Sustainable Building Design

1
Sustainable Building Design Planning

• Brahmanand MOHANTY, Ph.D.

2
Buildings, resources the environment

• Buildings are highly resource intensive
• Raw materials, energy, water
• 30-40 of worlds primary energy is used in
  buildings
• Construction
• Operation maintenance
• High rise in demand for new construction
• Greenfield projects
• Demolition of low-rise zones to create high-rise
  buildings
• Adverse impacts of buildings on the environment
• Contributing to greenhouse gas emissions
• Depletion of resources increase in waste
  generation

 
3
Buildings, resources the environment
Source Sustainable Building and Construction
Initiatives, 2006
4
Recent efforts to meet the challenge

• Design development of energy efficient
  buildings
• Reduced embodied energy of the building
• Designing concepts advanced materials to lower
  the operating energy
• Aiming for carbon neutral buildings
• High performance buildings (low energy or
  zero-energy)
• Energy-positive buildings
• Green buildings
• Less resource intensive
• Least impact on the environment
• Improved quality, comfort health of the
  inhabitants

 
5
Definition of a green building

• A green building should create delight when
  entered, serenity and health when occupied and
  regret when departed
• - Natural Capitalism -

6
Concept of sustainable architecture
Source Sustainable Architecture and Building
Design, 2002
7
Cost effective concepts/tech./products

• Market is ripe with cost effective concepts,
  technologies products
• To reduce the need for energy services
• Optimized design
• Site planning, shape, orientation, fenestration
  shading, natural ventilation, passive cooling,
  etc.
• Better implementation
• Choice of material technology, optimized
  insulation of walls roofs, high performance
  glazing, artificial lighting cooling solutions
• To satisfy the needs with more efficient
  solutions
• Improved end-use energy efficiency
• Better artificial lighting control
• Better artificial cooling control
• Provision of energy services through alternative
  means strategies

 
8
Designing sustainable building

• Overcoming the general perception of sustainable
  building being more expensive
• More emphasis on adopting the right building
  science and less dependence on high-cost building
  technologies
• A better scientific understanding of the way
  buildings work and avoiding high technological
  sophistication
• The main challenge To do more with less

 
9
Designing sustainable building

• Overall objective Lower energy consumption and
  life-cycle costs
• Start with building fabrics to lower energy
  demand (life span 50-100 years)
• Then look for devices to generate energy from
  renewables (life span 10-20 years)
• More capital needed for oversized renewable
  energy systems for a poorly designed building

 
10
Designing sustainable building

• Example of application in cold climates
• Very little energy demand for an airtight and
  super-insulated building money required on
  energy supply technologies used to cover the
  additional cost of improving building fabric
  quality
• Money saved by using hygroscopic materials to
  handle the indoor air humidity than mechanical
  ventilation (fans, ducts, grilles, and filters)

 
11
Energy efficient technologies in buildings

• Heating of building
• Radiative (heating by direct radiation) and
  convective (warming and circulating air)
• Central (indirect) versus decentralized (direct)
  heating system
• Electric heater vs. gas heater and efficient
  reverse-cycle heat pumps
• Combustion-based heating systems
• Boiler efficiency, system efficiency and
  efficient control system
• Addition features such as larger heat exchangers,
  extra insulation, automatic operation of flue
  dampers, etc.
• Combined heat and power
• Provision of electricity and heat with high
  overall efficiency

 
12
Energy efficient technologies in buildings

• Cooling of building
• Passive cooling (ventilation and thermal mass) or
  use of low energy mechanical systems (fans,
  evaporating cooling
• Mechanical cooling in extreme climatic conditions
• Mechanical/electrical vapour compression chiller
• Vapour absorption chiller requiring heat as
  energy source (e.g. exhaust heat from power
  generator of cogeneration plant)
• Simultaneous heating and cooling system
• Heat recovered from cooled space for the space to
  be heated

 
13
Energy efficient technologies in buildings

• Lighting of building
• Optimizing daylight through fenestration (light
  shelves, louvers, prismatic glazing)
• Daylight through roof (light well, atria, or
  light pipe)
• Energy efficient lighting devices
• Depending on the type of illumination required
• Accent lighting versus task lighting
• Proper lighting control
• Zoning of lighting system, timer based switching,
  occupancy detectors, daylight sensing, etc.

 
14
Energy efficient technologies in buildings

• Electrical appliances in building
• Choice of right type and size of white goods
  (refrigerator, freezer, clothes washer, etc.)
• Purchase of energy efficient home and office
  appliances
• Reduction of standby power by switching off
  appliances
• Building energy management system
• Better monitoring and control of energy use in
  the entire building

 
15
Appropriate building materials

• Embodied energy of construction materials
• Building materials classified into 5 groups
• Renewable materials from photosynthesis/biology
  (natural timber, wool, etc.)
• Materials extracted with minimal processing
  (earth, sand and gravel)
• Extracted and processed materials (lime, plaster,
  stone, slate and brick)
• Extracted and highly processed materials (steel,
  cement, glass and plastics)
• Recycled materials (reused timber, brick,
  aggregate, steel, glass and insulation)

 
16
Appropriate building materials

• Typical materials and systems used as walls
• Double brick wall
• Reverse masonry veneer
• Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC blocks)
• Concrete block
• Insulated concrete
• Lightweight timber
• Panel systems

 
17
Appropriate building materials

• Alternative materials used as walls
• Mud brick (adobe)
• Rammed earth (pisé)
• Earth bermed
• Straw bale

 
18
Appropriate building materials

• Typical materials for roofing and flooring
• Tiles
• Metal sheeting
• Green roofs
• Concrete slab floors
• Earth covered

 
19
Appropriate building materials

• Composite materials
• Lightweight walls with heavyweight floor
• Lightweight floor with heavyweight walls
• Lightweight walls and floors with water mass
• Thermal performance of windows
• Increasing the number of glazing layers
• Increasing the size of the cavity between the
  sheets of glass
• Replacing the air in the cavity with argon or
  krypton gas
• Applying a low emissivity layer to one or more
  panes of glass

 
20
Application of renewable energy

• Solar thermal system
• Flat-plate versus evacuated-tube collector
• Open versus closed circuit
• Passive versus active system
• Solar boosted heat pump
• Solar photovoltaic system
• Crystalline or amorphous silicon
• Unframed laminate or framed
• Building integrated photovoltaic system (BIPV)

 
21
Application of renewable energy

• Wind generators/turbines
• Installed on rooftops on high towers to capture
  wind
• Turbine axis in horizontal or vertical plane
• Small wind generators classification
• Low or high voltage turbines (provide heat, pump
  water or drive suitable motor, without battery)
• Low voltage (12, 24, 36 or 48V) turbines (charge
  battery and power low voltage lights, appliances
  and pump water, mainly in off-grid mode
• Low voltage turbines (charge batteries and use
  inverter to power high voltage appliances
• High voltage turbines (115 or 230V) using special
  inverter (feed into electric grid)

 
22
Benefits of sustainable building design

• Triple bottom line
• Money saving, better comfort and quality of life
  and low environmental pollution
• Studies conducted to assess the benefits of LEED
  certified buildings in USA
• Lower operating costs
• Efficient asset management, increased occupant
  productivity and well being and less staff
  turnover
• Average construction cost premium very low
  (0-10) and high savings over building lifetime

 
23
Benefits of sustainable building design

• Study conducted by CII-India
• Green buildings consumed 30-50 less energy
• Incremental costs in the range of 5-8 with
  payback period of 3 to 5 years
• Better human visual and thermal comfort and
  higher productivity
• Comparison of three LEED platinum rated buildings

 
24
Benefits of sustainable building design

• Conclusion of study by CII-India
• With rapid market transformation, further
  lowering of incremental costs

 
25
Examples of sustainable building design

• ING office building in Amsterdam
• One of the pioneer sustainable building
• Features of the building
• Absence of air conditioning system
• Use of massive 18 interior walls to act as
  insulator and building flushed with night air
• Building energy consumption one-tenth of its
  predecessors and one-fifth of new office building
• Annual energy cost savings of US2.9 million
  compared to costs of additional features of
  US700,000 (payback time of only 3 months)
• Productivity gains through lower absenteeism

 
26
Examples of sustainable building design

• Office building in Melbourne, Australia
• Refurbished with 87 of the building structure
  recycled and awarded 6 green star- office design
  rating
• Project achievements
• 70 reduction in energy use compared to
  conventional office buildings
• 82 reduction in piped water use
• 72 reduction in sewer discharge

 
27
Govt. role in promoting green building

• Governments have major influence in promoting
  green buildings
• Own and occupy vast amount of space
• Can lead the way and set good example for
  citizens and private developers
• Example of government initiatives
• Low-energy and zero-energy office buildings
  initiated by the Government of Malaysia

 
28
Govt. role in promoting green building

• Low energy office building
• Key data
• Gross floor area 20 000 m2
• Energy performance index 114 kWh/m2/year
• Addition cost to construct 5
• Annual energy savings RM 600 000
• Payback period 5 years

• Energy efficiency features
• Orientation building envelope insulation
• Energy efficient lighting, ventilation office
  appliances
• Energy management system

Ministry of Energy, Water Telecommunications,
Malaysia
29
Govt. role in promoting green building

• Zero energy office building
• Key data
• Gross floor area 4 000 m2
• Energy performance index 35 kWh/m2/year
  (excluding solar PV)
• Energy performance index 0 kWh/m2/year
  (including solar PV)
• Addition cost to construct 21 (excluding solar
  PV)
• Addition cost to construct 45 (including solar
  PV)

• Energy efficiency features
• Building envelope insulation double glazing
• Almost 100 daylighting task lighting
• Energy efficient ventilation floor slab cooling
• Energy efficient appliances
• Energy management system

Recently completed Malaysia Energy Centre
30
Govt. role in promoting green building

• Thailand government support for existing
  residential homes
• Study the house design
• Provide advice through expert team for improving
  energy efficiency
• Extend financial support up to 30 of the actual
  improvement costs

• Support from national energy agency (DEDE) for
  the construction of energy efficient new
  residential homes
• Detailed design of 3 types of individual houses
  of different sizes and costs based on detailed
  study carried out by experts
• Construction permit given by concerned
  authorities in a short time

31
Govt. role in promoting green building

• Municipal energy plan for Almaty (2005-06)
• Several energy audits to initiate demonstration
  projects
• Small revolving fund created to lend money to
  carry out retrofits on existing buildings
• Results of demonstration projects
• Possible to reduce energy consumption of
  municipal buildings by 20 to 25
• Reduce overall energy bill by 4.4 to 5 million
  US per annum

 
32
Govt. role in promoting green building

• CESE, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

• Energy efficiency features
• Building envelope
• Cavity wall with insulation
• Insulated shaded roof
• Double glazed shaded windows
• Lighting system
• Efficient fixtures
• Efficient lamps
• Daylight integration
• HVAC system
• Load calculated with optimized envelope
  lighting system
• Efficient chillers
• Efficient condensing system
• Use of geothermal cooling

EPI 240 kWh/m2.annum
Envelope optimization
EPI 208 kWh/m2.annum
Lighting optimization
EPI 168 kWh/m2.annum
HVAC optimization
EPI 133 kWh/m2.annum
Control systems
EPI 98 kWh/m2.annum
33
Regulatory and control measures

• Barriers to achieving energy efficiency and
  sustainability
• Lack of legislation, unavailability of
  information, high first-costs, market failures,
  etc.
• Effectiveness of policy instruments
• If introduced and enforced effectively
• Need for other supporting policy instruments to
  overcome other barriers
• Two types of regulatory and control instruments
• Normative (building codes, appliance standards,
  regulation for procurement and setting of energy
  efficiency obligations and quota)
• Informative (mandatory audit, mandatory labelling
  and certification, utility demand side management)

34
Energy conservation building codes
Building codes implemented around the world in
2005 (Source UNEP, 2007)
35
Energy conservation building codes

• Most popular instrument in reducing energy use
• On-going process in many countries since early
  1990s
• Mainly for air conditioned commercial buildings,
  but also for non-air conditioned spaces as well
  as residential buildings
• Compliance is mandatory/voluntary in nature
  periodical updating
• Effectiveness of building codes
• Building codes in many developing countries are
  less effective due to inadequate resources and
  efforts for their implementation
• Difficult to implement if the awareness is low,
  professionals are not trained, products are not
  in the market, demonstration projects are not
  commissioned or incentive measures not announced
• Most building codes are designed for new
  construction and are not applicable to existing
  building stock

36
Energy efficiency building codes

• Types of building codes
• Prescriptive
• Building envelope (walls, roofs, windows) OTTV
  RTTV
• Lighting (natural artificial) Maximum power
  density
• Heating, ventilation air conditioning kW/RT
• Service water heating pumping
• Electrical systems appliances (transformers,
  household office appliances)
• Overall performance-based
• Prescribe an annual energy consumption or energy
  cost budget, providing scope for innovation

37
Appliance energy efficiency standards

• Energy standard label for building, materials
  equipment
• Labelling of energy efficient appliances
• Compliance is either voluntary mandatory
• Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS)

38
Energy efficiency public procurement

• Public authorities are single-largest energy
  consumers in many countries
• Procurement regulation can be mandatory or
  voluntary
• USAs Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)
  one of the most stringent legislative frameworks
  for procurement
• Chinas energy efficiency procurement law
  modelled after the US FEMP
• Procurement regulations more effective in
  countries facing energy shortages and high energy
  prices

39
Supporting policies and programmes

• Three categories of supporting policies and
  programmes
• Economic or market-based instruments
• Initiated by regulatory incentives and involve
  voluntary action, such as cooperative
  procurement, energy performance contracting,
  energy efficiency certificate schemes, and Kyoto
  flexible mechanism
• Fiscal instruments and incentives
• Support to overcome first-cost related barriers
  or market failures, such as taxation, tax
  exemption/reduction, capital subsidy, grant,
  subsidized loan, and public benefit charges
• Support, information and voluntary action
• Persuade consumers to change their behaviour
  through awareness raising, information campaigns,
  education and training of building professional,
  and public leadership programs

40
Supporting policies and programmes

• Economic or market-based instruments
• Energy performance contracting
• Contractor guarantees the energy savings in
  building and is paid from the actual cost
  reductions achieved
• Cooperative or technical procurement
• Public or private decision-maker procures large
  quantities of energy consuming equipment in order
  to trigger market for more efficient products
• Energy efficiency certificate (or white
  certificate)
• Saving obligations imposed on energy suppliers
  who fulfil it by claiming for end-use energy
  efficiency measures, either through their own
  initiatives or through trading of saving
  certificates

41
Supporting policies and programmes

• Fiscal instruments and incentives
• Tax exemptions or reductions
• Adopted for advanced technologies where
  first-cost is a major barrier should pay for
  results according to performance
• Energy and carbon tax
• Reinforce the impact of standards and subsidies
  or make energy efficiency investment more
  profitable effective when tax revenues are
  ploughed back to support energy efficiency
• Public benefit charges
• A specific form of energy tax to raise funds from
  the operation of the energy market to undertake
  energy efficiency and DSM activities

42
Supporting policies and programmes

• Fiscal instruments and incentives
• Capital subsidies, grants, subsidized loans and
  rebates
• Provided to overcome first-cost barriers (e.g.
  for house insulation in the UK)
• Subsidized loans for ESCO activities (e.g.
  low-interest loan from the EC Revolving Fund in
  Thailand)
• Subsidy program for a limited time or for a
  specific target to create a market for energy
  efficient equipment and appliances (e.g.
  limited-period rebate program in Denmark,
  subsequently adopted by Thailand)
• Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness depends on
  the program design as there is high risk of some
  beneficiaries being free-riders

43
Supporting policies and programmes

• Support, information and voluntary action
• Public information and awareness campaigns
• Aimed at changing individual behaviour, attitude
  and values
• Increase the effectiveness and long-term impact
  of other policy instruments, mainly by reducing
  the rebound effects of regulatory and control
  policy measures
• Activities include Energy Information Centres,
  consumption feedback surveys, special events for
  stakeholders, sensitization toolkits for teachers
  and activities for school children
• More effective when followed up by linking them
  with professionals who can provide advisory
  services and assist in implementation
• Information campaign more effective when targeted
  towards residential sector than the commercial
  sector

44
Supporting policies and programmes

• Support, information and voluntary action
• Training activities
• Used as a tool to provide assistance for decision
  making, some times integrating with investment
  aid
• Energy audit forms as a link between energy
  information provided to establishments and the
  grant aids available for EE investments
• More effective when combined with other measures
  (e.g. financial incentives for architects
  undergoing training in Switzerland or job
  opportunity for installers/fitters qualified for
  EE work in the UK)
• Public leadership program
• Public EE programs are very cost-effective as
  they reduce energy consumption and costs
• 12 billion Euros per annum of energy saving
  potential in Europe
• 25 of energy savings over 15 years in Germany
• 4.8 GWh and 5.2 billion US saving per year in
  the USA

45
Example of public leadership in India

• Retrofitting/rehabilitation of government
  buildings

• Energy audits conducted in important government
  buildings
• Presidents Office Residence Complex
• Prime Ministers Office
• Government Offices (Power, Railways,
  Telecommunications, Transport)
• Medical Institute Hospital Building
• Airport Terminals
• Assessed energy savings potential
• Varying between 25 and 46
• Payback period 1 to 4 years
• Implementation of recommendations
• Through Energy Service Companies (ESCOs)

Presidents Office Residence Complex
46
Supporting policies and programmes

• Support of Energy Service Companies (ESCO)
• Stakeholders often do not have knowledge and
  expertise and/or lack investment needed to
  implement cost-effective EE measures
• Typical questions asked by public authorities
• Is it possible to reduce energy costs without
  compromising service quality?
• Can funds be mobilized for EE investments without
  the available financial resources?
• How can the performance of newly invested
  equipment and facilities be monitored and
  controlled?
• How to overcome investment risks while
  guaranteeing the expected results?
• ESCOs are an answer to the above questions
• ESCOs offer triple benefits arrange financing
  and cover technical, financial and other risks
  associated with energy savings

47
Supporting policies and programmes

• Support of Energy Service Companies (ESCO)
• Tools available to implement EE measures in
  buildings
• Energy performance contracting (EPC)
• Contractual agreement between beneficiary and
  ESCO to achieve energy saving target and
  performance fee for service linked to EE
  investment and the period of contract
• Third-party financing (TPF)
• In addition to beneficiary and ESCO, a third
  party is involved to provide capital needed and
  charge a fee linked to energy savings
• Debt-service for public/private beneficiary
  considered as operational expense and not a
  capital obligation

48
Supporting policies and programmes

• Support of Energy Service Companies (ESCO)
• Tools available to implement EE measures in
  buildings
• Leasing
• Can be a type of TPF or ESCO-based financial
  offer
• Should be part of a performance-based contract
  between beneficiary and ESCO (and where
  applicable, a third financing party)
• Profit-sharing (project and/or OM incentives)
• ESCO remunerated on the basis of the energy and
  OM costs it manages to reduce through better
  energy management and OM practices
• When contracting period is sufficiently long,
  ESCO invests on EE technologies to further reduce
  OM costs and increase revenue

49
Supporting policies and programmes

• Support of Energy Service Companies (ESCO)
• Five important steps for EE service contracting

Source The PU-Benefs project (European
Commission), 2005
50
Supporting policies and programmes

• Support of Energy Service Companies (ESCO)
• Typical barriers to ESCO development
• No clarity in administrative and budgetary
  procedures concerning Energy Performance
  Contracting (EPC)
• Lack of awareness and information
• High transaction costs compared to expected
  profits and split incentives
• Low energy prices, inadequate service levels
• Lenders poor knowledge about advantages of EPC
  and lack access to financing due to ESCOs poor
  creditworthiness
• Need for government support for successful ESCO
  business

51
Supporting policies and programmes

• Support of Energy Service Companies (ESCO)
• Ingredients for the success of ESCO business
• Unsubsidized energy prices, transparent market, a
  trustworthy business environment, and a mature
  financing industry
• Exemplary role of public sector in initiating EE
  reconstruction through ESCOs
• Examples of benefits from EPC projects
• Large number of examples around the world showing
  energy savings of 20-40 in buildings
• In Germany, EPC projects in 31 federal real
  estates reduced energy costs by 34
• Savings potentials of 25-30 identified in
  municipal buildings in Hungary

52
To sum up

• Impacts of integrated, whole building design
  practices
• Cost effectiveness resource conservation
• State-of-the-art strategy for sustainable site
  development, water savings, energy efficiency,
  materials selection indoor environmental
  quality
• Increased first costs recovered within reasonable
  time period
• Boost in employee productivity occupants
  health, safety well-being
• Increased property value high value for
  tenants goodwill publicity
• Benefit to the communities - reduced need for
  resources lower waste disposal costs -
  contributing to local economic development
• Role of industry player and public authorities
• Industry players increasingly adopting
  sustainable building practices as a result of
  demand from market consumers, investors,
  shareholders, the community
• Public authorities can play an important role by
  adopting right policies and supporting measures,
  and setting up exemplary practices