sustainable buildings
“The real problems are with older, solid-wall Property, says codes need to create a holistic assumptions that costs are too high and savings
structures where cavity wall insulation cannot approach to building management: “We need to too low.”
be deployed, and rural housing which is off the quantify the relationship between sustainability The Council suggests a raft of measures
gas grid.” She is a little sceptical about micro- and the value of a commercial building, from starting with greater knowledge of how much
generation: “Urban small-scale wind may not both a tenant and an investor perspective.” energy a building uses and how it is managed,
always be efficient. It may be better to look at Sunand Prasad, the President of RIBA, agrees: leading to better building codes, labelling and
localised generation instead.” “Building codes must cover refurbishment as well reporting mechanisms, appropriate energy prices
Richard Buckingham, Sustainability Director as new build and have ‘through life’ application and costs, investment subsidies, and an increased
at engineers BDP, agrees that green buildings covering design, construction and management and trained workforce developing energy
should have all these attributes – but adds that of buildings.” efficiency technologies and methods.
location counts too: “A green building may be On a global level the World Business Council It has costed out a programme like this in
zero carbon, but it is pointless if you put it where for Sustainable Development has acknowledged five major world markets – Brazil, China, India,
everybody has to drive to it. Being green is partly that countries need to put in place stronger the US and Europe – at $150bn annually over
how it is built, partly where you put it, how it building regulations and create price incentives 10 years, which, providing the price of oil stays
operates, what it consumes, how it becomes for energy efficient and sustainable buildings. It at around $60 a barrel, should reduce energy use
greener over time. The context of the building is from buildings by 40%.
important.”
peter head, director at arup,
Other measures to help attain these targets
He agrees that on-site generation may are identified as: energy demand reduction using
not always be the best solution: “Near-site or
says: “dongtan is the template
smart meters; smart grids; and local, near-site
offsite renewable energy generation may be
for sustainability in city
or onsite generation through micro-wind, PV,
better and more affordable.” He suggests that
planning, not just in China but
heat pumps or CHP. Behavioural change is also
building standards and public policy are driving needed.
the agenda forward rather than markets, and that elsewhere in the world” The report also identifies important regional
cultural and behavioural change in the workplace differences. In China, for example, building codes
– attitudes to heating and air-conditioning, for has just published a £15m report – four years are not widely enforced. The purchase of air
example – will be important. in the making – which suggests strengthening conditioning by businesses and the country’s
Regulations are a work in progress. Paul building codes and energy labelling. The report burgeoning middle classes, meanwhile, will triple
King, the CEO of the UK Green Building Council, states that subsidies and price signals need to be energy consumption in China between now and
says: “At the moment the practical delivery used to incentivise energy-efficient investments 2020, even if other energy efficiency targets of
and management of sustainable buildings and the development of advanced technology 40% are met. And in Brazil, still experiencing
is being held up by a confusing myriad of to enable energy-saving behaviour. Otherwise, growth, some 75% of new family homes are
different sustainability policies, regulations, warns Bjorn Stigson, President of the Council, built by the so-called ‘informal sector’ – mostly
tools and standards. The Code for Sustainable without immediate action millions of inefficient unregulated builders. In other emerging markets
Buildings should establish one clear policy and buildings would still be standing in 2050. there is the issue of the affordability of technical
regulatory trajectory towards a sustainable built “The market alone will not be able to make solutions for environmentally-friendly buildings,
environment, to show where we need to get to, the necessary changes,” he says. “Most building and the priority of getting homes and commercial
and when.” owners and occupants don’t care enough about buildings built first and worrying about their
Bill Hughes, the MD of Legal and General energy consumption, and inertia is reinforced by green impact afterwards.
GreeninG the desert
A vision of Masdar
City: a haven of
When it comes to green buildings, Masdar
sustainability amid
City in Abu Dhabi stands out as one of the desert landscape.
the world’s most exciting low carbon
construction projects. Costing $22bn to
build over eight years, it will be home to
50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. The
walled city will be 80% solar powered,
providing 200MW of zero carbon electricity.
Cars will be banned and transport will be
in the form of electrically powered travel
pods. Air conditioning will be natural
using wind towers. Buildings in Masdar
City will recycle four fifths of their water
and drinking water will come from a solar
powered desalination plant.
32 pathfinder business l JUNE/JULY 2009
PBS12 pp30-33 Green Buildings.indd 32 8/6/09 13:06:55
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