Energy Efficiency -an architect’s perspective Professor J Owen Lewis UCD Energy Research Group EURIMA Congress, Budapest June 2007.

Energy Efficiency Energy Efficiency -an architect’s perspective-an architect’s perspective

Professor J Owen LewisProfessor J Owen Lewis

UCD Energy Research GroupUCD Energy Research Group

EURIMA Congress, Budapest June 2007

““The most sustainable energy is The most sustainable energy is

saved energysaved energy””

Energy itself not of particular interest -but is a means towards desired ends

Clients desire the services which energy can deliver -comfort, illumination, power, transportation . . .

The architectural challenge: ensure energy services are delivered in a sustainable manner -with maximum efficiency, and minimal environmental impact

Holistic perspective: integrated, contextual, whole life cycle, socially aware, economic solution

Impacts of constructionImpacts of construction

+/- 50% of all material taken from Earth’s crust +/- 35% of all greenhouse gases +/- 40% of all waste produced (by weight)

Impacts of constructionImpacts of construction

+/- 50% of all material taken from Earth’s crust +/- 35% of all greenhouse gases +/- 40% of all waste produced (by weight)

effects on health and productivity of all

the well-being of largest industrial workforce

Sustainable Building DesignSustainable Building Design

“Sustainable design integrates consideration of resource and energy efficiency, healthy buildings and materials, ecologically and socially sensitive land use and an aesthetic that inspires, affirms and enables”

• Union Internationale des Architectes’ Declaration of Interdependence for a Sustainable Future, Chicago, 1993

Economic, Social, and Environmental pillars of sustainable development

OpportunitiesOpportunities

Stern Review: “The scientific evidence is now overwhelming: climate change is a serious global threat, and it demands an urgent global response”

RIBA endorsement of Contraction and Convergence policy October 2006

ACE Political StatementACE Political StatementSustainable Architecture & Environment -Energy EfficiencySustainable Architecture & Environment -Energy Efficiency

The ACE commits itself to An active promotion of the principles of sustainable

development The formulation of proposals for concrete action Contribute to the implementation of agreed EU proposals, in

terms of that which concerns it directly, as well as in conjunction with other interested organisations

Specific early measures will include The inclusion of energy and environmental performance information

as an assessment criterion in all architectural competitions and competitive selection processes

The encouragement of similar performance information to accompany all published architectural reviews

A recommendation that such information becomes an additional criterion in selection processes for public architectural awards

Energy design strategyEnergy design strategy

Optimise building envelope, minimise demand through serious conservation, and supply energy with maximum efficiency and using renewables:

Site micro-climate

Energy conservation

Passive solar heating

Passive cooling and natural ventilation

Daylighting

Renewables

Energy-optimised architectureEnergy-optimised architecture

Engineering systems to heat, cool and light for satisfactory indoor conditions

versus

Alternative approach integrating users and environment in an architecture which uses ambient energy sources working with seasonal and diurnal outdoor changes to reduce reliance on mechanical and electrical systems

Sustainable building designSustainable building design

Risks: aspirational, vagueness, ambiguity

Environmental emphasis, plus economic New relationship nature : architecture Spectrum

– Traditional vernacular -sustainability by default – Existing-architecture-made-more-sustainable– Environmental determinism– Symbiotic relationship with natural environment

Towards concern with addressing all dimensions

Energy-optimised building designEnergy-optimised building design

Seeks an architecture more responsive to climate and human needs, seasonal and diurnal change

Building and site design that responds to location and takes optimal advantage of ambient energy sources

Use of building fabric to shade and ventilate, to collect, store and distribute solar thermal energy and to distribute daylight appropriately

Healthy indoor environments with high standards of thermal and visual comfort

Smart energy design, and use of materials and energy from sustainable sources

Indoor Environmental QualityIndoor Environmental Quality

Comfort: Fanger v Adaptive– Conventional standards seek stasis or

‘optimum’

– Change is the natural state of affairs

– People are more ‘forgiving’ of buildings which offer more control

– Dynamic environments stimulate –within limits!

IAQ– Ventilation

– Air quality

– Pollutants

Integrated design for high performance buildingIntegrated design for high performance building

Know-how and skills Design team practice Design, specification, procurement, construction,

commissioning, testing, operation, maintenance Replacing Energy with Ingenuity

New materials, unconventional combinations Innovative technologies, appropriate systems Smart monitoring and control Building Science

Target setting Design for longevity, flexibility and change Pervasive quality

EC ‘Solar House’ programme

Sustainable Construction MaterialsSustainable Construction Materials

Sustainable sources Extraction, processing,

manufacture Embodied energy Transport, assembly Life cycle maintenance Emissions Recycling, disposal

– NB Composite materials

Environmental Rating MethodsEnvironmental Rating Methods

LEED BREEAM GBTool

Sustainable Sites Energy Site, Project & Development

Water Efficiency Transport Resource Consumption & Energy

Energy & Atmosphere Pollution Environmental Loadings

Materials & Resources Materials & Resources Indoor Environmental Quality

Indoor Environmental Quality Water Efficiency Functionality & Building Systems

Process & Design Innovation Land Use & Ecology Long-Term Performance

Health & Well Being Social & Economic Aspects

Other assessment tools include:

Green Star & NATHERS (Australia)Athena (International) EcoEffect (Sweden)HQE (France)CASBEE (Japan)EcoQuantum (The Netherlands)Verde (Spain)

Recent timesRecent times v v Future timesFuture times

after Leonard Bachman

Challenging nature Ecological sustainability with natureLinear production Cyclical flowsIncremental shifts Continuous changeProduct and tradition oriented Process and discipline orientedLocal effects of action Global effects of interactionMechanistic relationships Systemic relationshipsHeuristic procedures Cybernetic integration

Mass standardization Mass customizationLowest price contracts Performance-based awardsHierarchical and linear Holistic and non-linearEmbrace deterministic simplicity Embrace complexityIntuitive heuristics of form Self-emergent intelligent formInnovative individuals Trans-disciplinary teamsPioneer-as-hero model Designer-as-collaborator modelSeparate design, construction Integrate all phasesManual and automatic control Intelligent automationTransient static solutions Robust dynamic solutions

Energy Performance of Buildings DirectiveEnergy Performance of Buildings Directive EPBD 2002/91/ECEPBD 2002/91/EC

Calculation Methodologymust as a minimum take into

consideration the following:• thermal characteristics of the building,• heating installation and hot water supply,

including their insulation characteristics,• air-conditioning installation, • ventilation,• built-in lighting installation, • position and orientation of buildings• passive solar systems and solar protection, • natural ventilation,• indoor climatic conditions

Carbon-neutral buildingsCarbon-neutral buildings

Step change

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Passivhaus standardPassivhaus standard

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ResidentialAnnual heating requirement <15 kWh/m2.yrPrimary energy consumption <120 kWh/m2.yrEnvelope air-tightness n50 <0.6/h

Passive House, Darmstadt 1990

Future Features ?Future Features ?

Integrated Design

Processes Evidence-Based Design Total Quality Management Value Engineering Risk Analysis Automation and Intelligent

Buildings Agile Buildings- flexible,

adaptable… Pre-acceptance Testing

Protocols Continuous Commissioning Post Occupancy Evaluation

European Construction Technology PlatformEuropean Construction Technology Platform --fromfrom Strategic Research Agenda Strategic Research Agenda

Technologies for healthy, safe, accessible and stimulating indoor environments for all

New technologies, concepts and high-tech materials for efficient and clean buildings

Reduce environmental and man-made impacts of built environment and cities

New integrated processes for the construction sector

High added value construction materials Technologies and engineering for

innovative added-value SME services

Industrial Change?Industrial Change?

Fragmented -design /manufacture /supply /assembly within

profoundly distinct organisations Most buildings are prototypes Need for building science Expenditure on R&D is very low Implementation of research results uneven

– suspicion of innovation and resistance to change exists

Thus, challenge of bringing about change in construction industry is not trivial

Thank youThank you