Sustainability and Buildings - Energy Saving

SUSTAINABILITY AND BUILDINGS
Introduction
Buildings present a challenge and an opportunity for sustainable development. buildings account
for about 39% of the carbon dioxide emissions, 40% of primary energy use, and 72% of the
electricity consumption in the U.S. Additional information indicates that 14% of the potable
water consumption occurs in buildings. Globally, buildings are the largest contributors to carbon
dioxide emissions, above transportation and then industry. The construction of buildings requires
many materials that are mined, grown, or produced and then transported to the building site.
Buildings require infrastructure including roads, utility lines, water and sewer systems. People
need to be able to get to and from buildings to work, live, or take advantage of the services
provided within them. They need to provide a safe and comfortable environment for the people
that inhabit them.
It is possible to design and construct fully functional buildings that have far fewer negative
environmental impacts than current norms allow. Beyond benefitting the environment, green
buildings provide economic benefits including reduced operating costs, expanded markets for
green products and services, improved building occupant productivity, and optimized life-cycle
performance. Green buildings also offer social benefits that range from protecting occupant
comfort and health, to better aesthetic qualities, less strain on local infrastructure, and overall
improvement in quality of life.
In 1994, a group of experts was brought together to develop a pathway and specific principles for
sustainable development. According to these principles, building should be:
 Ecologically Responsive: The design of human habitat shall recognize that all resources
are limited, and will respond to the patterns of natural ecology. Land plans and building
designs will include only those with the least disruptive impact upon the natural ecology
of the earth. Density must be most intense near neighborhood centers where facilities are
most accessible.
 Healthy, Sensible Buildings: The design of human habitat must create a living
environment that will be healthy for all its occupants. Buildings should be of appropriate
human scale in a non-sterile, aesthetically pleasing environment. Building design must
respond to toxicity of materials, care with EMF, lighting efficiency and quality, comfort
requirements and resource efficiency. Buildings should be organic, integrate art, natural
materials, sunlight, green plants, energy efficiency, low noise levels and water. They
should not cost more than current conventional buildings.
 Socially Just: Habitats shall be equally accessible across economic classes.
 Culturally Creative: Habitats will allow ethnic groups to maintain individual cultural
identities and neighborhoods while integrating into the larger community. All population
groups shall have access to art, theater and music.

 Beautiful: Beauty in a habitat environment is necessary for the soul development of
human beings. It is yeast for the ferment of individual creativity. Intimacy with the
beauty and numinous mystery of nature must be available to enliven our sense of the
sacred.
 Physically and Economically Accessible: All sites within the habitat shall be accessible
and rich in resources to those living within walkable (or wheelchair-able) distance.
 Evolutionary: Habitats’ design shall include continuous re-evaluation of premises and
values, shall be demographically responsive and flexible to change over time to support
future user needs. Initial designs should reflect our society’s heterogeneity and have a
feedback system.
What is meant by a sustainable or green building? The U.S. EPA defines green building as “the
practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and
resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction,
operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements
the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.”
The benefits of sustainable buildings have already been documented. These buildings can reduce
energy use by 24-50%, carbon dioxide emissions by 33-39%, water use by 40%, and solid waste
by 70%. Green building occupants are healthier and more productive than their counterparts in
other buildings, and this is important because in the west, people spend an average of 90% or
more of their time indoors. Green buildings tend to have improved indoor air quality and
lighting.
There are also numerous perceived business benefits to green buildings, including decreased
operating costs and increased building value, return on investment, occupancy ratio, and rent
ratio.
Materials and Methods of Construction
It is frequently stated that the most sustainable building is the one that is not built. This does not
mean that we should not have buildings, but rather that we should make the most of our existing
buildings. Those buildings already have the infrastructure and have utilized many materials for
their construction.
A great deal of energy goes into making building materials. By volume, the major materials used
within the construction industry are crushed rock, gravel, sand, cement, cement concrete, asphalt
concrete, timber products, clay brick, concrete block, drywall, roofing materials, steel,
aluminum, copper and other metals, plastics, paper, paints, glues, and other chemical products.
The building industry has been the largest consumer of materials in the Nigeria.

The manufacturing of cement, for instance, is an enormous producer of greenhouse gas
emissions. Cement is made of about 85% lime by mass, which is mixed with other ingredients
such as shale, clay, and slate. It is formed into an inorganic adhesive by heating the ingredients to
a temperature of 1450 °C (2640 °F), and then grinding the product into a powder. Cement
comprises about 15% of concrete, which is made by mixing cement with sand, small rocks, and
water. Because it requires so much energy, the manufacture of cement is estimated to account for
as much as 5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
Construction of buildings is also related to deforestation. Our consumption of wood to build
buildings and furniture over the centuries has resulted in the clearing of many old-world forests
and tropical forests. Trees are harvested not only for fuel but also for construction material and to
clear land for construction.
The demolition of old buildings to make way for new and construction projects themselves
generate huge amounts of waste. Careful deconstruction of buildings allows for reuse of
materials in future construction projects or for recycling of materials into new building (and
other) products. Deconstruction creates economic advantages by lower building removal costs
due to value of materials and avoided disposal costs, reduces impact to site on soil and
vegetation, conserves landfill space, and creates jobs due to the labor-intensity of the process.
Even when deconstruction is not possible, the waste can be recycled by sorting the materials
after they are collected and taken to a waste transfer station. Since new construction and
renovation requires the input of many materials, this is an opportunity to utilize products that
enhance the sustainability of the building. These products may be made of recycled content,
sustainably grown and harvested wood and pulp materials, products that have low emissions, and
products that are sourced locally. These products enhance the sustainability of the building by
supporting local economies and reducing the fuel needed to transport them long distances.
Energy-saving Building Features
Energy efficient measures have been around a long time and are known to reduce the use of
energy in residential and commercial properties. Improvements have been made in all of these
areas and are great opportunities for further innovation. Green buildings incorporate these
features to reduce the demand for heating and cooling.
Insulation
The building should be well insulated and sealed so that the conditioned air doesn’t escape to the
outside. Insulation can be installed in floors, walls, attics and/or roofs. It helps to have more even
temperature distribution and increased comfort as well.