Sustainable Building Initiatives

 In today’s world, buildings are hugely responsible for emitting most of the world’s pollution into its atmosphere. Since are consistent modernization, they have been major emitters of other non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions such as halocarbons. It is said, at this rate, rapidly industrializing countries will surpass emission levels from buildings in developed countries.

Building energy use is not the only form of emissions released into our atmosphere. About 10% - 20% of energy consumed is for materials manufacturing, transportation, construction, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. Since we have peaked into an era of construction and modernization, majority of what will be standing in our cities by 2050 would have already been built by our society. therefore, the strategy now to improve our living conditions, is to encourage building owners to adapt and retrofit their existing buildings to optimize emission reduction. This is something consistently being pushed upon in developing countries across the world, to incorporate energy and greenhouse gas emissions into the feasibility and design stages of the building.

In the endless fight of reducing emissions from existing buildings, there are five main goals to tackle this issue: Increase the energy efficiency of buildings, Increase the energy efficiency of appliances, encourage energy generation and distribution companies to support emission reductions in the building sector, change attitudes and behavior towards energy consumption, and promote the substitution of fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy. These essential strategies can be deemed useful in successfully reducing energy emissions.

Buildings today, total 40% of the global energy used which amounts to a third of global greenhouse gas emissions both in developed and non-developed countries. Unfortunately, as this produces the highest value of emissions, the building sector also has the largest potential for significantly reducing their greenhouse gas emissions compared to other emitting sectors. These buildings, with many commercially available technologies, can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by 30%-80%.

Greenhouse gas emissions is usually the result from buildings consumption of fossil fuel-based energy. Usually, the largest proportion of energy is used during a buildings operational phase. 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions take place during the phase to meet energy needs such as heating, ventilation, HVAC, water heating, lighting, entertainment, and telecommunications.

Countries and states within countries have multiple climate zones. Within these zones, the gas emissions from these buildings closely relates to this climate’s zones particular demand and climate information. Such as a building in New York, will incorporate a different level of demand in energy as one in California would. A large portion of operational energy is derived from burning wood and another biomass such as crop residues in most developing countries as a solution to avoid using fossil fuel. But as a multitude of countries begin to use traditional fuels, the potential for greenhouse gas emissions skyrocket because of the access to electricity which can stimulate demand.

But of course, this significance of how much energy is used, differed in hot and cold climates, even in households of different income levels and behaviors. Luckily, most countries have already introduced policies to reduce these greenhouse gas emissions from buildings through measures to improve energy efficiency. But most of these issues have been heavily politicized in the world of building owners and stakeholders, as the incentives for coordination is very low.

Energy performance is a measure of performance of buildings in energy use efficiency. They are set indicators to the area of space covered in areas like heating a space or lighting, these factors are always adjusted based on building type, location, and usage. Now, many of these regulations and policies translates into the various buildings codes we know today.

Questions

Can climate change be solved one building at a time or only through regulation?

Climate change can be solved through regulation. As mentioned, building owners and stakeholders have very low incentives to retrofit their buildings and convert them into buildings with better performance and emit less greenhouse energy. If translated through policies, are modernization of sustainability within these structures will go a long way.

Is there a theory of climate change or is this technical requirement?

Yes, there is a theory to climate change, because although it is technical in many aspects, this is a moment of change that should continue to occur throughout the country and around the world. For everyone to strive for a better environment.

 

Keywords:

Mitigation - the act of mitigating something or the state of being mitigated: the process or result of making something less severe, dangerous, painful, harsh, or damaging.

Multi-faceted - Having many facets or aspects.

Greenhouse gas emission - A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect.

Stakeholder – is a party that has an interest in a company and can either affect or be affected by the business. The primary stakeholders in a typical corporation are its investors, employees, customers, and suppliers.

Retrofit - to install (new or modified parts or equipment) in something previously manufactured or constructed.