NET ZERO BUILDINGS: Paving The Way To A Sustainable Future

Climate change and global warming are pressing issues that must be tackled from a variety of fronts. Buildings contribute greatly to energy consumption, even more on global CO2 emissions, where the built environment is responsible for generating 40% of annual global CO2 emissions. This is why as Architects, we must be at the forefront of this pressing and growing issue.

As the enablers who transform ideas and visions into spaces, one of our core goals in designing every project must be to substantially reduce their carbon footprint through strategies such as developing highly-energy efficient designs.

Understanding Carbon Footprint

The carbon footprint of a building refers to the amount of GHG emissions generated during its construction (only this, operation, and maintenance. Primarily, these emissions are caused by the burning of fossil fuels for heating, cooling, and electricity. Once GHGs are released, these gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and contribute to global warming and climate change.

The most significant sources of CO2 emissions in the built environment are linked to energy consumption and the use of fossil fuels. These are the most contributing sources:

Heating and cooling systems: The energy used for heating and cooling buildings is a significant contributor to CO2 emissions. This includes the use of natural gas, oil, and electricity generated from fossil fuels.
Electricity consumption: Electricity consumption in buildings is another major source of CO2 emissions. This includes the energy used for lighting, appliances, and electronic devices.
Transportation: Transportation is also a significant contributor to CO2 emissions in the built environment. This includes emissions from vehicles used to transport goods and materials to and from construction sites, as well as emissions from vehicles used by building occupants for commuting.
Construction materials: The extraction, manufacture and transportation of construction materials form raw materials into materials such as cement, steel, and aluminum, also contribute to CO2 emissions. These materials require a significant amount of energy and water to be produced, and throughout their life cycle GHGs are released into the atmosphere.
Waste management: Waste management and disposal practices, such as landfilling, incineration, and transportation to a waste facility, also contribute to CO2 emissions.

These sources contribute to most CO2 emissions in the built environment and highlight the importance of reducing energy consumption, transitioning to renewable energy sources, and adopting sustainable building practices to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Reducing the Built’s Environment Carbon Footprint.

For over 20 years, the built environment industry has increasingly focused on sustainability, yet one of the most promising solutions is net zero buildings. These buildings are designed to generate as much energy as they consume -through renewable energy sources, significantly reducing their carbon footprint.

From an energy standpoint, NZBs are designed to be exceptionally energy efficient, tapping on renewables (e.g., solar, wind and geothermal systems) to generate the needed energy. Moreover, innovative building materials, insulation, and air-tight construction (dependent on project location) can further reduce energy demands and losses, making NZBs a key player in reducing CO2 emissions, besides being environmental and cost-effective.

While reducing the carbon footprint, NZBs also provide a healthy and comfortable environment for people. By providing natural ventilation, increased daylighting, high-quality building materials, and efficient HVAC systems embedded in the design, they make these spaces not only energy-efficient, but beneficial to people’s health and well-being.

If you are aiming to make your next project an NZB, here are a handful of steps you can consider for your project:

Energy Efficiency: The first step towards achieving a NZB is to make it highly energy efficient. This can be done by using efficient equipment, lighting systems, insulation, and high-performance windows and doors.
Renewable Energy Sources: NZBs generate their own energy using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal systems, greatly reducing the building’s carbon footprint and reliance on traditional energy sources.
Building Design: A building’s shape – its mass – and orientation are key for NZBs. While aiming for highly efficient designs, and generating renewable energy, the design must integrate features such as natural ventilation, daylighting, and efficient HVAC systems.
Low-embodied carbon building materials: the embodied carbon of a building material refers to the total carbon emissions produced during the extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and disposal of the material. Compared to traditional building materials, preferring low-embodied materials (e.g. wood, bamboo, recycled or reclaimed materials, stone or even low-carbon concrete) can greatly lower a project’s overall carbon footprint.
Waste Reduction: Implementing waste reduction and recycling programs can help to minimize the waste generated during construction and demolition and reduce the carbon footprint of a building.
Smart Technology: technology such as EMS and BMS systems can be used to monitor energy usage and control energy-efficient systems. Optimizing energy usage and reducing waste.

Even when there is a higher initial investment for a net-zero building, the energy savings over time are signiﬁcant and will help to offset the initial cost. Additionally, governments incentives and subsidies for more environmentally conscious buildings can help to make them more accessible and cost-effective for building owners, investors, or developers.

As the cost of renewable energy systems continues to decrease and the technology improves, net-zero buildings will become increasingly viable, and will help to pave the way for a more sustainable future.

The concept of using Net-zero Buildings stands today as an efficient way to not only reduce energy consumption but also as an alternative, if not a complete solution, to reducing the carbon emission from the construction industry.

Built by Humming Studios