By Beatrice K Otto
ENERGY
REDUCE THE USE
How many people are aware that in the developed world buildings consume half the energy we generate and are responsible for half the CO2 emissions?
Norman Foster
The government's Energy White Paper sets a number of goals and targets, including:
- a reduction in CO2 emissions of 60% by 2050
- with a 20% reduction by 2010
- 10% of the UK's energy supply to come from renewable sources by 2010
Energy Efficient Equipment
From light bulbs to printers. For example, ceiling or whole building fans can provide a temperature reduction as high as 9°F while using 10% of the electricity needed for air conditioning.
A 90% efficient co-generation system at the Chicago Convention Center saved $1 million a year in energy costs and cut carbon dioxide emissions in half.
Joseph Romm, Cool Companies
Energy Saving Equipment
Occupancy sensors that switch off lights in empty rooms, photosensors that dim artificial lighting if not needed, and dimming systems and individual controls can all reduce energy use. In addition monitoring devices for heating and cooling systems can make a big difference to energy performance.
Energy Saving Culture
Instill an energy saving culture so that people don't leave computers on all night. Standby mode can use more power than actual operation over the lifetime of a piece of equipment. The OECD has calculated that standby mode accounts for 5-10% of domestic electricity consumption.
Efficiency is free. Ask for more.
Lee Eng Lock, Singaporean efficiency genius
Energy Demand
Maximising natural light and ventilation to reduce the need for artificial lighting and cooling can lead to a huge reduction in energy use, particularly if combined with energy efficient lighting and cooling.
The refurbished Deutsche Bank office in Appold Street used clever design to double the population of the building from 900 to 1,800, greatly reducing the energy consumption per head. Designing for density does not mean packing them in like sardines, it means using space intelligently. Some building projects which have much higher population densities actually look and feel more spacious... even to the occupants!
Reduce the need for heating through insulation, though more is not necessarily better. Research has shown that cavity wall insulation more than 50mm thick, and roof insulation more than 250mm thick (as required by UK regulations) doesn't yield notable decreases in fuel or emissions.
Embodied Energy
Embodied energy is the energy that went into making or transporting something. Aim to source materials, fixtures, furniture or equipment designed to reduce energy use in manufacture, or even offering carbon neutral options. Try to avoid sourcing things that have travelled four times around the world.
Cool Carpet is a recent innovation at Interface, allowing customers to buy a carbon neutral option. The programme offsets greenhouse gas emissions which can affect climate change. Since the programme began in 2003, they have sold 15 million square yards of Cool Carpet, off-setting 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of taking 58,000 cars off the road for a year. The programme won the US Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Climate Protection Award in 2003.
Renewables
Consider the installation of renewable energy sources such as solar panels or vertical wind turbines. The headquarters of Condé Nast in New York produces nearly 10% of its electricity from photovoltaic and hydrogen fuel cells.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
The refitting of Accenture's offices in Plantation Place was carbon neutral. By specifying carbon neutrality as part of the brief to designers, you can help promote sustainable design and fitting out of offices.
Encourage the use of public transport, bike, or car pooling for travel to and from the office, or investigate carbon offsets for your business activities. DEFRA's Nobel House office provides bicycle space for 10% of occupants. Alternatively, invest in communications equipment that reduce the need for air travel, such as video conferencing.
Tax Incentives
The Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme allows 100% claims on investments in energy efficient technologies in the first year, including many aspects of heating and cooling, including solar thermal systems and pipework insulation.
Fun with Factoids
To stabilise carbon concentrations at around 550 parts per million by 2050 will mean using half the energy per dollar of output compared to 2002, an improvement in economic efficiency of 1.5% per year, 20% higher than has been achieved over the last 30 years. Pathways to 2050: Energy & Climate Change , WBCSD, 2005
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?
http://www.advancedbuildings.org
This is a superb source of briefings on a range of sustainable building topics including energy efficiency and automation systems such as occupancy sensors. A great place to start learning.
http://www.ukace.org/
The Association for the Conservation of Energy is an ACE organisation which encourages awareness of energy saving possibilities. It has a discussion paper, Strategy for Making Offices More Energy Efficient in the UK .
Back to top
WHERE CAN I SURF MORE?
GENERAL
http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/ A clear guide to several key aspects of sustainable buildings, including a section on energy.
http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/ The clear and comprehensive Low Energy Building Design Guidelines can be downloaded from the Federal Energy Management Programme. One of the best overviews of how to reduce energy consumption, including costs, benefits, lighting and other strategies, design and analysis tools, case studies and further resources.
http://www.ecbcs.org/ The Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems Programme is an International Energy Agency initiative to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, with various research projects.
http://www.tcpa.org.uk Sustainable Energy by Design (January 2006), produced by the Town & Country Planning Association, is aimed mostly at sustainable energy for community design. A good overview of policy, legislation and technologies surrounding sustainable energy, and includes excellent case studies and graphics.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/policy-strategy/energy-white-paper/page21223.htmlThe government's White Paper on Energy, published in 2003.
TOOLS
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/subjects_sub.cfm The mother of all tools, a directory to hundreds of tools on building performance, materials, components, equipment, HVAC and lighting systems, air quality, you name it. You can search by subject or country. All you ever wanted to know about tools, but were afraid to ask.
http://www.breeam.org/
http://www.breeam.org/offices.html The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) can assess new and existing buildings. Its widely used BREEAM for Offices assesses the environmental performance of office buildings.
http://www.usgbc.org Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED(TM)) Green Building Rating System is one of the leading systems for rating sustainable buildings, devised by the US Green Building Council. It has several levels depending on the number of credits achieved in various categories:
- LEED New Construction (LEED-NC) aimed at new buildings
- LEED Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) is for the design of tenant fit outs in leased office space
- LEED Existing Buildings (LEED-EC) concerns the performance of existing buildings and can cover upgrades in the systems and operation of buildings even if the building is not substantially changed
http://www.iea.org/ The International Energy Agency's Annex 31 looks at how energy assessment life cycle analysis tools can be used to reduce the energy impacts of buildings, inside and out.
http://www.wbdg.org/design/naturalventilation.php Provides an overview of several energy management tools such as DOE-2 and Energy Plus.
http://www.ashrae.org/ The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is known for setting standards in HVAC energy use.
http://www.wri.org Working 9 to 5 on Climate Change: An Office Guide is a step-by-step guide in the plainest language, with checklists and examples to help office managers reduce the environmental impact of the workplace. It can be downloaded, and is worth distributing around the office.
http://www.envirowise.gov.uk Envirowise has a plethora of materials: guides, case studies, checklists and reports that can help companies reduce their energy use.
http://www.safeclimate.net/ Helps companies figure out how to reduce their climatic impacts. Its materials can be customised for internal education purposes.
http://www.gocarbonzero.org Go Zero allows you to tot up and off set you carbon emissions through planting trees. Tree planting and forest conservation are sensible stop-gaps on the road to sustainability.
http://www.building.co.uk/ The magazine Building has a section on sustainability, including a Sustainable Toolkit with guidance and reports on legislation and other issues, as well as a 'carbon coach' to help you reduce your carbon emissions.
CONSERVATION
http://www.eere.energy.gov/femp/procurement/eep_computer.cfmSimple tips on how to buy energy efficient computers.
http://eetd.lbl.gov/pubs/39466.pdfThe User Guide to Power Management in PCs and Monitors can be downloaded free.
http://www.80plus.org/ A forum bringing together electricity utilities, the computer industry and consumers to bring energy efficiency to computers and servers.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/highperformance/Straightforward guidance on reducing the energy consumption of office equipment.
RENEWABLES
http://www.xco2.com/This designer of beautiful, compact, vertical wind turbines also helps companies reduce their carbon footprint.
http://www.azsolarcenter.com/design/pas-1.html Passive Solar Heating & Cooling Manual can be downloaded free, and is a perfect introduction to the subject with clear diagrams and language.
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/redi Solar Water Heating Systems: A buyer's guide is a short guide that can be downloaded from the website of Natural Resource Canada. Although intended for domestic water heating, it has some relevance to commercial building use.
http://www.canren.gc.ca/prod_serv/index.asp?CaId=137&PgId=742 Heating Your Building with Solar Energy: Efficient, Simple and Cost Effective is a short guide that can be downloaded free.
Back to top
NEXT WATER
