Question:
Discuss about the Environmental Sustainability in Construction for Low and Zero Carbon.
Reduction of carbon production from different sections has been overwhelming with different countries setting standards and levels to be attained regarding the reduction of carbon production. The construction industry is a more significant producer of carbon, and various measures have been undertaken to achieve low/zero carbon. Adoption of different design measures to attain the low/zero carbon has been developed in different countries with the aim to accomplish the set standards. One of the key factors which shape the design of the low/zero carbon designs is the climate responsive designs (Giesekam, Barrett, Taylor, & Owen, 2014). This design approach relies on the seasons and therefore designing the favourable to ensure structures are mechanically conditioned. Control of the cooling and heating effects on structures in different sections is used to control and attain the low/zero carbon on such locations. Another key strategy used in the evaluation of the low/zero carbon designs is the life-cycle considerations. This approach can monitor the life-cycle of the construction structure from the manufacture of materials, the construction process, and operation of the building and lastly the decommissioning of structures. Renewable energy facilities are used in the construction sites through this measure to achieve the low/zero carbon designs (McKinsey & Co., 2009). The models of the low/zero carbon designs in construction sites focus on different aspects such as the selection of materials, innovation in the construction processes,management of energy consumption and focuses on the recycling and reuse measures.
Embodied carbon is one of the major sources of high carbon in the construction industry. The extraction, production and transportation of construction materials can produce carbon and use energy. In the aim to attain low/zero carbon designs in the construction industry, changes and use of alternative materials with lower embodied carbon has been embraced. The materials in construction can account for a total of 19% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG). According to review by Ibn-Mohammed et al., (2013), the embodied carbon from the construction industry is able to account for between 2 and 80% of the carbon emissions. The reduction of materials with high ‘embodied carbon’ in the construction industry is a major focus. Concrete and steel have been identified to be able to emit a lot of carbon dioxide and therefore inhibiting the reduction of carbon in this industry. Use of timber as an alternative to the steel and carbon is embraced in term of low carbon production during the material production process. Timber occurs naturally and therefore able to produce low/zero carbon to the industry in the manufacturing process (Arup & World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), 2012). Timber is considered as a negative carbon producer since it the tree absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while growing. In addition use of ‘green roof’ is another critical material selection which enhances the carbon reduction through the change of materials. The insulation membrane for the roof is able to improve the carbon absorption from the construction structure and therefore to improve the attainment of low/zero carbon production.
Construction processes are able to account for 10% of the total carbon production to the environment. These methods include the manufacture of construction materials, their distribution, operations on-site, refurb ad demolition of construction structures and design process. Innovating new measures to offer alternative procedures is key to reduction of the carbon production to the environment in this industry and therefore enhancing the achievement of low/zero carbon production (Royal Academy of Engineering, 2010). Construction processes are critical determinants of the performance of the structures and therefore able to account for the high level of carbon production. Methods such as over-arching of the waste are a crucial process which is ready to lead to the low/zero carbon production in this industry. Resource efficiency is another fundamental process which is targeting the increase of the innovation on the construction processes. The material producers also look at alternative production method which uses less energy. Management of operative energy consumption and Consumption behaviour
More importantly, energy consumption in construction structures is able to account for high carbon production during the structures usage lifetime. The change in the operational energy consumption is a critical measure which has been focused on in the construction industry to attain low/zero carbon production (Sturgis & Roberts, 2010). Use of renewable sources within the construction structure is a crucial method which has been embraced lately in the construction industry. The renewable energy sources as the mean of operation energy producers are able to reduce the carbon production of up to 80%. Moreover, more acceptable consumption behaviour is another key strategy aimed at the achievement of the low/zero carbon production. Switching off if some machines when they are not in use leads to the reduction of carbon production within the building structures (Osmani & O’Reilly, 2009). Efficient lighting and equipment used within the building is able to reduce the energy use and carbon production.
Renewable sources of energy are a vital source of replacing the carbon-intense carbon source of energy which has been used in the construction industry. The renewable system choice has proven to be essential in the construction industry has been crucial in the achievement of low/zero carbon targets (Riedy, Lederwasch and Ison, 2011). Use of rooftop solar arrays or photovoltaic (PV) systems is some of key renewable energy systems which have been embraced in the construction industry. Wind turbines have been used to generate required energy in the construction structures. The renewable energy systems are able to trim down the carbon production to the atmosphere. Renewable energy is a critical step in achieving zero carbon emission to the environment. The designs of different zero/low carbon strategies are well aligned with the renewable measures which are in cooperated in the construction structures. Solar access, wind and water sources as some of the key renewable energy sources which has been in cooperated in the construction industry. The use of these sources is aimed at reducing carbon production to the environment. In addition, the choice of the renewable energy system is based on different factors. Some of the key elements include the availability of the renewable energy source within the construction site and the efficiency of the renewable energy measures (Olivier, Janssens-Maenhout and Peters, 2011). All in all these steps are able to enhance reduction of carbon production and improving the achievement of the low/zero carbon to the environment. Other key factors of the choice of the systems include the design orientation and elevation of the renewable energy systems to the buildings.
Most of the construction materials are in many cases recyclable and reusable. The production of most of the construction materials can attract more carbon production. Eliminating the production process through reuse and recycling can enhance the carbon production and therefore leading to low/zero carbon production (Knoeri, Binder, & Althaus, 2011). The use of materials which can be recycled and reused after the structure life cycle have been embraced in the industry to achieve the low/zero carbon production. Use of steel structure which is entirely recyclable has been focused on in the industry to make low/zero carbon production in the industry. The salvage value of steel is estimated to be around 94%, and this ensures that the production rate is reduced (Tam, 2011). Use of steel structure in construction is considered to be sustainable due to the reuse and recycling factors of the materials. Although the manufacturing process is able to produce a lot of carbon which is not healthy, the reuse and recycling factors enhance their target to achieving low/zero carbon production. Use of recyclable materials which do not lose their construction qualities is a key factor in strengthening the low/zero carbon designs in the construction industry. Timber has as well to some levels utilized as part of the construction industry due to its recycling and reusing factors after the structure cycle-time (Roos, Woxblom, & McCluskey, 2010). The reuse and recycling are able to reduce the carbon production for most of the construction materials. Use of these materials has proven to be beneficial for the reduction of carbon in the construction industry and therefore embracing the low/zero carbon designs.
Conclusion
One of the key measures of enhancing sustainability in the construction industry is through the reduction of the carbon production. Low/zero carbon designs have been implemented in different aspects to achieve the low carbon production from this sector. First, the materials used in the construction industry are the primary source of carbon. Changing the carbon embodied materials to materials with low carbon is one of the significant steps has been taken to achieve the low/zero carbon designs. Innovative processes have been used to enhance the low/zero carbon designs in this industry as well. Changes in the methods have been used to enhance the construction procedures and enhancing the efficiency of energy use while lowering carbon production. Management of operational energy production and consumption is another key is of the design which enhances low/zero carbon production through proper designs. Adoption of appropriate renewable energy measures also plays a key role in achieving low/zero carbon design measures. PV is one of the strategies which have been used to enhance the low/zero carbon designs. Lastly, use of materials which are reusable and recyclable is another critical factor which has been used to enhance the low/zero carbon designs in the construction industry.
References
Arup & World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). 2012. Material choice for green buildings. Retrieved from https://www.wbcsdcement.org/pdf/WBCSD_Material choice for green buildings_201201(Jan).pdf
Giesekam, J., Barrett, J., Taylor, P., & Owen, A. 2014. The greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation options for materials used in UK construction. Energy and Buildings, 78, 202–214. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2014.04.035
Ibn-Mohammed, T., Greenough, R., Taylor, S., Ozawa-Meida, L., & Acquaye, A. 2013. Operational vs. embodied emissions in buildings—A review of current trends. Energy and Buildings, 66, 232–245. doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2013.07.026
Knoeri, C., Binder, C. R., & Althaus, H.-J. 2011. Decisions on recycling: Construction stakeholders’ decisions regarding recycled mineral construction materials. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 55(11), 1039–1050. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2011.05.018
McKinsey & Co. 2009. Pathways to a low carbon economy, version 2 of the global green house gas abatement cost curve, 2009. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/dotcom/client_service/sustainability/cost%20curve%20pdfs/pathways_lowcarbon_economy_version2.ashx
Olivier, J, Janssens-Maenhout, G and Peters, J. 2011. Trends in global CO2 emissions: 2012 report. PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague. www.pbl.nl/en
Osmani, M., & O’Reilly, A. 2009. Feasibility of zero carbon homes in England by 2016: A house builder’s perspective. Building and Environment, 44(9), 1917–1924.
Riedy, C, Lederwasch, A and Ison, N. 2011. Defining zero emission buildings — review and recommendations: final report. Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council. www.asbec.asn.a
Roos, A., Woxblom, L., & McCluskey, D. 2010. The influence of architects and structural engineers on timber in construction – perceptions and roles. Silva Fennica, 44(5), 871–884. doi: 10.14214/sf.126
Royal Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering a low carbon built environment. The discipline of Building Engineering Physics.
Sturgis, S., & Roberts, G. 2010. Redefining Zero: Carbon profiling as a solution to whole life carbon emission measurement in buildings. RICS Research.
Tam, V. W. Y. 2011. Rate of reusable and recyclable waste in construction. The Open Waste Management Journal, 4, 28–32. doi:10.2174/1876400201104010028
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