Environmental and Socio-economic implications of Zero Emission Buildings

Overall environmental implications

In driver section (drivers) some of the primary reasons behind the necessity for the design of building incorporating renewable, passive and active technology were presented.

The environmental implications of constructing buildings which have a reduced energy consumption when they are online should be considerable. It has already been stated that around 50% of CO₂ emissions are produced from the built environment. Thus it is clear that a reduction in the energy use through more energy efficient appliances, passive, active and renewable technology has the potential to lead to a significant reduction in CO₂ levels. A reduction in CO₂ emission and other gases associated with the combustion of fossil fuels is far reaching. The effect of climate change from the reduction of CO₂ which is directly associated with the energy use within the built environment is difficult to quantify. The effects are best considered not on the local or national level but on a global scale. Global warming and climate change is an event which is not taking place in short number of years. With respect to the age of the earth it has been suggested by many of the worlds leading experts that the level of climate change since the last century is significant. However in terms of an average human life time climate change is not a fast paced event. Indeed the effects of reducing the levels of CO₂ emitted from the built environment is not something that can be easily measured in terms of its effect on global climatology.

The drivers for the construction of minimal energy use buildings are primarily environmentally based. Thus is can be stated that the environmental implications in construction of a methodology for integrated building design and tools to aid the choice of technology for minimal energy buildings are embedded within the subject.

Sociological Implications

The main driver for the design of the integrated renewable energy, passive and active technologies for the university building at Strathclyde was minimal production of CO₂ during the use phase of the building. It has been discussed within the section on current building practices that the most important drivers in the construction of new buildings are often cost. Some of the renewable technologies which have been investigated within the web page should be cost effective during their life time, in fact the installation of some technologies may have a payback times well within the lifetime of the technology and subsequently to the completion of their payback will facilitate overall cost savings. Other renewable, passive and active technologies are clearly not economically viable and thus their integration will not only increase the purchase and installation costs but will also lead to a cost of power which is not comparable to that of standard technologies. These technologies are currently too expensive from a societal perspective. The technical potential can be improved upon by solving some of the inherent technical problem attributed to the technologies only though significant levels of R & D. Frequently technical barriers are overcome through direct socio-economic necessity. This may be the result of higher levels of taxation and thus the requirement to mitigate against the adverse effects of the associated taxation. Thus taxation as a driver can be directly responsible for a change in the attitudes towards the concepts and technologies involved in zero emission buildings. Current legislation means that it is simply not necessary to include technologies which are not cost effective. It could be said that Part J of the building regulations in Scotland do not go nearly far enough in driving the socio-economic necessity for reduced energy consumption from the built environment.

It is arguable that the current the prices paid for electricity and other fossil fuels are not representative of the true cost to society. Taxation schemes such as the climate change levy are one method for the removal of the distortion surrounding the true environmental costs to society.

In the future it is possible that the required energy efficiency of new buildings may require the inclusion of renewable and passive technologies which are considerably more expensive and thus the costs of constructing new buildings may rise. This is however unlikely to occur as the socio-economic costs would be perceived to be too high. It is possible however that a rise in construction costs may curtail the level at which companies requiring expansion opt for the construction of a new buildings. This is however speculative as is prediction of on the any events tied directly to minimal energy buildings.

It is of no doubt that there may be job losses tied directly to the increased cost in new building construction. On the other hand the creation of new jobs in the renewable, passive and active technology energy sector is probable. Jobs are also likely to be created in the consultancy field.

A socio-economic barrier surrounding the habits, rituals, and attitudes to renewable, passive and active technology may be removed through the construction of minimal energy use buildings which capture the imagination of the general public and are within their reach.

In effect the construction of buildings which are reduced in terms of their energy consumption during their use phase represent the possibilities of sustainable architecture. The influence of a greater percentage of minimal energy buildings in the built environment should be far reaching. Idealistically toward the end goal, which is the integration renewable, passive and active technology being within the reach of the “Jones’s”, “Mr small businessman”, or any other stereotypical role within society.

One of the most important concerns associated with minimal energy architecture is the maintenance of high levels of human comfort conditions. Sick building syndrome is often associated with low air change rates and thus energy efficient buildings. It is critical that there is focus on the comfort conditions of occupants as well as minimal energy.

Ultimately the technical and social considerations of zero emission buildings is a process of research, application, learning, understanding and development that contributes towards mitigation of emission such as CO₂.

CONCLUSIONS