The world, with all 7.8 billion of us living in it are stepping into uncharted waters. With the world population projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, another 2 billion people will need to find shelter to live in over the next 28 years. This is going to put even more strain on the earth than what is already placed on it now. The construction industry has a huge role to play in implementing new ways of building sustainable homes so that there is something left to give to future generations.
Here are 5 innovative ways that the construction industry is already improving sustainability.
1. Green Roofs A green roof, or otherwise know as a living roof, is grasses, plants, flowers, bushes and other greenery growing on a roof.
This innovative system has been celebrated for its sustainable design and low maintenance.
It is a contained extension of the existing roof and includes (from bottom to top) a structural deck, waterproofing membrane, root barrier, drainage layer, filter cloth/fabric, irrigation system, growing medium and finally the vegetation itself. Depending on the roof type, size, and slope will determine what can be grown on it. Within New Zealand, the sedum plant type is what most green roofs are centered on, but succulents, NZ native trees & shrubs, wildflowers, tussocks, and other grasses are commonly used as well.
There are many sustainable benefits to using a green roof, including (but not limited to):
Heating and cooling costs are reduced.
The air quality around the building is improved.
Improved acoustic properties of the building.
Visually pleasing, and provides a natural leisure space.
Helps reduce the distribution of dust and pollutants.
Reduces the amount of waste water runoff, delaying the time which runoff occurs, resulting in decreased stress on sewer systems.
2. Electrochromic Glass
Electrochromic glass or otherwise known as smart glass is an electronically tint-able glass used for windows, skylights, facades and curtain walls. Electrochromic glass can shift from clear to opaque and back time and time again. The glass consists of five extremely thin electrochromic layers which are placed inside industry-standard insulating glass units. Low voltage electricity applied to the glass causes darkness as lithium ions and electrons transfer from one electrochromic layer to another. Removing voltage causes the ions and electrons to return to their original layers, causing the glass to lighten and return to its clear state.
2,000 square feet of electrochromic glass uses less power than a single 60-watt light bulb due to its reliance on low-voltage electricity, making it a clear option for sustainable living.
Controls can be integrated into existing building automation systems and settings can be setup to operate light, glare, energy use, and colour rendering automatically, or for users who desire more control, a wall panel can be manually overridden to allow for greater tint control.
There are many sustainable benefits to using electrochromic glass, including (but not limited to):
Energy conservation and reduced energy costs through the maximization of daylight, which lowers the reliance on artificial lighting and heating units.
Maximized access to outdoor views, which is linked to faster rates of learning, improved emotional wellness, and increased productivity.
Eliminates the need for shades and other window treatments
Protects occupants from glare and the vast majority of UV rays.
Architects are given the freedom to design without the need for shading devices that clutter building interiors.
3. Solar Thermal Cladding
Solar thermal cladding, or otherwise known as solar activated façade, is a sustainable cladding system that is made up of glass and wood that captures passive solar energy.
Designed to hold heat in during the winter, the sun's energy is stored within the cladding and then passed through to the building for efficient and sustainable heat retention.
The cladding is angled so that during the summer months it is shaded from any direct solar impact. This allows the drawing out of excessive heat, helping the building to stay cool. There is a solid wood-absorber that works as a heat buffer that sits against a conventionally insulated wall, and a back-vented glass façade applied over the wood absorber to protect the wood from the elements, and amplify the thermal buffering effect.
There are many sustainable benefits to using solar thermal cladding, including (but not limited to):
Uses a completely free, renewable energy source.
Dramatic reduction of energy use, and as a result, energy savings, helping to reduce the carbon footprint on the earth and save on monthly bills.
A reduction for the need of insulation, as well as heating and cooling units.
Highly efficient as heat waves carry more energy than sunlight. Also, there's no process of transforming sunlight into electricity like with solar panels.
Uses only natural and abundant materials that can be fully recycled at the end of its life cycle, making this a truly sustainable product.
4. Low Carbon Concrete
Low carbon concrete is concrete produced with a lower carbon footprint than traditional methods. Apart from a lower carbon footprint, its durability, versatility and strength performs identically to its high carbon counterpart. If the concrete industry was a country, it would be the third-highest emitter of CO₂ after China and the United States and with worldwide demand second only to water, reducing its emissions is critical to reducing the strain on the earth. In 2020 the Global Cement and Concrete Association released a climate ambition pledge that aspires to become carbon neutral across the concrete industry by 2050.
To create low carbon concrete, there's a series of relatively low-impact changes to production processes and mix designs that reduces CO₂ emissions.
Examples of this include switching fuel sources during the limestone heating process from coal to waste and carbon-neutral fuels, low-carbon cement blends which use waste products such as fly ash and slag to reduce cement requirements by as much as 30%, and innovative carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies which makes it possible to capture up to 100% of carbon emissions from cement manufacturing. The captured emissions can be store safely underground, injected back into concrete to strengthen it, or used to make products like synthetic aggregate or fuels.
There are many sustainable benefits to using low carbon concrete, including (but not limited to):
Profitability due to the reduced need for cement in the concrete mix and reduce waste disposal costs.
Competitive advantages such as accelerated entry into new construction markets and differentiation from competitors as sustainable industry leaders become more sought after.
More green jobs.
Reduced carbon emissions by up to 75% compared to traditional methods.
Reduced landfill as waste products are reused in the new concrete mix.
Certain blends will produce a more durable and longer lasting concrete.
5. Greywater Systems
A greywater system diverts waste water from baths, showers, washing machines, and laundry tubs to reuse on a garden or for flushing toilets. Technology has made this possible through the proper installation and maintenance of a gravity diversion assembly, an initial filtration system (which includes mulch or wood chips and worms), and then an irrigation filtration system (which includes three reservoirs: the first two being 200 litre plastic drums cut in half, with large aggregate at the bottom and smaller aggregate on top, with a planter bed of wetland reeds and grasses, and the third reservoir being exactly the same except it's a kids size swimming pool instead of a drum) . From here the water is diverted and discharged underground to outdoor plants such as fruit tress or to the lawn. If greywater is used for toilets, it can simply be bucketed into the water storage tank once the greywater filtration process has been completed, or for something more complicated, the Aqualoop system uses a self cleaning pre-filter aeration process, biological treatment process, and then an ultra-filtration membrane filter process. Afterwards, the filtered water is piped to indoor toilets for use.
Water is the most used and most precious resource on earth and with the average human drinking 4 litres per day, it is as irreplaceable as it is critical to our very existence.
Greywater systems are an innovative way of preserving this extremely important resource.
There are many sustainable benefits to using greywater systems, including (but not limited to):
Freshwater conservation, as it reduces the need for and reliance on the mains water supply system.
Reduces the wastewater peak flows discharging to the council’s wastewater system.
Allows gardens to be watered during drought periods, increasing the beautification of landscapes.
Reduced energy consumption through the reduction of pump usage.
Reduction of chemical consumption, as less water is being sent to sewage plants.
Groundwater levels are refilled, as greywater ends up being filtered by the soil down to where groundwater is.
As the world population continues to grow, the construction industry has a significant role to play in implementing sustainable building practices. The industry is already using innovative methods such as green roofs, electrochromic glass, solar thermal cladding, low carbon concrete, and greywater systems to reduce the environmental impact of construction. These methods not only reduce carbon emissions but also promote energy conservation, improve indoor air quality, increase natural light, and create renewable energy sources. The implementation of these practices can help ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. It is encouraging to see that the construction industry is taking steps to build more sustainably, and there is hope that these efforts will continue to grow in the future.
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