SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

NITISHA SARAF
GCAD/18/325

1. What are Low Temperature Thermal Systems? Discuss with example how it can be used in large
scale projects.
Low Temperature Thermal Systems:
Solar Thermal systems:
Low temperature solar thermal systems are those that collect solar radiation to heat air and water for
industrial applications including: water heating, domestic hot water, industrial and process heat,
swimming pool heating, space heating, ventilation and cooling, solar cooking, solar cooking, water
desalination, crop drying, power generation.
The solar energy potential is far greater than that of fossil fuels, and it is for this reason that strategies
that include solar energy systems in buildings have been developed and promoted. The energy balance
of the planet significantly benefits from solar energy.
contemplated constructing.
Solar energy has a considerable impact on the energy balance of the structure under discussion.
Two of the main reasons why solar thermal technologies are not widely employed are the cost aspect
and the absence of suitable materials for its integration in the building. The solar panels should be
integrated into the structure as attractive, fully functioning alternatives to the things they will be
replacing.
Simple installations for single-family houses, medium-sized installations for multi-family buildings,
smaller heating networks, and process heat plants are all examples of solar thermal heat delivery
systems. As well as substantial solar thermal plants. With local heating networks in residential,
commercial, and public buildings, large-scale solar thermal systems are most frequently used, making
up around 88% of the total installed and operating capacity. Twelve percent of the mining, textile, and
food industries use solar process heat.
2. India is one of the five countries leading in wind energy application. Explain with illustration
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) and Vertical Axis Wind Turbine application for wind
power generation. Explain salient features of each.
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT)
They consist of a number of aerodynamically designed blades that resemble Airplane wings. In this
instance, lift is produced to create a driving torque that causes rotation rather than to keep an aircraft in
flight. The number of blades used to generate electricity normally ranges between one and three; three
blades strike a balance between the power coefficient, cost, and wind sensor rotation speed. In
comparison to vertical wind turbines, this kind has gained ground. Additionally, they are less costly,
less susceptible to mechanical stresses, and the efficiency is improved by placing the receiver many
tens of meters above the ground.
Benefits:
• Because the towers are rather tall, the blades can confront high-altitude winds with
substantially higher wind speeds.
• When the wind speed increases by 20% per 10 metres in some locations, the power output of
the wind turbine might rise by up to 30%.
• High efficiency, unlike vertical axis wind turbines,
• the blades always move perpendicular to the wind and receive electricity during the whole
revolution.
Costly installation and building are drawbacks. We need large machinery.
visually unpleasant, otherwise lovely and aesthetically appealing environment is not appealing because
of the wind turbines.
Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT):
A particular kind of wind turbine is the vertical axis wind turbine, which is most typically utilised to
supply homes with renewable energy. The rotor shaft and one, two, or three blades are part of this
turbine, and the rotor shaft travels vertically. Therefore, the spinning of coins on the edge is connected
to the movement of the turbine. The generator is located at the base of the tower in this turbine, and
the blades round the shaft.
The rotors of the turbine rotate around a vertical shaft utilising blades that are vertically aligned
according to the operating concept of a vertical axis wind turbine. So, they use wind energy to produce
electricity. The generator is attached to a rotor that is driven by the wind; therefore, the generator
converts the energy from mechanical to electrical. Vertical axis wind turbine components are blade,
shaft, bearing, frame & blade support.
Benefits:
• not necessary to direct it at the wind for it to work. As a result, the turbine may be placed at a
site with variable wind direction.
• ability to function even in very little winds. Long, curved propellers are made to be propelled
by a little breeze.
• does not have to be deployed through a tower at a very high location. Due to the materials
required for building, city ordinance rules are not in place, which decreases cost. aesthetic
appeal is greater.
• A vertical axis turbine looks like a solid item both while it is spinning and when it is not.
• The top of a tower is not required to have the generator placed.
The lower the place, the slower the wind. This reduces the turbines efficiency which makes it
less cost effective and is disadvantageous.
3. Explain in detail various forms of Energy & Energy Sources with examples & sketches.
The traditional definition of energy is the capacity of a system to perform labor, but as energy can take
many different forms. It is an attribute of an item that may be changed or moved from one object to
another, but it cannot be created or destroyed. Energy comes from a variety of places.

Sources of energy can be classified into:

• Renewable Sources

• Non-renewable Sources

Renewable sources of energy are available plentiful in nature and are sustainable. These resources of
energy can be naturally replenished and are safe for the environment.

Examples of renewable sources of energy are: Solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy,
biomass, hydropower and tidal energy.

A non-renewable resource is a natural resource that is found underneath the earth. These type of
energy resources do not replenish at the same speed at which it is used. They take millions of years
to replenish. The main examples of non-renewable resources are coal, oil and natural gas.

Examples of non-renewable sources of energy are: Natural gas, coal, petroleum, nuclear energy
and hydrocarbon gas liquids.
4. Explain in detail the terms:

1. Ecological Balance
In various dictionaries, the terms "ecological balance" and "state of dynamic equilibrium within a
community of organisms" are defined as "a stable balance in the numbers of each species in an
ecosystem" and "a steady change via natural succession within a community of organisms"
respectively.
The ordered structure of ecosystems in which species cohabit with one another and their
surroundings is often referred to as being in "ecological balance."

Achieving Ecological Balance

An ecological balance that is good and healthy is shown by harmonious connections. Because they
are the most intelligent living things, humans are essential for maintaining ecological equilibrium.
• All living things can acquire enough food and keep their stability because there is ecological
balance. This balance is important.

2. Climate Change
Climate change is the steady modification of temperature and weather patterns. Similar to solar
cycle oscillations, these modifications could be biological. But since the 1800s, human activity—
particularly the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas—has been the main driver of climate
change. Fossil fuel combustion releases greenhouse gas emissions that act as a blanket over the
planet, absorbing solar heat and causing temperatures to rise.
Carbon dioxide and methane are two examples of greenhouse gas emissions that have an effect on
climate change. For instance, they are created while burning coal or gasoline to heat a building.
 The clearance of land and forests may also result in the emission of carbon dioxide. The following
are a major source of methane emissions:
• intense droughts,
• water scarcity,
• severe fires,
• rising sea levels,
• flooding,
• melting polar ice,
• catastrophic storms and
• declining biodiversity.

3. Global Warming
global warming climate change which raises the planet's average temperature on a large scale
while also affecting ecosystems and weather patterns over the long term.The amount of
greenhouse gases in our atmosphere will increase as a direct result, aggravating the greenhouse
effect.
Causes:
Fossil fuels, deforestation, intensive farming, waste disposal, mining, overconsumption
Effects:
Biodiversity:
Climate change and temperature increases destabilise ecosystems and have an effect on the
circumstances for plant reproduction. Due to resource depletion and climate change, animal
migratory patterns and lifestyles are shifting. While many species, including indigenous ones, are
already in risk of going extinct, invasive species are invading and presenting a threat to other
creatures and crops.
Thus, climate change has an effect on biodiversity.
Humans:
These disasters do not spare anybody from them. The global economy is being impacted by
climate change. In many areas of the world, it is already disrupting the balances of society, health,
and politics. Because of the lack of resources like food and electricity, there are more conflicts.
Increasing sea levels and flooding stimulate migration. Small island nations are on the front line.
250 million people are projected to be climate refugees by 2050.

4. Carbon Emissions
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, there has been a significant rise in the quantity of
carbon dioxide emissions, which are mostly caused by the burning of fossil fuels. A very small
number of nations are responsible for the vast bulk of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. In
terms of absolute emissions, China, the United States, and EU countries are the top three polluters.
 The United States and Russia are the two nations with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per
person.
A person, event, organisation, service, place, or product's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission,
measured in carbon dioxide equivalent, are known as their "carbon footprint" (CO2e).
Additionally, to carbon dioxide and methane, greenhouse gases can also be emitted into the
atmosphere.

5. Agenda 21
Agenda 21 is the blueprint for sustainability in the twenty-first century. It was established in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil, during the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,
popularly known as the "Earth Summit." The commitment to sustainable development expressed in
Agenda 21 has received widespread support from governments all across the world. The
International Commission on Sustainable Development monitors the countries that have sworn to
support Agenda 21 and enjoins them to disseminate its message at the local and regional levels
within their own countries.

For the purpose of addressing the growth of communities and the economy, Agenda 21 places a
strong emphasis on the protection and preservation of our environment and natural resources.
In addition to highlighting the need of including individuals and non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) in the process, Agenda 21 exhorts governments to include sustainable development into
their national strategies. For sustainable development to be successful, issues must be addressed at
the local, national, and international levels. Governments must strive toward international
agreements that respect the interests of all parties and protect the integrity of the global
environmental and developmental system.

6. Brundtland report
The Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) was established in December 1992 to
guarantee efficient UNCED follow-up, monitoring, and reporting on agreement implementation at
the local, national, regional, and international levels. In order to evaluate the success of the Earth
Summit over a five-year period, it was determined that a special session of the UN General
Assembly would take place in 1997. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD),
which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 26 to September 4, 2002, reiterated
vehemently both the commitment to the Rio Principles and the full implementation of Agenda 21.
"Development that fulfils the requirements of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs" is the definition of sustainable development. The UN
General Assembly resolved to hold the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1989
after discussing the report.
 The Brundtland Report emphasised the three main components of sustainable development,

the environment, the economy, and society,as well as a number of key sustainable development
proposals:

❖ Environment

We should progressively change the methods we create and use technology to conserve and
improve our resource base.

❖ Social Equity

Developing countries must be given the opportunity to satisfy their fundamental needs for
work, food, electricity, water, and sanitation. If this is to be done in a sustainable way, a
sustainable level of population is required.

❖ Economic Growth

Economic development should be restarted, and emerging countries should be permitted to

expand at the same rate as industrialised countries.

7. Kyoto Protocol
On December 11, 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was finally ratified. The protracted ratification process
was finished on February 16, 2005, and it became effective. At the moment, 192 countries have
ratified the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol commits industrialised countries and economies in
transition to setting and achieving unique greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, thus putting
into practise the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Simply put, the Convention requires that these countries implement mitigation plans and activities
and provide regular reports. The Kyoto Protocol is based on the convention's guiding principles
and annex-based structure.
Despite the fact that the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 and became international law in
2005, global emissions were still increasing at that time. Many nations, including those in the EU,
appeared to be doing well. They aimed to achieve or surpass their specified targets by 2011.
However, some people continued to struggle.
8. Forum for Future

Forum for the Future is a leading international sustainability non-profit organization with offices
in London, New York, Singapore and Mumbai.

• our social and environmental systems are capable of adapting to and addressing challenges
of the future with flexibility and resilience
• the world has moved beyond artificial divides between people, nature and economy -
integrating ways to stabilize the planet, restore and replenish our ecosystems, and promote
dignity, fulfilment and equity for all
• the meaning of a ‘prosperous economy’ is redefined as one that meets the needs of
everyone in society to thrive, distributes value fairly, and operates in harmony with nature
and planetary boundaries
• the root causes of today’s biggest challenges - the climate emergency, nature in crisis and
systemic inequality - have been tackled by dramatically reconfiguring the systems on which
we rely.