According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, commercial buildings constructed prior to 1920 have an average energy consumption of 80,127 BTUs per square foot. For the more efficient buildings built since 2000, that number is 79,703 BTUs. (The energy efficiency of buildings constructed between these years was less enviable—reaching around 100,000 BTUs—reflecting the cheap oil and electricity of the thermostat age.)

Something that compounds the lack of energy savings in a new green building is if employees have to travel farther to get to work. More from the Trust for National Preservation:

Sometimes, the energy costs are even less apparent. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s newly constructed Philip Merrill Environmental Center opened in late 2000, and the foundation notes that it “may be the world’s ‘greenest’ building.” Indeed, it was the first to earn a LEED platinum rating, and it’s been cleverly designed to reduce its environmental impact—with cork floors and cisterns and materials that are wholly recyclable. But as Environmental Building News recently noted, the new building was constructed 10 miles from the original headquarters in downtown Annapolis, Md., meaning that many of the 100 employees who once walked to work now drive. (The new building does feature facilities for bikes and kayaks to encourage self-propelled transport.) It’s uncertain whether the energy savings from the new building will offset the increased consumption from the commuting.

Frequently “being green” doesn’t help the environment. When considering energy savings we have to look at all the energy inputs and currently energy usage. This kind of thinking needs to be much more prevalent in the enviromental movement.