CONCLUSIONS

Several conclusions can be drawn from this project. Firstly, it is concluded from this project that the carbon neutral community can be formed by adopting the three main steps outlined in the carbon neutral pathway.

Secondly, in the real world, there are many barriers and potential drivers in order to become a carbon neutral community. These challenges and incentives can be summarised by the diagram below;

 

Finally, it is also concluded that if the three main steps of the carbon neutral community pathway are successfully adopted, the potential beneficial impacts gained by the community will be in terms of environmental, economic and social.

 

Environmental Impacts

Environmentally, there will be a healthier environment to live it as there is less carbon emissions. Not only that, we would also be able to fully utilise available renewable resources and hence reduce dependency on fossil fuel. This means that the community has also played a part in combating climate change

 

Economic Impacts

From the economic point of view, being carbon neutral will reduce the energy bills of the community in the long term. On a more general note, carbon neutral communities can boost the green products economy and hopefully bring their sale prices down

 

Social Impacts

As for the social impact, becoming carbon neutral community can bring the community closer together as it is a community effort and not led by the government. It also helps to instill carbon neutral mentality and way of life especially to the younger generation, which is very important as they are the future energy users and determinant to the sustainability of the carbon neutral concept. Carbon neutral communities can also reduce death due to fuel poverty as the buildings are now more efficient.

 

Recommendations For Futher Work

Due to the time limitation, the methodology only covers the residential sector. It also emphasises on the first two steps only, which are the assesement and reduction of current demand and carbon emissions. Therefore, there are may rooms for improvements and further work such as listed below.

  • To incorporate the transportation, commercial and industrial sector of the community in the methodology in order to obtain a more holistic carbon neutral community.
  • To inprove the database to the energy demand profile generator by increasing the building stock, type of occupancy and usage pattern.
  • To carry out a more detail and thorough feasilibility study on suitable renewable energy supply for the case study.