BUILDING SERVICES AND SYSTEM

(III)

TOPIC:
ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF BUILDINGS
Energy efficiency measures are meant to reduce the amount of energy consumed while
maintaining or improving the quality of services provided in the building.
Energy efficiency is "using less energy to provide the same service". For instance, insulating
allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable
temperature.
Energy efficient buildings (also known as green buildings or sustainable buildings) refer to a
structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout
a building's life-cycle. It calls for slight modification in the conventional and predominantly
linear process of designing a building by Architects with meagre or even no consideration of
energy efficiency of the building orientation and materials. It also involves use of energy
efficient lights as well as air conditioning and heating systems.
However, it should be made clear that “energy efficiency does not mean energy
conservation”. The latter is “reducing or going without a service to save energy. Turning off a
light is energy conservation, whereas replacing an incandescent lamp with a compact fluorescent
lamp (which uses much less energy to produce the same amount of light) is energy efficiency”.
The electricity consumption in commercial sector of Pakistan was 5,754 Giga watt hours in
2011-2012. It is increasing at a rate of 11.6%, one of the highest as compared with other sectors
of electricity consumption. Growing demand of electricity in commercial sector and recent
downfall of economy due to short supply of electricity to commercial sector has encouraged the
architects, designers, planners and policy makers to think about strategies to enhance energy
efficiency of building.
Much of the commercial building stock of Pakistan has been constructed without keeping in
view the energy efficiency measures, thereby involving huge consumption of electricity the
number of newly constructed commercial buildings with some concept of energy efficiency is
very small as compare to existing/old buildings. Such buildings were constructed without
incorporating energy conservation measures. Thus, there is a need to find solutions that can
possibly help turning them into energy efficient buildings.

CURRENT MEASURES TAKEN IN BY THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMUNITY FOR

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN LAHORE:
 Use of solar energy
 Use of cool roofs i.e. roofs use highly reflective materials to reflect more light and absorb
less heat from sunlight, which keeps buildings cooler during hot weather.
 Uses less wall to window ratio
 Use materials that are makes the building cool in summers and warm in winters i.e.
gutka.
If we consider the historical buildings in Lahore, they were constructed as energy efficient
buildings. It includes Badshahi Mosque, Shahi Qila, Jahangir tomb etc.
They are called energy efficient buildings as these buildings remain cool in summers and warm
in winters without the use of any technology, they have courtyards that create courtyard effect
and makes the building ventilated. The openings and windows are placed in such a way that they
lit the buildings.
SUMMARY OF IN-EFFICIENT ENERGY USAGE IN LAHORE, PAKISTAN:
• Most of the motors, fans, pumps and generators are over engineered.
• The lighting systems in houses, commercial buildings and streets are old heavy load
types.
• The sign boards are just draining the resources.
• The use of UPS is doubling the load in turn increasing load shedding.
• Rivers are flowing down without utilization of the flow potential.
• Flue gases from industry are not used for regeneration.
• Vast potential form small solar and wind packages are untapped.
• The car breaking energy is wasted on congested roads every day.
• HVAC, Lighting and irrigation works in un-optimized way.
• Industries and buildings are operated in manual mode wasting energy.
• Buildings are not built with proper insulation for energy saving.
• Natural lighting and fresh are is not utilized in buildings.
• Rain water flows without being utilized.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES FOR BUILDINGS:

Energy efficiency measures for buildings are approaches through which the energy consumption
of a building can be reduced while maintaining or improving the level of comfort in the building.
They can typically be categorized into following:
 Reducing heating demand;
Heating demand can be reduced by:
o Limiting the exposed surface area of the building;
o Improving the insulation of the building’s fabric;
o Reducing ventilation losses;
o By selecting efficient heating systems with effective controls.
  Reducing cooling demand;
Energy use in typical air-conditioned office buildings is approximately double that of
naturally ventilated office buildings. The need for air-conditioning or the size of the systems
installed can be reduced by:
o Controlling solar gains through glazing;
o Reducing internal heat gains;
o Making use of thermal mass and night ventilation to reduce peak temperatures;
o Providing effective natural ventilation;
o Reducing lighting loads and installing effective lighting controls.

 Reducing the energy requirements for ventilation;

When the cooling demand is sufficiently reduced by implementing the above measures, it may
be possible to reduce heat gains so that air-conditioning is unnecessary and comfort conditions
can be maintained through the use of natural ventilation. The energy required for ventilation can
be minimized by:
o A building design that maximizes natural ventilation;
o Effective window design;
o Use of mixed mode ventilation;
o Using efficient mechanical ventilation systems.

 Reducing energy use for lighting;

This can be accomplished through:
o Making maximum use of daylight while avoiding excessive solar heat gain;
o Using task lighting to avoid excessive background luminance levels;
o Installing energy-efficient luminaires with a high light output to energy ratio;
o Selecting lamps with a high luminous efficacy;
o Providing effective controls that prevent lights being left on unnecessarily.

 Reducing energy used for heating water;

This can be achieved by:
o Installing time controls, and setting them to correctly reflect the hours of hot
water requirement;
o Setting sanitary hot water thermostats to the appropriate temperature—no more
than 60oC for normal requirements (but ensure the water does not drop below
56oC);
 o Switching off electric heating elements (immersion) when hot water from the
boiler is available;
o Switching off any associated pumps when hot water is not required;
o Replacing any damaged or missing insulation from all hot water pipe work and
cylinders, except where the pipes are providing useful heat into the space;
o Identifying a suitable hot water system.

 Reducing electricity consumption of office equipment and appliances;

Typical measures to reduce consumption which also apply to household appliances are:
o Switching off – switching off or enabling power down mode reduces the energy
consumption and heat produced by equipment, which in turn lowers cooling costs;
o Upgrading existing equipment – some energy-efficient appliances may cost more
to buy but will recoup savings over the lifetime of the equipment;
o Matching the equipment to the task – bearing in mind current and predicted
requirements and purchase equipment that meet these;

INCENTIVES TO FACILITATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES IN BUILDINGS

IN LAHORE:
 Add a green roof to the buildings
o It will help to cool the environment, increase in oxygen level.
 Add Cool roofs to the buildings.
o use highly reflective materials to reflect more light and absorb less heat from
sunlight, which keeps buildings cooler during hot weather.
 Indoor environmental quality enhancement
o Use such electrical appliances that is energy efficient and useful like LEDs.
 Efficient use of energy, water and other resources
o As the level of water is losing day by day so reusing the grey water and rain water
for plants can be act to increase the energy efficiency of buildings.
 Use of renewable energy, such as solar energy
o Solar energy is the best way to make any building an energy efficient building as
it reduces the consumption of electricity. Moreover reduces the bill rate also.
 Pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of re-use and recycling
o Recycling the waste products helps in making of many things e.g. paper.
Moreover once China has demanded the Pakistan’s waste to produce electricity so
it means that from waste products we can produce electricity in our country and
reduces the load shedding level.
 Use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable
o Use such building materials that are long lasting and makes the inner and outer
climate of building cool
  Consideration of the environment in design, construction and operation
 A design that enables adaptation to a changing environment

REFRENCES:
https://worldgbc.org/what-green-building

http://journals.pu.edu.pk/journals/index.php/jfet/article/viewFile/401/242

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/energy-efficiency-measure

https://www.saarcenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/EEConservationPakistan.pdf

https://www.unido.org/sites/default/files/2009-02/Module18_0.pdf

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-efficient-home-design/passive-solar-home-design