The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) predicts that the absolute growth in urban population will be highest in India until 2050, and the Indian real estate and infrastructure industry is a key contributor to this growth. However, the environmental footprint of the Indian real estate industry is also mounting. Buildings in India account for majority of energy, water and land while generating substantial solid waste and water effluents. The sector is responsible for 24% of India’s annual CO2 emissions, contributing to global warming and poor air quality. It is therefore critical that India adopts a holistic and sustainable approach to real estate development.
Glass Blocks which can Generate Electricity
Researchers from University of Exeter, England have developed a solar power device that fits into glass blocks. The product can broadly replace glass blocks used for a building’s façade, and transform the exteriors into energy-generating surfaces. Named as Solar Squared, the blocks absorb solar radiation using intelligent optics. These optics direct the sunlight onto the solar cells to generate electicity.  This electricity can then be stored in a battery system, supply energy to the building in real time, or be used to charge electric cars. Further, sufficient daylighting levels can be achieved due to the transparency of the blocks.
‘Unisphere’ – One of the World’s Largest Net-Zero Buildings
Achieving energy self-sufficiency for a 35,000 square foot building in a highly dense urban fabric is a formidable task, for which incorporating net-zero strategies cannot be an afterthought but ingrained in every design decision. The Unisphere is one of the world’s largest net-zero commercial building located in Silver Spring, Maryland, Washington DC. Some of the energy efficiency measures taken are: openable windows which automatically change tints depending on the weather conditions. Moreover, air circulates through a quarter mile-long concrete labyrinth 12 feet underneath the building, providing passive heating and cooling—the labyrinth tends to be cooler than the outdoor air in the summer and warmer in the winter. The building uses a geothermal system to condition the spaces in the summer and winter. Natural daylighting illuminate the spaces and artificial lighting is equipped with daylight controls. The energy is generated through 3000 solar panels.
Irumbai, Tamil Nadu to be the First Fully- Solar Powered Village in the Country
Aiming to study the socio-economic impact of energy conservation and create awareness on sustainable and renewable energy, Irumbai – a village in Tamil Nadu would soon become the country’s first fully solar-powered village. A 170kWp ground-mounted solar farm, established in 4,000 sq ft area in the village would supply 3-phased power for the entire village. The Tamil Nadu Energy Development Corporation (TEDA) plans to complete the work within March, 2019.  The unit has been designed to generate 150% of the actual power requirement of the village to ensure that the village is self-sustainable at all times.
Sacramento Aims to go Carbon Neutral by Electrifying its Homes, Including Low Income and Moderate Income homes
How does a not-for-profit municipal utility that has committed to eliminate carbon from buildings ensure that its low and moderate income customers aren’t left behind during the transition? This was exactly what the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) set out to do. Previously the utility company had launched the nation’s most aggressive initiatives under uts ‘All-Electric Smart Homes program’ to encourage all electric homes, offering incentives worth upto $5000 for each all-electric new single-family home.
For the low and moderate income households, SUTDÂ outlined a goal of launching a full-fledged low-income electrification program within a year. Through this program, by the end of November, SMUD contractors had installed 105 air-source heat pumps, 13 heat pump water heaters and 10 induction stoves/ranges for low-income households across Sacramento. Further, a study revealed that considering the low electricity rates in California, customers in existing single-family homes who replace gas-burning furnaces and water heaters with electric air-source heat pumps and heat pump water heaters could save up to $750 annually. For customers in existing low-rise multifamily buildings, the shift could result in utility bill savings of around $300 annually.
3D – printed Brick made of Upcycled Plastic offers 10 times more insulation compared to clay-bricks
Insipred by the Baya weaverbird’s nest, researchers at De Montfort University, Leicester (DMU) have developed a 3D-printed brick made out of plastic waste! Thermal insulation tests showed that the brick has a U-value of 0.25 Watts per metre Kelvin (W/m²K), which is 10 times more effective than a clay brick, which delivers an average of 2.94 W/m²K.
Netherlands are Constructing the World’s Largest Sun Tracking Solar Islands
Branded as one of the worst performers in the Renewable energy (RE) sector, Netherlands is soon turning the tide! Comprising of almost 15 floating islands, more than 70,000 sun tracking solar panels are being built in Netherlands. This is going to be the world’s largest sun-seeking solar farm.The first phase of the project, involving three islands, each of which will be 140 meters in diameter, is due to be finished soon, once the migratory season for birds has come to an end.
Similar projects are underway in Japan, Chile & UK.
EDS has been selected to help 100 buildings achieve Net Zero Energy (NZEB) Status
To propel the Net-Zero movement in India, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is conducting a feasibility analysis for 100 buildings across the country to achieve Net Zero Energy status. The typologies include educational institutions, healthcare, shopping complexes, hospitality, airports, and railway/metro stations. Moreover, the analysis will be conducted free of cost for the building owners.
As per the selection criteria, buildings should have a minimum built-up area of 5,000 square meters with the minimum connected load higher than 100 kW. The contract demand should be greater than 120 kVA or as specified by the state or union territory. Further, on conclusion of the analysis, EDS will generate a comprehensive report detailing out all the energy conservation measures to be undertaken by the building owners to achieve an NZEB facility. However, the buildings are not bound to follow these measures.
Technology which uses Solar Panels to Extract Drinking Water from Air!
Developed by Founder Cody Friesen, a materials scientist and associate professor at Arizona State University, a solar panel system can generate drinking water sufficient for 2 to 3 people, even in arid conditions. The solar panel converts sunlight to energy, which heats the material inside and creates condensation. Water collects in a 30-liter reservoir which is placed below the panels. Minerals are added to improve taste. Then the water is pumped directly to a household tap or a refrigerator’s fill station.
The First NZE Academic Building Constructed in Northeast USA: The John J. Sbrega Health and Science Building, Fall River, Mass.
Designed by Sasaki Associates, the 50,000 sq.ft John J. Sbrega Health and Science Building at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Massachusetts, is the first net-zero energy academic science building in the Northeast. Intended to be a high performance facility, the project team has pushed the boundaries of energy efficiency to become a net-zero energy (NZE) building. A key question asked by the project team was how can a building achieve net-zero target for an energy-dense program in a cold climate?
The approach taken was a holistic mix of passive and active strategies. Ultimately, the energy efficiency components incorporated in the building reduce the energy consumption by 80% compared to the baseline. Passive features include a Wall-to-Window-Ratio (WWR) ratio of 22%, cooling through natural ventilation and openable windows, optimum orientation to maximize daylight and reduce heat gain, adequate shading systems to cut out glaze and inclusion of a high performance envelope to reduce air leakage and thermal bridging. Active features include reduction of the lighting power density to 0.58 W/sq.ft, dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS), ground source heat pumps etc. To meet the energy requirements, the site plan includes a 3.2 MW solar PV array.
Through these strategies the building has pioneered the concept of pushing the limits of sustainable design while maintaining an occupant-friendly teaching environment.
Buildings in New York City to be Awarded Grades Based on their Energy Efficiency
Following the footsteps of Australia and the European Union, buildings in New York City will be graded based on their energy efficiency. The main goal is to reduce the GHG emissions of buildings, which account for two-thirds of the emissions of the city. By the beginning of 2020, mid-size and large buildings will be required to submit their annual energy consumption details. Further, they will have to post the grades allotted by the city based on the energy data.
The process would include the submission of energy-use statistics to an online portal developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).The tool will calculate greenhouse emissions by taking into account factors such as building type, number of occupants etc. The buildings will then submit their scores to the city, after which letter grades will be awarded. The grading spectrum will range from ‘A’ to ‘D’ with ‘A’ allotted to highly energy efficient buildings while ‘D’ will indicate energy guzzlers.
Pushing the Boundaries of Self-Sufficiency, the Newly Designed Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) Generates 130% More Energy than Needed
Proceeding rapidly towards the final completion stage, the 15,000 sq.ft building designed by Ashley McGraw for the Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) challenges conventional thinking towards energy efficiency by generating 130% more energy than it needs. The building is located in the Lehigh Valley town of Schnecksville, PA. Some of the key features of the building include a roof-mounted photovoltaic array, variable refrigerant flow system, daylighting controls, advanced electricity metering, and a solar thermal hot water system. The project aims to showcase the viability of net-zero commercial building to the construction sector.
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