How to Make a Zero Carbon Building in 2021
The ultimate in energy efficiency requires several integrated steps. Building and designing net-zero energy structures can utilize common materials and equipment that follow the guidelines for reducing more emissions for the future. Let’s face it. 2021 is a pivotal year in which corporations, enterprises, homeowners, and entrepreneurs need to consider the environmental impacts of building designs, and how best to construct with affordability and accountability involved.
As global warming and climate change have been rising issues during the last couple of decades, commercial and residential buildings are major contributors to energy consumption. Energy consumption in buildings significantly increases on a yearly basis due to the increased human comfort needs and services. Multiple factors affect the energy consumption used for cooling buildings such as wall structure, window to wall ratio, and building orientation in addition to weather conditions.
In essence, building construction and the way it is operated and maintained have a significant impact on the total energy and water usage of the world resources.
Why zero net energy buildings?
Over the last decade, energy costs have been rising, fuels are running out, and there have been global warming issues. In addition, there have been many other issues such as health, well-being, and pollution which could be reduced if emissions are reduced as a result of a better energy consumption plan. It’s important to note that power stations convert only 30–35% of the input energy into electricity, while the rest is rejected as waste heat.
Also, the Earth’s source of fossil fuel is vanishing at a much rapid pace during the last 200 years causing high damage rates to climate change, with new reserves of fossil fuels becoming harder to find. Those that are discovered are significantly smaller than the ones that have been found in the past. Studies have shown that oil reserves are expected to vanish between 2050 and 2060 and the same goes for gas, however, coal will last longer and is expected to be sustained until the year 2100.
Other aspects of increased emissions and increased rate of energy consumption are global warming and significant increase rate of ice melting and glaciers, yet a building that is designed to be more sustainable has the potential to reduce the human impact on the environment, social life, and economic development.
Sustainability
Sustainability is the development that meets the present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Following are three standards for sustainable development:
Environmental protection - This aspect deals with climate change issues, resource depletion, land use and ecology, waste concerns, and the impact of cities.
Social concerns - The human social concerns and issues employ mainly justice, international equity, intergenerational equity, and health and well-being issues.
Economic development - Mainly concerned with developed and developing countries, employment, modernization, and technical changes.
To solve current issues towards buildings that require sustainable designs, the architects and master planners should meet most of the items listed under each of the above pillars.
What it takes to make a net-zero building design
The top factors to help in reducing energy consumption, pollution and emission, and other issues such as global warming require spreading knowledge and engagement. The process starts with engagement and knowledge spreading, however, ultimately each building construction plan needs to circle back around with feedback on performance once in use. There have to be supplies that provide low and zero-carbon energy and, lastly, investment. With no commitment from big industrial countries, no progress would be achieved.
Following design, standards are the first step in the design to achieve a net-zero energy building. The next step is to simulate the energy consumption using various energy modeling techniques and tools to optimize the following:
Building orientation
Glazing area, exposure, and shading
Heat island reduction
Lighting systems and capacities
Temperatures, humidity, and relative humidity levels
Landscaping
Natural resources
The overall system efficiency
All factors should be considered together by employing passive heating or cooling strategies and using energy-efficient office equipment for commercial buildings and energy-efficient utilities for residential houses and buildings. The designer should then implement life cycle analysis, net-zero water system, and net-zero energy and optimize the design as per occupancy levels.
3 principles to achieve a good net-zero building
It’s all about design and implementation. Here are three principles that can help:
Building envelope measures - Includes minimizing HVAC loads, using shades and overhangs to reduce the sun’s direct rays, increase insulation on opaque surfaces, and refine the building envelope to suit location conditions.
Energy efficiency measures - This involves selecting the right-size systems for the building. Part load performance should be considered as well as using high-efficiency lighting and control systems such as LED lights, high-performance ballasts, dual circuited task lighting, occupancy sensors, and daylighting dimming sensors.
Renewable energy measures - Going ‘green’ requires maximizing the energy sources through the first two principles mentioned. However, the renewable energy measures are more expensive than building envelope and energy-efficient measures, and for that designers should start with the first two measures and optimize their design which would reduce the energy requirement needed in this step. There are various renewable energy resources, such as solar which can be used for generating electricity, storing energy, and heating water, wind, biomass systems, and other sources.
Wrapping up
Net-zero energy building design needs to start with ethical clients and demonstrators. Designers and users should lean in their designs to reduce energy consumption, be clean by using energy-efficient utilities and systems and be green by using renewable energy sources such as biomass, wind, solar, geothermal heat sink, and rivers. As 2021 rolls in, future buildings will focus more on renewable and sustainable energy resources by implementing an efficient building envelope and utilizing energy-efficient and high-performing utilities promoting reduced energy consumption levels.Going green has never been more vital to the earth.
