How Green Is Your Building
How Green Is Your Building
How Green Is Your Building
February 6
2013
Brian Moriarty
Other impacts taken into account include embodied energy, climate chang, resource use, air pollution, water pollution, and waste.
2. Assessment Standards
The increasing application of and support for sustainable strategies in building design is part of growing awareness by professionals, institutions and governments alike that building construction, use, demolition and the consequential consumption of natural resources is having a direct impact on the quality of our environment and that our relationship with the worlds ecology requires action and reappraisal. Environmental assessment of new and existing buildings and the evaluation systems employed, has been successfully introduced in a number of countries around the world as a method of promoting sustainable design with a view to lessening the impact of buildings and construction on the worlds ecology [2]. Assessment tools have been developed by several countries as a means of pursuing sustainable development and encouraging more ambitious performance criteria. They allow for the clear identification of key performance issues to be addressed in environmental projects and provide a verifiable set of criteria against which environmental design can be evaluated. As countries seek to curb harmful emissions and increasing consummation of raw materials, the introduction of building environmental assessment tools has been recognised as a valid method of reducing the negative environmental impact of buildings and the building industry, promoting innovation and transforming market practices. The strategy, of assigning comparative ratings to individual buildings can be used as a vehicle for market transformation and the introduction of better practice in environmental design. Here are some the standards used in different countries: BREEAM in the UK[3] LEED in the United States CASBEE in Japan Green Globes in Canada and the US HQE in France Green Star in Australia GBTool internationally
Many of these assessment tools share common ideas but differ in measurement scales and identified criteria. Each system has also evolved along its own path, in the industry and economic 1|Page
The recently formed Irish Green Building Council does not yet support any particular Building Environmental Assessment Tool. They intend to develop an environmental assessment tool for buildings in Ireland and have launched a study in a process that will provide a recommendation on the using of environmental assessment methods in Ireland [5].
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Location: Passive Home in CloughJordan, Co. Tipperary Materials: Timber frame with cellulose and wood fibre. The foundation is made of Ecocem. The Design: Two floored rectangle building. This building is certified by the PassivHaus Institute in Germany [7].
A passive house is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source. Avoidance of heat gain through shading and window orientation also helps to limit any cooling load, which is similarly minimized. An energy recovery ventilator provides a constant, balanced fresh air supply. The result is an impressive system that not only saves up to 90% of space heating costs, but also provides a uniquely terrific indoor air quality.
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Renewable Energy: The house is supplied by underground insulated district heating pipes powered by a massive wood chip boiler and a field of solar panels. Wood chips come in bulk from waste sawmill wood from Irish forests and woodlands. The windows are triple glazed and positioned the glazing to optimise solar gain versus heat loss. They have a Uvalue of 0.6 W/m2K versus a U-value for a good double-glazed window of 1.2 W/m2K. Pollution and Emissions: The house optimised insulation levels with minimal thermal bridges, very low air-leakage through the building, utilisation of passive solar and internal gains and good indoor air quality maintained by a mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery. Waste Recycling: The home has a compost toilet and there is on-site recycling of construction materials. The heat source is distributed in this house by the ventilation system from which waste heat is recovered. Transport / Location & Linkages: There is access to public transport with a local train station in the village. Maintenance and Operation: Filters need to be changed in the mechanical ventilation system. 5|Page
Health and Wellbeing: Living in a house that has a low carbon footprint can bring about other changes in lifestyle that are positive for the environment, including growing your own food and reducing the impact of travel whether by car or by plane. Raising children in a passive house will also bring about positive change for the next generation who will expect to improve even further on what their parents achieved. The heat source is distributed in this house by the ventilation system, which ensures that clean, filtered warm air is constantly replenishing the stale air. 6|Page
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