Green/sustainable design

Climate change is happeningEffects of this will change or society and

environmentHuman driven increase in GHG is increasing

the global temp.Primary source of the increased GHGs is the

emissions from the use of fossil fuel based energy

This climate change is linked with disturbancesLoss of mountain glaciers/ice cover on polar

regionsChanges in the timing of the spring bud-breakIncrease in the frequency and intensity of

extreme weather Cold/heat waves Large storms Hurricanes/tornadoes Floods/droughts

IPCC (intergovernmental panel on climate changes) believes that we are close to a tipping point Radical changes in global climate

Environment may become hotter and wetter New ice age

Time to reverse the trend is in the short term (10 years)

Architects, engineers, and builders can provide practical, real and cost effective solutions for buildings

Buildings account for about 40% of worldwide energy use and 71% of the total electricity in the USAConstruction and operation consume over 1/3

of the worlds energy consumption and 40% of all mined resources

CO2 emissions from buildings are expected to grow faster than any other sector1.8% a year increase through 2030

Building operations consume more than 2/3 of all electricity (40% of resources)

Energy use in the form of electricity drives the largest environmental impactsWhere the electricity comes from determines

the impactsIn the US most is generated by coal-fired

electrical power plantsImpacts can be determined by the lifecycle

assessment (LCA)

LCACan measure greenhouse gas to measure

global warming potential, or might measure human health and land use impacts

A 2012 LCA study found that “Specifically within commercial buildings, the use and operation phase of the material and building life cycle is so dominant that the impacts of construction, demolition/disposal, and transportation are nearly irrelevant for most traditionally constructed buildings.”

LCA

Environmental challenge can be summarized in the fact that we have an increasing population and an increasing consumption per person and increasing damage per actionEnvironmental impact = population x

consumption/person x damage rate/ unit consumption

World’s population continues to grow (fastest in the developing world)

The standard of living as well as the energy and resource consumption is quickly increasing as well, especially in the developing world

We will have more people on the planet and they will be consuming considerably more resources per capita than the present

Buildings in the developed countries constructed in the last 30-50 years have a short useful service lifeSolid brick home from the turn of the century

is still functional today, unlikely a home built in the 80’s will be functional to still be in service in 2080

Buildings in the developed countries will need to be rebuilt/replaced

30% of the population lived in urban areas in the 50’s, 47% in 200 and is projected to hit 60% by 2030 according

Consumption levels of the Western world increased with our “progress” and the path developing countries take typically follows the same path (ex. As Indians and Chinese become wealthier cars are chosen from the journey that was typically made by public transit)33% of population growth over the next 50

years will be in the emerging economies of Chine and India

If the developing countries come close to our rate of energy and resource use per capita, the consumption and damage will increase much faster than the population

Environmental damage would in turn increase as well5 to 10 fold the current level

Populations will be reduced by disease, drought and starvationOr per capita consumption and damage must

be reducedHopefully the industrialized world will reduce

its consumption and impact

Unfortunately the developed world, especially North America, are not reducing its per capita energy/resource use

Continued high levels of fossil fuel energy use creates pollution/carbon emissionsAccelerates climate changeCurrent levels of resource extraction and

environmental damage are beginning to hinder the ability to grow food and reduce quality of life

Solutions are complex and multi disciplinary like the problemSocio-techno-economic

SolutionsSustainable BuildingGreen Building

SustainableUnited Nations Bruntland Commission

Report “Sustainable development is development

which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

• A sustainable society, process, or product is one that can be sustained or continue to be produced over the long term, without adversely affecting the conditions necessary to support those same activities in the future. 

• Natural systems (soil, ecosystem, water, plants, etc)

• When applied to a building A sustainable building is one that can be produced

and continue to be operated over the long term without adversely affecting the natural environment necessary to support human  activities in the future. 

Sustainable building cannot, in construction, operation or disposalConsume materials unless they can easily and

harmlessly extracted, used and returned to nature

Consume non-renewable energyDestroy natural habitat, bio-diversity or bio-

massRelease pollutants of a type or quantity that

cannot be harmlessly broken down by natural systems

Almost impossible criteria to meetWould require all aspects of human activity to

be changed to meet them Until steel is recycled in a non polluting manner

using renewable energy sources, no steal can be included in a “sustainable” building

Green BuildingOne that sues energy and material more

effectively both in production and operation while polluting and damaging natural systems as little as possible

A building that is better than similar/average buildings of the same size and type in the same area

Does it use less non-renewable energy operate?

Did it use fewer resources to build?Will it last as long as it can be used without

undue effort to extend its life?Does it produce less pollution and damage

natural systems less?

30% less energy30% less energy is used per square foot than

the average of all other office buildings in the state

Green buildings “Green” buildings are simply good buildings

Energy efficient – in operation and in constructionResource efficient – in operation and in constructionNon-polluting – in operation and productionDurable – so that they can be used for a long timeAdaptable for many uses – so they can be re-used

easilyHealthy – few chemicals given off, no mould, fresh airBeautiful and comfortable – so that people will want

to use and re-use them

Green buildingsThings to consider

Site choice and modifications Energy and resources required to construct the

building Changes in the site (energy use/durability by

shading wind/sun/rain) Re-built or renovated buildings may have plants or

animals added Sustainable/green building must include the site

Things to consider contTransportation planning

Designing buildings that minimize the need for transportation and encourage the use of less polluting transportation modes

Day care or shop for daily needs in an office building

Resource Efficiency of non-renewable energy and materialsRenewable energy and materials are the ideal goal,

don’t violate other principles Huge amounts of wood to do the job of a small steel

column Too much energy Generating energy with damaging systems

ContEnergy consumed during the construction

and operation of buildings forms a major share of total human energy consumptionIncluded community planning in the building

category Buildings consume 50-60% of all energy Transportation: 25-30% Industry: 20-25%

Recycled non-renewable materialsReduces resource use, but may in some cases

use more energy than a different non-recycled material Steel

Best way to assess resource efficiency is to countAmount of materials, the amount of Joules

Design of the buildingMaterial life cycle: cradle to grave view.

Extraction to reuse, including pollution created

Building life cycle: Flexibile/adaptable design to all for re-use of building in perhaps different functions, change in energy source, replace or repairable components

Good building science: assembling the building materials/systems to control heat, air and moisture so a durable, energy efficient building is provide without using excess materials

Process1. Decide on shared goals – not simply “create a

green building”. Define specific shared goals/values (use local materials) a wide range of goals are created then ranked

2. Choose strategies – Based on goals, decided to use photovoltaics, wind power. Consider combinations, PV and wind power in northern climates

3. Develop Metrics-goals to measure pollution production, or annual purchased energy

4. Measure PerformanceAssessing the need for square footageUnnecessary finishes