The Rise of in Construc By Ujjwal Goel, Managing Director of Teraciel Engineering and Contracting (TEC)
Green building technology has become one of the hottest trends in construction. The benefits of a green technology application in construction are far-reaching and comprehensive, offering significant advantages when used in new facilities as well as existing structures. Green technology makes buildings more energy-efficient and sustainable, so they have a lower carbon footprint and a reduced impact on the environment. Builders, building owners, and tenants all realize considerable benefits from the application of green construction technology. The primary way that green technology
benefits are achieved is through greater energy efficiency. In new buildings, green building construction plays a role in every phase of development. Every aspect of the structure, including siting, design, construction materials, and the systems used to run and maintain operations are chosen to be as sustainable and energy-efficient as possible. Thirty to forty percent of a commercial
building is typically unoccupied at any given time. Green building technology makes use of motion detectors, RFID scanners, access card readers, and other sensors to monitor the occupancy status of building sectors. Whenever an area of a structure becomes
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unoccupied, green technology automatically shuts off lights and adjusts HVAC, cooling, heating, and ventilation options. Building owners can realize as much as 30% savings in their energy expenses by eliminating unnecessary energy use in this manner. Numerous studies have documented
cases of the “sick building syndrome” that can create an unhealthy work environment in commercial buildings, particularly older buildings and those located in hotter climates where ventilation issues are a concern. When HVAC systems are constantly left on, they can accumulate condensation that allows unhealthy mold spores to develop. Energy-efficient green building solutions can automatically turn off HVAC systems when not needed in order to maintain the correct temperature and humidity for optimum health. Advanced software and sensors can be put in place to monitor the ventilation system to prevent CO2 from underground garages from circulating throughout the building. Below are the top 10 sustainable
construction technologies used in green construction.
1. Solar power
Solar power has been increasingly exploited as a sustainable construction technology. In
green construction, it is utilized in two ways. One pertains to active solar power and the other is passive solar power. Active solar power is the use of functional solar systems that absorb the sun’s radiation to cater for heating and electricity provision. It reduces the need for the use of electricity or gas. The upfront installation costs are higher
but in the long-term, it saves on energy bills and aids in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from non-renewable energy sources like fossil fuels. On the other hand, passive solar power is a design that uses the sun’s rays to warm homes through the strategic placement of windows and the use of heat-absorbing surfaces. The windows let in energy and the heat absorbed reduces the need for warming the house during cold periods such as winter.
2. Biodegradable materials
The use of biodegradable materials is an eco-friendly means of making construction sustainable. Most traditional construction methods lead to the accumulation of waste products and toxic chemicals, the majority of which take hundreds of years to degrade. And even if they degrade, it contaminates and harms the environment. Biodegradable materials such as organic paints, therefore, aid to limit the negative impacts on the
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