Climate change and green buildings

CLIMATE CHANGE & GREEN BUILDINGSUnderstanding traditional buildings

Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy, GEO http://www.e-geo.org

saibhaskarnakka@gmail.com

M.V.S.R. Engineering College3 September 2010

Bone

Brick pieces

Pottaryshards

Biochar /Charcoal

Slag

Quartz

Soil

Pottaryshards

Slag

Shell

LIME MORTAR

TRAD

ITIO

NAL

HO

USE

INDIAN VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

Is the informal, functional architecture of structures, often in rural areas, of India, built of local materials and designed to meet the needs of the local people. The builders of these structures are unschooled in formal architectural design and their work reflects the rich diversity of India's climate, locally available building materials, and the intricate variations in local social customs and craftsmanship. It has been estimated that worldwide close to 90% of all building is vernacular, meaning that it is for daily use for ordinary, local people and built by local craftsmen.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_vernacular_architecture

Introduction

All these efforts are straining the limits of the Earth’s “carrying capacity”— its ability to provide the resources required to sustain life while retaining the capacity to regenerate and remain viable.

•incalculable technological achievements •population growth •corresponding increases in resource use

Since the Industrial

Revolution the world has witnessed

pollutionlandfills, toxic wasteglobal

warmingResourcedepletion

ozone depletion,deforestati

on

SIDE EFFECTS ARE

Contributing to GHGs

Buildings are by far the greatest producers of harmful gases such as CO2 and this 'eco-footprint' would increase with the large population growth predicted to occur by 2035 and the industrialization of the developing world.

Development that meets the

needs of the present

without compromising the

ability of future generations

to meet their own needs

- The Brundtland Commission,1987

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Aspects of buildings

Natural

Social

Economical

Political

Cultural

Historical

Environment

al

1ENERGY

2ENVIRONMENT

3ECONOMY

Sustainability and the Construction Industry

'Sustainability‘ a central concern - with rising populations and economic development are threatening the degradation of the earth's resources.

The construction, maintenance and use of buildings impacts substantially on our environment and is currently contributing significantly to irreversible changes in the world's climate, atmosphere and ecosystem.

Towards Sustainable Development…

EnergyReducing energy consumption, being more energy efficient and using renewable energy and 'alternative technology'.

MaterialsChoosing, using, re-using and recycling materials during design, manufacture, construction and maintenance to reduce resource requirements.

Towards Sustainable Development…

WasteProducing less waste and recycling more

PollutionProducing less toxicity, water, noise and spatial pollution.

Towards Sustainable Development…

reducing

reusing

recycling

Materials

3R

Construction

Population Vegetation

Air Quality Climate

Transportation Watersheds

1/6 of the world’s freshwater withdrawals

1/4 of world’s wood harvest

2/5 of world’s material & energy flows

Building Industry Impacts

50

40

40

35

30

25

16

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Ozone depleting CFCs in Use

Municipal Solid Waste to Landfills

Global Energy Use

Global CO2 Emissions

Raw Materials Consumption

Timber Harvest

Fresh Water Withdrawals

Percentage

Environmental and Economic Impacts of Buildings

Compiled from:Worldwatch Paper #124

Sustainability

Energy Efficiency

Healthy Structures

Building Longevity

Waste reductionRecycled –

content Materials

Water conservation

Integration of Environmental

concerns

Green Construction

WORKING PRINCIPLES

MATERIALS

Life-Cycle Assessment,

Eco-Labelling and

Embodied Energy Audits

Helpful for choosing materials and assess the

balance between short-term costs and long-

term environmental, social and financial

benefits.

Embodied Energy

‘Embodied' energy - every brick has used energy at every stage in its production and use.

Extracting raw materials.

Producing materials (Manufacturing

process).Transporting

materials.Transporting workforce.

Building structures. Using and powering structures.

Maintaining structures and demolishing structures.

CHOOSING AND USING MATERIALS SUSTAINABLE WAY

Consideration while re-evaluating the way materials are used in construction:

Material Reserves assessment and sustainable useReducing pollution impacts in the manufacturing process of new materialsRecycling existing materials (roof tiles, bricks, timber, etc.) and designed for conducive re-use

BIOCHAR / CHARCOALIN CONSTRUCTION

Ref: http://tinyurl.com/d5tzmj

CHOOSING AND USING MATERIALS SUSTAINABLE WAY

Reducing energy in the transport of materials (try sourcing heavy, bulky materials locally and lightweight materials globally).

Using prefabricated components (reduces waste and dust on site).

Use of low maintenance materials to reduce further energy and resource use in the future

Application of Sustainability

Pre-Design On-Site Design Construction O&M

Material Selection

Building Program

Project Budget

Team Selection

Partnering

Project Schedule

Laws, Codes

& Standards

Research

Site Selection

Site Analysis

& Assessment

Site Development

& Layout

Watershed

Management &

Conservation

Site Material

& Equipment

Environmentally

Conscious

Construction

Preservation of

Features &

Vegetation

Waste Mgmt

Source Control

Practices

Passive Solar

Design

Materials &

Specification

Indoor Air

Quality

Maintenance Plans

Indoor Quality

Energy Efficiency

Resource Efficiency

Renovation

Housekeeping &

Custodial Practices

Thank you