NET ZERO & ZERO CARBON BUILDINGS
How France is preparing for the greenest Olympics to date
T
he world’s largest spectator event, the Olympics, has become an opportunity for host cities to showcase their culture and values to the rest of the world. Organisers of The Paris 2024 Games will boast
100% renewable energy, sustainable food sourcing, and green transport for participants and spectators. To meet the goal of deeply reducing the Games’ carbon footprint, organisers are particularly mindful of any construction projects connected with this highly visible event. They’ve set bold goals, aiming to “halve the emissions arising in relation to the Games, while offsetting even more CO2 emissions than we will generate.”
An early planning decision has proved to be monumental in terms of decarbonisation -- 95% of its dedicated sites are pre-existing structures or temporary venues. As the French capital prepares to host events and house thousands of attendees, it is retrofitting several existing structures using innovative technology designed to undergird energy-wise initiatives. Converting existing buildings to smart environments will be key to making the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics the most sustainable ever. Retrofits avoid the heavy embodied carbon load of new construction, and also ensure that the city won’t be saddled with rarely used, or worse, abandoned buildings after the Games. Challenges abound when you’re dealing with old, historic structures filled with archaic elements and emotional connotations. Construction retrofits in these buildings require a careful plan for upgrading systems to optimal efficiency while preserving the grandeur and history within the walls. Smart technologies including advanced hardware controls, sensor networks, automation, and artificial intelligence are essential to improving older structures’ energy capabilities and can be integrated without disrupting buildings’ style or aesthetic. The 2024 Games, which take place over two weeks in the heart of summer heat, will likely include intensely hot weather, as record- breaking heat waves have become Europe’s new normal. Paris is highly vulnerable to summer heat waves than any other European city, which could compromise public safety during the Summer Olympics and Paralympics. A major retrofit initiative for these structures
is improving their energy efficiency. Paris will need innovative solutions to ensure the venues allocate energy resources wisely while offering spectator and athlete comfort and safety. Even in historic buildings, the French are incorporating the latest technology to monitor energy use, track carbon emissions and react in real-time. Solutions that can sense, think, and act autonomously will ensure a smaller carbon footprint than Games past. And, by thinking about these solutions now, Paris is future- proofing the city and preserving its environment for generations to come. The Games are the perfect opportunity for Paris to make their structures resilient to climate change, in a way that preserves the needs of residents and the city’s cultural heritage. The Universeine (the Athletes’ Village) will be converted into residential housing, offices, schools and more following the Games. Repurposing construction into facilities that serve the city after the Games is another way Paris plans to keep carbon emissions low. Paris will be looking at ways to incorporate smart building technologies into the buildings used in the Games. By building in the tools now to measure carbon emissions and effortlessly manage energy efficiency, these structures will be ready to help the City meet its 2050 carbon neutrality target and keep Parisians comfortable during climate change-associated weather events. These efforts are especially important considering Paris’ population density, which is about twice as much as that of New York City. Automated temperature controls in the glass- roofed Grand Palais which will house fencing and taekwondo competitions will be key to creating a sustainable, enjoyable and legacy-
making Games. The 123-year-old Grand Palais, one of the most iconic structures involved in the Games, is being fully renovated to update its energy systems. Athletes can perform at their peak whether competing on the court or in the pool, and spectators can be kept comfortable in large, energetic crowds, even during a potential heatwave.
The Aquatics Centre, one of the few new construction projects and composed of all bio-based materials, will provide all of its own energy needs through its solar rooftop. This project is one of the country’s largest urban solar arrays. To create these adaptive environments while modelling exemplary environmental strategies, organisers are integrating innovative solutions to modernise the energy usage of these retrofitted buildings. Balancing efficiency and lowering emissions with spectator comfort, athletic performance, and for the longer horizon, residential and business use is at the forefront of these retrofits. To meet their long-term carbon reduction goals, the French are incorporating the latest technology to monitor energy use, track carbon emissions and react in real-time at most of the public-facing Olympics venues. Solutions that can sense, think, and act autonomously will ensure a smaller carbon footprint than Games past. And, by thinking about these solutions now, Paris is future-proofing the city and preserving its environment for generations to come. Over the past few decades, the Olympics’ environmental effects have become a point of contention. Excess use of the natural resources and degradation of the environment has resulted in problems that persist years after the games are over. But there is progress. A century after Paris created the globe’s first Olympic Village in 1924, they can be proud to announce that today’s Olympics are poised to be the world’s first event that puts sustainability first. The organisers’ big-picture focus on innovation in construction and retrofitting the historic buildings to modern technological standards will benefit Paris’ residents long into the future.
20 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MAY 2024
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