Sustainable Buildings and Offices

INNOVATIVE TECH AND STRATEGIES FOR

SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AND OFFICES

Buildings generate almost 40 per cent of annual global CO2 emission, reports Architecture 2030. Because most of them will probably still be standing in 2040, they will continue to emit excessive amounts of carbon, leading the Planet to fall short of the Paris Agreement’s 1.5ºC target. Humanity is currently undergoing a period of exponential growth and built areas are expected to double in size over the next four decades. Achieving lower emissions will involve relying on renewable energy, recycled materials, and innovative components. Below are just a few ways in which innovative technology and committed strategies can help buildings reduce their emissions to zero (or close to it).

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

THE USE OF CARBONSMART MATERIALS

Concrete, steel, and aluminium are considered ‘highimpact’ and indeed, they are responsible for 23 per cent of total global emissions. Their footprint is considered ‘embodied’ because they are part and parcel of the building structure. Sustainable developers are replacing these and other materials with carbon-smart ones that have a low carbon impact or which sequester carbon from the environment. These include bamboo, hempcrete (a wall system made of hemp and a few additives), straw bale, wood from climate-smart forests, and sheep’s wool.

INTELLIGENT, INTEGRATED BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEMS (BASS)

BAS involves the use of smart building management platforms to transform data into meaningful insights about building conditions, energy consumption, and equipment functioning. Sensors and actuators are placed throughout the building to detect trends and make necessary adjustments to optimise human beings’ use of a building. BAS automates the use of energy and contributes greater comfort to users by providing them with their preferred temperature and lighting.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT AND THE IOT

On a smaller scale, the use of smart thermostats and lightbulbs, which monitor the conditions of a room and turn off automatically, can also be used to save energy. Meanwhile, IoTconnected lighting, heating, and water, can be programmed from anywhere in the world to shut off or turn on devices when required. Another simple transition companies can make involves the use of LEDs, which illuminate interiors with far less wattage than standard options.

3D PRINTED OFFICE ACCESSORIES

Office equipment such as USB racks, keyboard holders, coffee tables, pencil holders, and headphone supports can all be printed in-house, producing less waste than objects made with metals, fabrics, and other typical materials. 3D printing can also reduce the costs and emissions associated with transport. A Michigan Technological University study found, for instance, that it takes up to 64 per cent less energy to print an object compared to manufacturing it abroad and shipping it to a country like the U.S.

CHOOSING ECO-FRIENDLY TRANSPORT

South Korean company, LG, is striving for a host of targets in 2030, including achieving carbon neutrality, hitting a 95 per cent waste recycling target at production sites, and switching to 100 per cent electric or hydrogen business cars. Hydrogen is not found in natural deposits so it needs to be electrolysed from water. Doing so, however, results in a big decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, especially when renewable electricity is used in the process. Sustainable buildings are also providing employees with free EV charging stations, which are key if EV vehicles are to be adopted on a wide scale.

SAVING ENERGY AND WATER

Buildings of the future will be running on 100 per cent renewable energy and conserving water via their own rainwater harvesting systems. The latter work by collecting rain from roof gutters, filtering it and storing it in a tank. Following minimal treatment (such as UV filtration), the water can be used for non-potable purposes such as flushing toilets, irrigating green areas, washing vehicles, and more. Green companies are relying on automatic taps, reduced water flushing systems, and flow-restricting equipment.

ELECTROCHROMATIC SMART GLASS

Awnings can help keep the sunlight out, but electrochromatic glass is a smarter solution, since it helps keep HVAC costs down in the summer. This ‘smart glass’ uses tiny amounts of electricity to charge ions on the window and change the direction of the sunlight’s reflection. This technology can result in an estimated 25 per cent reduction in HVAC costs.

SMART APPLIANCES

Smart appliances can keep an office’s energy expenditure down by determining energy rates and automatically running when electricity rates are low. Small appliances can also make a big difference to energy use in the long run. There are several small machines like microwaves and coffee machines that have top energy efficiency ratings. Cuisinart, for instance, has a 12-cup thermal coffee maker with reusable filters and GE has manufactured an over-therange microwave that uses an LED cooktop light.

When it comes to keeping buildings and offices green, both embodied and external considerations should be kept in mind. Buildings of the future need to be made with materials that sequester CO2 instead of producing it. Existing buildings, meanwhile, can take many steps to reduce their carbon footprint, including the installation of smart building systems that analyse and adapt energy systems to users’ needs. e