Energy Efficiency Strategies in Office Building Construction: A Report

This report examines strategies for achieving energy efficiency in office building construction. It begins with an introduction highlighting the construction industry's significant energy consumption and the need for conservation. The report outlines the research project, including research questions, aims, and objectives focused on identifying and analyzing strategies for energy efficiency. It explores the theoretical framework, emphasizing the importance of minimizing energy use during construction and the role of structural materials. The methodology includes site observations, online surveys, and literature reviews. The report proposes strategies such as using renewable materials, efficient technologies, and implementing energy policies. It also stresses the significance of stakeholder education and control systems. The findings emphasize the importance of energy efficiency for the construction industry and the world, offering cost-effective solutions for reducing energy waste. The report advocates for the adoption of sustainable practices to minimize environmental impact and conserve energy resources. The project aims to provide practical insights and recommendations for achieving energy efficiency in the construction of office buildings, contributing to both environmental sustainability and cost savings within the industry.

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IDENTIFYDIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN
OFFICE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION .
Introduction
Research project statement is a description of achievements made during research and also
proposals for the next research. The statement includes the findings and the goals to be worked
on in the future. It is mostly used in job applications and thus is very critical in analyzing and
identifying the most appropriate and suitable candidates. The statement is useful in convincing
the readers on the benefits of the research project in case they adopt it.
Project Abstract/summary
The construction industry is one of the industries that use a lot of energy. It is estimated that over
70%of electricity is used in the construction industry while a further 40% of energy is consumed.
This research is going to identify the strategies to be used to achieve energy efficiency. This will
be done through site observation, literature reviews, online surveys and interviews. The
strategies will involve adoption of renewable materials, efficient technology, energy policies,
education of stakeholders and setting up of control systems. These strategies are all useful
depending on the situation of the building that is under review.1
Project outline
Introductory background
My research project is on the need to identify strategies to achieve energy efficiency in
construction industry. This project is worth as it would critically analyze the energy inefficiency
1 Adam, Paula, Pavel V. Ovseiko, Jonathan Grant, Kathryn EA Graham, Omar F. Boukhris, Anne-Maree
Dowd, Gert V. Balling et al." Health research policy and systems 16,

present in office buildings and offer solutions on how best o tackle them. There has been a
research gap in this as most of the researchers have only focused on the broader construction
industry and not specifically he office ones.
Research questions
This research is conducted in order to answer a number of questions that forms its basis. These
questions are important as they will define the kind of research that will be undertaken and how
the process will go on. The research questions may include;
 What is energy efficiency in construction industry?
 What are the causes of energy inefficiency in construction?
 How can energy efficiency be achieved?
 What are the strategies and recommendations to be adopted to achieve energy efficiency
in the construction industry?
Aims and objectives
The main aim is to critically look into the various ways in which energy can be conserved
through the use of different strategies. There has been a lot of wastage of energy in the
construction sector due to either ignorance or lack of care by the people in the industry. As
previously mentioned, construction requires a lot of energy and therefore there is always a high
chance of energy being misused or in some cases some of it may not go to the intended purpose.
Nonrenewable materials are mainly used in the construction sector and this is one of the main
contributors of energy levels in the industry. Therefore, the project will be aiming to analyze the

causes of energy inefficiency and thus provide strategies that will be key in the conservation of
energy.
Theoretical framework
In most cases, the amount of energy that is used by a complete building is more than that used
while the building was under construction. However it is also important to try as much as
possible to minimize the energy that is used during the construction as there are several benefits
that are associated with energy efficiency in buildings. From my research there are both high cost
and low cost energy efficient techniques than can be used in trying to deal with conservation of
energy. While the high cost techniques are usually known and frequently used, the low
techniques still need to be properly advertised to people in order for people to use them. This will
go a long way in helping them reduce the cost that they would have incurred as they try to
achieve energy efficiency.2
The use of structural materials is the main cause of energy inefficiency in the construction
industry. According to research done, it is estimated that structural materials account to up to
50% of energy inefficiency in the construction industry. This is a huge figure and thus several
drastic measures have to be taken to try and curb this loss. This is normally due to the
misconceptions of the engineers who are tasked with managing constructions. They have their
own independent conceptions regarding energy efficiency and thus it may prove to be a
challenge when it comes to implementing the energy efficiency requirements. Also most of this
people always follow methods that have been used previously and they are not able to critically
analyze the suitability of the method in conserving energy. Engineers need to check on the
2 Baldwin, Lee. "Beginning the Research Project: Topic, pp. 9-12.

method that will be used in the construction with a view to minimize energy that will be used.
This is a huge factor and thus if implemented, it will automatically lead to a reduction of energy
wastage in the construction industry. Therefore my proposal on this would be to ensure that the
engineers who are tasked with management of construction sites strictly apply methods that will
ensure that energy efficiency is achieved in the industry. They will have to also use raw materials
that are energy efficient in order for us to achieve the desired levels of energy efficiency that is
acceptable globally and one that protects the environment.3
The research will use site observations in which I will visit the construction sites to establish the
levels of energy inefficiency that is there. This will provide first-hand information necessary for
the research. Observation is very essential as it enables one to know the extent to which the
problem in question is and thus the strategies that will be proposed to counter it will largely
depend on the magnitude of the problem. Also, I will do online surveys in order to gather
information regarding energy efficiency and the strategies that will be of importance to the issue.
Furthermore, the use of literature reviews will come in handy as it will enrich my findings and
give the research the credibility that it requires for it to be successful.
Methods
My research also focuses more on the strategies to be used in ensuring that there is achievement
of energy efficiency in the construction sector. This will be attained by formulating several
strategies that are cost efficient and which will not derail or hamper the construction work. There
are some materials that reduce the demand for energy required by the building in order for it to
3 Kirkham, Jamie J., Sarah Gorst, Douglas G. Altman, Jane M. Blazeby, Mike Clarke, Declan Devane,
Elizabeth Gargon et al. COS-STAR statement." PLoS medicine 13,

cool. Mostly white and colored materials are good in this and thus I will ensure that such
materials are highly used in the construction. This would significantly reduce the energy that was
to be used in the cooling process of the buildings and thus we will be able to conserve energy.
Most of the construction sites use nonrenewable materials as their main source of materials.
However it is my view that the construction industry start to use renewable materials and
resources which are in most cases energy efficient.4 The reuse of materials helps in a great way
in reducing the energy that would have been used by acquiring another raw material and thus
minimizes energy levels. Therefore I would strongly advocate for the industry to try and fully
adapt these materials in order to conserve energy not only for their own benefit but for the
benefit of the entire world.
I have also proposed the adoption of efficient technologies in the construction industry. The
stakeholders in the industry need to critically analyze the various technologies that are present in
the building sector and how they are contributing to the conservation of energy. They should test
the technologies to ensure that what they have does not contribute to loss of energy but rather
contribute to conservation of energy. Once this is done, they can proceed with discarding the
ones that contribute to further energy loss and acquire new ones that will significantly reduce the
wastage of energy and thus ensure that the buildings are energy efficient. Also, the operations
and maintenance of buildings is another critical factor in the conservation of energy. There are
several ways in which the operations being carried out within the building can contribute
significantly to energy loss. Therefore the managers of such buildings should ensure that they
improve the operations of their buildings in order for them to achieve energy efficiency.
4 McNiff, Jean. You and your action research project.

Furthermore, my research will advocate for the education of various stakeholders in the
construction industry. 5In most cases you will find that there are a lot of people in the
construction industry who are ignorant of the need for energy efficiency as it is not something
that they can see or encounter in their day to day activities. Thus most of them will not be aware
of the huge levels of energy that may be wasted in the sector. Therefore, proper education on
energy efficiency is needed in order to teach people on several methods in which they can
conserve energy. They will be able to understand the impact of energy inefficiency on the
industry and on themselves and also learn on the best methods in which they can use to conserve
energy. This proposal will go a long way in ensuring that we are able to achieve energy
efficiency in our construction industry.
Another issue that I would propose for the construction industry is the development of controls
and systems that will increase the level of efficiency in the buildings and thus lead to
conservation of energy. There is the need to come up with systems which will enhance energy
efficiency in the buildings. The stakeholders might need to formulate control systems that they
are comfortable with and which are designed to ensure that the various loopholes upon which
energy was being wasted are sealed. The control systems need to be of high quality in order to
produce reliable and efficient results to the industry. This would also go hand in hand with the
adoption of policies that will ensure the attainment of efficient technologies which in turn will
lead to energy efficient. The policies are to be drafted for the construction industry by the various
stakeholders and then adopted fully by each of the individuals or companies involved in the
construction sector. They are to ensure that the policies are not disregarded but fully adhered to
5 O'Leary, Zina. The essential guide to doing your research project. .

in order for them to not lose track of ensuring that the desired energy efficiency levels are
achieved.6
Significance to the discipline
My research work will be of great importance to both the people in the construction industry and
the rest of the world. In terms of the world, the research will enable the proper conservation of
energy which will ensure that the population is not negatively affected by the depletion of
available energy resources. Lack of energy sources will impact greatly on the lives of people and
it may lead to untold suffering as energy is a fundamental thing in driving the lives of people and
the economy at large. For constructers, this is purely due to the fact that I will be providing them
with a solution on how to ensure that they achieve energy efficiency in their industry. The
project is going to offer them solutions that can be easily implemented at a lower cost and which
are bound to produce effective results in energy conservation. The constructers need to
understand the various ways in which they lose energy while constructing their buildings and
impact that is will be felt if energy is not conserved. Therefore this research will enable them to
have an in-depth analysis of the need for energy efficiency and thus will be of great use to them.
The proposals will also make them aware of the huge losses that they incur due to the presence
of energy inefficiency and thus they will be able save once they are able to adequately implement
some of the measures proposed. Cost cutting is an important element of any organization or
industry and thus they will be able to direct the saved funds to other aspect of the construction.7
6 Polonsky, Michael Jay, and David S. Waller. Designing and managing a research project:
7 Sgouros, George. "A. Personal Statement. 31

The reason for this is because I have carried out an extensive research that has incorporated a lot
of details regarding how energy is lost and how this can be avoided if only we pay more attention
to it. I have employed the use several high quality techniques in carrying out the research and
thus the proposal that have come up with contain enough evidence and which can stand the test
of time.
Budget
The total budget estimate for the research work was rather substantial. This meant that I would
have to source for more funds before I could completely finish the research. During the course of
the research I received donations and grants from a leading non-governmental organization in
order for me to fully carry out a well-documented and extensive research on the energy
efficiency in the construction industry. To add to this, I also partnered with the organization
which has really helped in defining the quality of this research.
Therefore, there was no need to submit an application to a funding agency for the support of the
project. The donations and grants were sufficient for the research to be completed and thus the
project is not contingent on support from any funding agency.
Research timeline
I expect my research project to conclude within 9 months from the time of writing this research
statement. I will make sure that I engage all the relevant stages of the research in order to come
up with a detailed proposal that will be of significant help to the construction industry. The key
stages will be

Formulating the research plan-The research plan is the most important part of research work
as it involves the whole details of the research work. This will require a critical analysis and
proper formulation in order to fully capture all the necessary requirements that would make the
research viable.
Identifying methods for data collection-There is need to carefully analyze and identify the
methods that are to be used in the research. The methods will be those that will make the
research easy to undertake and also be efficient in providing the much needed findings from the
research.
Conducting research-This is a critical stage of the research s it involves the actual research
done. This stage requires full concentration in order not to divert away from the research
problem that we will be trying to address. Therefore we will ensure that all the important steps
are taken during this time in order to come up with a detailed and exhaustive research work.
Evaluation of the final report-Evaluation of the work done is very important. Therefore, a
detailed analysis of the research work will be done to enable us come up with a correct
evaluation and findings of the research work. This will be useful in the implementation process.
The key milestones that would be considered here will be;
Feasibility study-this involves a study of the viability of the research to be undertaken.
Therefore there will be need to carry out a comprehensive study in order to ascertain the impact
of the research work

Obtaining of approvals-the project will ensure that all the necessary approvals are obtained
from the relevant authorities in order to prevent the research from disruptions due to lack of
permits.
Signing of contracts-this is another milestone that is critical in the research work. The signing of
relevant contracts will ensure that the research work commences and all the required materials
have been provided.
Hiring of staff –research work cannot proceed without staff and thus it is one of the important
milestone in the research process.
Checking on deliverables-the research aims to get a particular product and thus there is need to
check from time to time the progress of the deliverable that is required
The proper implementation of these milestones will contribute highly to the success of the
research. The use research tools such as that of Gantt chart will enrich the quality of the output
that will come out of the research.
Gantt chart

Skills training
Through the partnership with the NGO, I was able to access several sources of information that
have been useful in coming up with the project and the proposal that have been underlined in it.
I was able to learn a lot through the exchange of ideas with my partners who went a long way in
enriching the quality of the research work that I have come up with and thus the findings and
solutions contained here are efficient and reliable. Furthermore, my previous research related to
production of energy has already been published in one of the leading journals and thus I believe
this the current research will be of great help to the concerned people and thus should be even
more successful than the previous one.8
Other requirements
8 Swain, Jon, ed. Designing research in education:
project proposal
data collection
data analysis
final report
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