School: Vocational Training Development Institute

Name: Wavel Walker

I.D. Number: 1500195912

Course: Fundamentals of Communication

Date: February 28, 2019

Lecturer: Ms. Joyette Myrie

Question: summary writing on three common articles

Over the past two decades, green and sustainable construction has evolved from a fringe

movement to achieving mainstream status. Market and client demand have been two of the major

forces driving green construction. Over the past few years, we have also seen a number of state

and local governments adopting regulations, requirements and initiatives focused on green and

sustainable buildings. Due to socio-technical theories of habit, practice, capabilities and

emergent properties in products which facilitate easy, rewarding and energy-efficient learning,

the findings revealed that most buildings do not meet the requirements of nearly zero energy and

will not be allowed as of 2020 says the European Union. The reason for this is because it takes

too much energy to work and most of the energy becomes wasted due to architectural design.

The green construction approach design must be integrated in the planning process in order for

them to become significant with a consequent impact on the electric system and the environment.
 First Article

ZERO-ENERGY BUILDINGS: THE CHALLENGES

Federico M. Butera

Pages 51-65 | published online: 23 Jan 2013

Full Article Figures & data References Citations Metrics Reprints & Permissions Get

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Abstract

In the EU a Directive was adopted according to which after 31 December 2020 the construction

of buildings that do not meet the requirement of being ‘nearly zero (fossil) energy’ will not be

allowed. Today, only a few zero-energy buildings (ZEBs) exist, and they show that their design,

construction and operation a dramatic challenge for many reasons. The first is that today's

buildings require too much energy to work, and most of this energy is wasted because of their

inappropriate architectural design. This means that architects have to change their design

approach and find new ways of obtaining the same (or better) services with much lower energy

need. Also mechanical engineers must change their approach, forgetting forever the practice of

oversizing plants and systems, with a consequent unnecessary increase in costs and in energy

consumption. Still, this is not enough: in order to design a ZEB a new professional must be

added to the design team: the energy and comfort expert. This professional (actually a

professional's team, given the complexity of the issue and the sophisticated simulation tools they

have to manage) must be integrated right from the earliest phases of the design process.

Moreover, the three professionals must work together in an interactive and iterative manner,

making the definition of the concept design the most important phase of the entire design
process. In other words, for ZEBs the so-called integrated design approach becomes a must. The

challenge is not confined to the design phase, but extends to the operation: the best designed

building may become an energy wasting one if it is not appropriately operated and if the

occupants are not energy conscious. Finally, if we look with a wider perspective, not only

Europe with its Directive, but also many other (probably all) countries will adopt the policy of

ZEBs, and the number of these buildings will become significant, with a consequent impact on

the electric system. In this framework, the issue of mismatch between instantaneous demand and

supply of energy will be one of those issues that are crucial in the design, especially at the

district scale. The above-mentioned issues are discussed and supported by examples of ZEBs.

The design methodology and the technical solutions adopted will be described and the expected

performances will be compared with the measured data after more than one year operation.

Second Article

THE USABILITY OF CONTROL INTERFACES IN LOW-CARBON HOUSING

Fionn Stevenson, Isabel Carmona-Andreu & Mary Hancock

Pages 70-82 | Published online: 08 Jan 2013

Abstract

For the same type of house, energy and water use can vary by up to 14 times between different

households in low-carbon housing. This article assesses the usability of key human control

interfaces in two contrasting case studies of low-carbon housing, using building performance

evaluation and a usability matrix tool. It situates the discussion within socio-technical theories of

habit, practice, capabilities and emergent properties in products which facilitate easy, rewarding

and energy-efficient learning. Key findings reveal poor design features and occupant lack of
 understanding including specific aspects of centralized mechanical heating and ventilation

systems. Lessons learnt and recommendations are highlighted for design guidance and policy

consideration. These include a more user-centered approach to design and testing of products,

and key areas of focus in relation to delivering low-carbon homes that are more controllable and

therefore more comfortable.

Third Article

Green & Sustainable: Building for the Future

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Kendall Jones

Over the past two decades, green and sustainable construction has evolved from a fringe

movement to achieving mainstream status. In a recent study conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton

for the USGBC, they expect green construction spending to increase from $150.6 billion in 2015

to $224.4 billion in 2018. The study also predicts that between 2015 and 2018, green

construction will generate $303.4 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), support 3.9 million

jobs and provide $268.4 billion in labor earnings.

Drivers of Green Building

Market and client demand have been two of the major forces driving green construction. Over

the past few years, we have also seen a number of state and local governments adopting

regulations, requirements and initiatives focused on green and sustainable buildings.

Reducing energy usage and water usage are the top environmental issues driving green

construction. In 2015, residential and commercial buildings accounted for nearly 40% of U.S.

energy consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Reducing

 construction waste, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and conserving natural resources are

some of the other environmental concerns that are forcing us to reevaluate how our buildings are

constructed. A number of states including Maryland, Washington and Colorado have green

requirements for state-funded public building construction and renovations. The California

Public Utility Commission has set net zero energy goals for all new residential construction by

2020 and commercial buildings by 2030. Zero net energy buildings create as much renewable

energy as the building consumes in a year. Federal agencies like the General Services

Administration and the Department of Defense also have green requirements for new

construction and major renovations.

The private sector is also in on the action. Companies like REI, Columbia, PNC Bank and Harris

Teeter all have green retail locations. Kohl’s Department Stores announced a major commitment

to conserving the environment by encouraging long-term sustainability.

Walgreens built the world’s first net-zero energy retail store in Evanston, IL. The new store

produces renewable energy from three separate sources: a geothermal energy system, over 800

solar panels and two 35-foot wind turbines. Corporations like Google, Apple, Facebook,

Starbucks and Nike have all committed to using 100% renewable energy for their operations.

Here are some of the trends shaping the future of green and sustainable construction.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy, primarily solar, wind and geothermal, continue to gain in popularity as

sustainable alternatives to power the built environment. Solar panels are being integrated into

everything from roof shingles to building façades to road pavers.

 Initiatives like the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate

change and net zero energy building goal in California are moving us toward greater adoption of

clean and renewable energy sources. Earlier this year at the North America Leader’s Summit, the

leaders of these three countries established a continental goal of converting to 50% clean energy

by 2025. Net zero energy buildings, buildings that create as much energy as they consume, and

even net positive energy buildings, buildings that generate more energy than they consume, are

coming to the forefront. Net zero and net positive energy buildings happen through a

combination of design, energy efficiencies and renewable energy production. Use of renewable

energy is rapidly increasing as costs to implement continue to fall.

Healthier Buildings

Constructing healthier buildings has been gaining in popularity over the past few years. Owners

and developers have started realizing the benefits of healthy buildings, for both the building

occupants and their bottom line. Two of the main contributors to delivering a healthy building is

improved or increased day lighting and better air quality.

Eliminating the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in building products such as

furniture, paints and carpeting can go a long way in improving air quality in a building. VOCs

are compounds that can easily become vapors or gases and short-term exposure can cause

irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, headaches and dizziness. Long-term expose can

damage organs such as the liver and kidneys as well as the central nervous system.

A move to create greater transparency in building products to satisfy the need for architects and

specifiers to be able to identify building products that are healthy, sustainable and

environmentally friendly has been growing. The two most well-known and widely used building
 product declarations are environmental product declarations (EPDs) and health product

declarations (HPDs). HPDs concentrate on disclosing a building product’s list of ingredients and

their health effects. EPDs focus on the environmental impacts of a building product throughout

its lifecycle. EPDs provide a building product’s environmental data based on its life cycle

assessment (LCA).

The WELL Building Standard, launched in 2014, focuses on enhancing the health and well-

being of people through the built environment. The standard measures, certifies and monitors

building occupant health and well-being in seven categories: air, water, nourishment, light,

fitness, comfort and mind.

Green & Sustainable Building Materials

According to a study by BCC Research, the U.S. market for green building materials is expected

to grow from $43 billion in 2014 to $69 billion in 2019. Green building materials cover those

that are made from renewable resources, are recyclable at the end of their life, manufactured

using environmentally friendly processes, made from salvaged, recycled or waste content or are

beneficial to the interior built environment.

Concrete and steel are two of the most commonly used building materials in the world. The

problem is the production of steel and concrete materials account for about 8 – 15% of global

greenhouse gas emissions annually. Innovations in the manufacturing processes of these two

building materials are helping to reduce those emission amounts, but we’re still a long way off

from being able to call them green and sustainable building materials. This is why there has been

a push from some advocates to use mass timber in place of steel and concrete in larger projects

such as skyscrapers. Examples of mass timber include cross-laminated timber (CLT), laminated
 strand lumber, laminated veneer lumber and glue-laminated timber. If the timber is sourced

responsibly, it provides a completely sustainable and renewable building material. Carbon

emissions from manufacturing mass timber products are a fraction of those created by the

production of steel and concrete and CO2 absorbed during the tree’s life remains trapped in the

building products produced.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Standard (C2C) is a certification tool used to rate the

green profile of manufactured products covering everything from building materials to clothing

to office supplies. The C2C verification focuses on a product’s toxicology, recyclability and

manufacturing processes. To get certified, a product must satisfy material health, material

reutilization, renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness benchmarks.

Stringent Building Certification Programs

For years, LEED was the only game in town when it came to green building rating systems. In

2000, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) only had 24 projects certified in its Leadership

in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Today, that number has grown to

26,643 certified projects in the U.S. comprising nearly 3.5 billion gross square feet of building

space.

The USGBC established their LEED rating system back in 1998. The current iteration, LEED

v4, was launched in 2013 and expanded to cover 21 market sector adaptations by including

things like data centers, existing schools and warehouses and data centers. With each new

version of LEED, new credits and prerequisites are added or altered to incrementally create a

more rigorous certification process. This measured approach, while strengthening the standards,

has made it easier to adapt to stricter requirements with each new version.
 The Living Building Challenge, which is administered by the International Living Future

Institute (ILFI), is hands down the most stringent green and sustainable building certification

program. To be certified as a Living Building, the project must meet the requirements seven

performance areas or “Petals”. The seven Petals include site, energy, water, health, materials,

equity and beauty. The seven Petals are subdivided into 20 imperatives with each imperative

required to be met in order for a project to be certified as a Living Building. These imperatives

include requiring that the building is built on a previously developed site which includes

greyfields and brownfields. The project also has to achieve net zero water and net zero energy.

The International Green Construction Code (IgCC), while not a rating system, was developed to

govern the environmental impact of buildings and structures through model code regulations that

promote green and sustainable construction. The IgCC was developed in conjunction with a

handful of sponsors including the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ASTM

International. Adoption of the IgCC has been on the rise with cities like Dallas and Baltimore

adopting it as mandatory with a few exemptions.

Conclusion

Other trends to keep an eye on in green and sustainable construction include:

Diversion of nonhazardous materials to landfills by recycling construction waste and

deconstructing, rather than demolishing, buildings. This means waste that would otherwise end

up in landfills gets recycled or reused in other building materials.

Reducing water usage by through rain harvesting and black water and grey water treatment

systems. Improving energy efficiency with things like cool roofs, green roofs, LED lighting,

increased natural lighting and using low-emittance windows and glazing. Energy monitoring and
management systems and advancements in heating and cooling systems such as displacement

ventilation will all aid in reducing energy use in buildings.

If you are attending the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo 2016, be sure to stop by

and visit the Construct Connect booth on the Expo floor October 5 – 6 at Booth #1223. Learn

more here.