Green/sustainable design

1. Green/sustainable design

2. Climate change is happening • Effects of this will change or society and environment • Human 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

3. This climate change is linked with disturbances • Loss of mountain glaciers/ice cover on polar regions • Changes in the timing of the spring bud-break • Increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather • Cold/heat waves • Large storms • Hurricanes/tornadoes • Floods/droughts

4. 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)

5. 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 USA • Construction 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 sector • 1.8% a year increase through 2030

6. Building operations consume more than 2/3 of all electricity (40% of resources) • Energy use in the form of electricity drives the largest environmental impacts • Where the electricity comes from determines the impacts • In the US most is generated by coal-fired electrical power plants • Impacts can be determined by the lifecycle assessment (LCA)

7. LCA • Can 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.”

8. LCA

10. Environmental challenge can be summarized in the fact that we have an increasing population and an increasing consumption per person and increasing damage per action • Environmental impact = population x consumption/person x damage rate/ unit consumption • World’s population continues to grow (fastest in the developing world)

11. 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

12. Buildings in the developed countries constructed in the last 30-50 years have a short useful service life • Solid 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

13. 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

14. 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 well • 5 to 10 fold the current level

15. Populations will be reduced by disease, drought and starvation • Or per capita consumption and damage must be reduced • Hopefully the industrialized world will reduce its consumption and impact

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

17. Continued high levels of fossil fuel energy use creates pollution/carbon emissions • Accelerates climate change • Current 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 problem • Socio-techno-economic

18. Solutions • Sustainable Building • Green Building

19. Sustainable • United 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.”

20. 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. 

21. Sustainable building cannot, in construction, operation or disposal • Consume materials unless they can easily and harmlessly extracted, used and returned to nature • Consume non-renewable energy • Destroy natural habitat, bio-diversity or bio-mass • Release pollutants of a type or quantity that cannot be harmlessly broken down by natural systems

22. Almost impossible criteria to meet • Would 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

23. Green Building • One 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

24. 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?

25. 30% less energy • 30% less energy is used per square foot than the average of all other office buildings in the state

26. Green buildings • “Green” buildings are simply good buildings • Energy efficient – in operation and in construction • Resource efficient – in operation and in construction • Non-polluting – in operation and production • Durable – so that they can be used for a long time • Adaptable for many uses – so they can be re-used easily • Healthy – few chemicals given off, no mould, fresh air • Beautiful and comfortable – so that people will want to use and re-use them

27. Green buildings • Things 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

28. Things to consider cont • Transportation 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 materials • Renewable 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

29. Cont • Energy consumed during the construction and operation of buildings forms a major share of total human energy consumption • Included community planning in the building category • Buildings consume 50-60% of all energy • Transportation: 25-30% • Industry: 20-25%

30. Recycled non-renewable materials • Reduces 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 count • Amount of materials, the amount of Joules

31. Design of the building • Material 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

32. Process • 1. 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 Performance • Assessing the need for square footage • Unnecessary finishes