**1. Introduction**

Green building design, as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), is "the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle from design, to construc‐ tion, operation, maintenance, renovation and ultimately deconstruction" [1]. However, according to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), commercial buildings in the US alone account for:


The building infrastructure (Residential, Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial) in the United States (US) consumes over two-thirds of the nation's electricity demand and accounts for one-third of all domestic energy consumption [3]. Regrettably, conventional forms of energy production have an adverse impact on natural ecosystems. Collectively, our buildings contribute to 38.9% of the nation's total greenhouse gas emissions. Faced with rising energy costs, diminishing fuel resources and emerging environmental concerns, scientific research has begun to address these challenges by adopting sustainable or green building alternatives.
