market

McGraw-Hill Construction conducted a research among contractors working on school projects demonstrating strong growth in green education projects. To qualify for the study, contractors had to have completed new construction or major renovation or improvement projects at K-12 schools or higher-education institutions. Despite the reduced market, nearly all those firms expecting major school projects think at least some of them will be green, with only 3% not expecting to do green work, and a 5% growth in those who think the majority of their major school projects will be green. 79% of contractors with a medium or high level of green projects report improved acoustical elements compared to just 45% of those with a low level of involvement. This demonstrates that contractors who do more green work are also better informed about green practices on their projects, which provides them an advantage as the sustainable schools market continues to expand.