Some in the green building industry have spoken for some time now of green buildings not needing to cost more. Jason McLennan in his 2004 book "The Philosophy of Sustainable Design" discusses not falling into the "green is always more" syndrome. He goes on to explain the concept of tunneling through the cost barrier. A 2007 cost study by the global construction consulting firm Davis Langdon compares various building types, including 43 non-Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified academic buildings to 17 (LEED[R])-certified buildings on the same type. Their conclusion was "no significant difference in average cost for green buildings as compared to nongreen buildings." This article presents the story of two green schools: Northland Pines High School in Eagle River, Wisconsin and the River Crest Elementary School in Hudson, Wisconsin, which lends compelling support to the case for green construction and renovation. These schools were designed and constructed at costs that were 25 percent and 29 percent lower than the regional cost averages.