PROJECTS PHILIPPINES
A CARBON NEUTRAL SKYSCRAPER by Praveen Nair
The Arthaland Century Pacific Tower (ACPT) is the world’s first building to receive the EDGE Zero Carbon certification1
. This certification is an
international standard developed by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, that requires stringent measures for energy efficiency—the building’s energy consumption must be offset by renewable forms of energy. In addition to EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), ACPT has also received the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum rating and BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) five-star certification.
To qualify for the Zero Carbon certification, ACPT utilises 100 per cent of its electricity generated from the Pantabangan-Masiway hydroelectric power plant (PMHEP) complex2
. This was a practical way of dealing with an inherent
limit on how much energy tall buildings can produce on-site with renewables. The 30-storey ACPT’s total building area of 34,295 square metres is nearly 15 times more than its land area of only 2,232 square metres. An initial study concluded that it was not sufficient to arrange solar panels horizontally on its roof as it produced a meagre output of 0.5 per cent of the total energy consumption1
.
The designers of the tower also looked into ways to reduce the amount of energy consumed by the building, with a projected energy efficiency of 45 per cent using a range of building technologies. ACPT’s external envelope comprises triple and double glazed units, with low-E coating amid overlapping frit patterns that keep the heat out but allow natural light to enter. This reduces energy consumption to cool internal spaces, providing optimal thermal comfort to improve occupants’ mood, focus and productivity. Pre-conditioned fresh air that lessens the demand on air-conditioning systems is supplied via demand-controlled energy recovery ventilation systems. In addition, a media in the ventilation systems with high filtration efficiency ensures clean air that is free from viruses or other harmful pathogens. Sufficient daylighting within the building is provided through an automatic daylight system, improving the visual and mental well-being of occupants.
Arthaland approached ACPT with the intent of achieving the LEED and BERDE certifications early on in the design process in 2016. In 2019, despite ACPT’s post-completion, Arthaland decided to pursue the certifications from EDGE and WELL Building Standard to raise the bar in attaining the sustainability goals. LEED and BERDE are rating systems that primarily focus on environmental issues in buildings. While EDGE is centred on resource efficiency, WELL distinguishes itself as a standard that focuses on the health and well-being of the occupants in the building.
This had an impact on tenancy. Anchor tenants of ACPT, such as Deloitte
and ING, embrace sustainability initiatives globally as part of their business imperatives mandated by government regulations and stakeholders. These big brands would prefer to be situated in buildings that are exemplary of such
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56 FUTURARC
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