Funding community sustainable development using zero energy buildings

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-43
Author(s):  
Daniel Wubah ◽  
Chris Steuer ◽  
Guilbert Brown ◽  
Karen Rice
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Community Sustainability ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Community Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Infrastructure Project

Purpose This study aims to provide an example of how higher education institutions (HEIs) can use a successful campus infrastructure project to fund a student- and faculty-led, community-success platform that advances the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach The authors applied conceptual models for systems thinking and creating virtuous cycles to analyze Millersville University’s work to establish a community-impact, micro-grant fund using cost savings and utility rebates associated with a new campus zero-energy building. The analysis provides a case study that other HEIs can implement to create university and community virtuous cycles that advance the SDGs. Findings The case study suggests that as HEIs face increasing financial challenges, opportunities exist to capitalize on philanthropic giving and other funding sources to support community prosperity and increase university vitality through a shared responsibility paradigm centered on the SDGs. Practical implications This case study identifies specific funding sources that HEIs can use to fund campus and community sustainability projects using the SDG framework, mechanisms for establishing shared purpose around that impact and a conceptual model for thinking about opportunities to leverage philanthropic giving to create a virtuous cycle that increases university vitality through community impact. Social implications Constructing a campus zero energy building funded in part through philanthropic giving provided a unique opportunity to explore how a project’s success can be leveraged to create additional community successes. This case study offers an example for how to convert one success into a platform that funds projects that have direct community impact in one or more of the SDG goal areas. Originality/value This paper aims at bridging the gap between theoretical frameworks for community sustainable development and descriptive-only case studies by using a case study to demonstrate a conceptual model or framework for advancing community sustainability (Karatzoglou, 2013). The case study provides a unique model for using utility rebates associated with an infrastructure project that was funded through philanthropic giving to establish a fund for projects that support the community. Utility rebates associated with campus energy efficiency projects are often otherwise overlooked, used to fund additional energy efficiency projects or simply returned to a university’s operating budget. For some HEIs, this model may connect the work of facilities staff to student success in ways that have not previously been explored. For others, this alternative use of utility rebates may offer an opportunity to increase the investment value of utility rebate dollars by creating virtuous cycles within their communities that contribute to university vitality.

Nearly zero energy building renovation: From energy efficiency to environmental efficiency, a pilot case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 166 ◽  
pp. 271-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arianna Brambilla ◽  
Graziano Salvalai ◽  
Marco Imperadori ◽  
Marta Maria Sesana
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Environmental Efficiency ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building

Towards nearly zero energy building concept – visual comfort and energy efficiency assessments in a classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norhayati Mahyuddin ◽  
Mozhgan Samzadeh ◽  
Suzaini M. Zaid ◽  
Norafida Ab Ghafar
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Building Energy Efficiency ◽  
Visual Comfort ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Efficiency Cost ◽  
Simple Action

PurposeThis paper aims to raise awareness on how a simple action by the occupant can significantly influence building energy efficiency, cost and CO2 emissions to the environment. Classrooms in schools are the primary energy consumers (45.4%) due to the use of artificial lighting, despite Malaysia's tropical climate being ideal for daylight exploitation. This paper focuses on assessing the workplane daylight distribution quality and quantity in baseline and existing conditions of a typical pre-school classroom in Kuala Lumpur as a model-based exploration strategy towards nearly Zero Energy Buildings.Design/methodology/approachThe adopted method is based on the calculation of average daylight factor (DF), daylight illuminance level (IL) and uniformity ratio (UR) parameters affected by the internal fixed drapes through computational and in situ measurements according to the requirements of the law and respective standards comprising the MS1525:2019, GBI and BREEAM.FindingsThe results show how user behaviour can turn a well-daylit area (Net Lettable Area>90%) into a poor-daylit area (NLA<5%) by sacrificing natural daylight. All the parameters' values were significantly decreased from 10% (UR) up to 88% (ADF). Full dependency on artificial lighting has imposed a total of RM18858.90 and CO2 emissions of 25,362 kg for all pre-schools' classrooms in the country per day.Social implicationsThe paper develops the occupants' awareness on their contribution to climate change and global warming through the information and transparency provided.Originality/valueThe evidence indicates that a simple action by the occupant can significantly influence visual comfort, EE, cost and CO2 emissions to the environment.

scholarly journals Plan for the Sustainability of Public Buildings through the Energy Efficiency Certification System: Case Study of Public Sports Facilities, Korea

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 589
Author(s):  
Seon Gyeong Baek
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
National Level ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Preliminary Review ◽  
Sports Facilities ◽  
Building Energy Efficiency ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Public Buildings ◽  
Zero Energy Building

This study examines strategies for energy efficiency in public buildings in Korea and the implementation of certification systems. It also identifies the actual plan status and discusses improvements at the institutional level. The target is the national sports centers, where the discussion on energy efficiency has been assiduous, as they have recently expanded regionally in Korea. Among the 541 national sports centers in Korea, 90 facilities for which a preliminary review was performed on the plan by the National Public Building Center were analyzed. The energy efficiency plan is realized through Building Energy Efficiency, Zero Energy Building, and Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design certifications. As a result of analyzing the plan status, omissions or errors in certification were confirmed in about 10% of each, even though more than 80% of the facilities were subject to mandatory application. In Korea’s condition, to revitalize the practice of the system, it is necessary to expand the government’s publicity and support initiatives, use differential application of evaluation items, and strengthen incentives. This study provides meaningful results and suggestions for implementing an energy efficiency system at the national level under similar conditions in the future.

scholarly journals A Case Study for large-scale nearly zero energy retrofits of existing office building in Beijing

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 03016
Author(s):  
Fei Lu ◽  
Yu Zou ◽  
Deyu Sun ◽  
Biao Qiao ◽  
Ji Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Office Building ◽  
Zero Energy ◽  
Zero Energy Building ◽  
Energy Efficiency Standard ◽  
Technical Solutions ◽  
Building Project

This paper studied the retrofit project of an existing office building in Beijing to meet the requirements of nearly zero energy buildings. The office building is the first retrofit nearly zero energy building project in China. There are technical difficulties under the constraints of the building and resources. In order to study the technical solutions applicable to the project, we analyzed the suitability of different energy-saving technologies based on the resources and characteristics of the project. Then we obtained the key energy-saving factors. This paper also discussed the energy saving effects of different energy efficiency technology solutions, proposing an optimized nearly zero energy technology solution and verifying the energy-saving level of the optimized plan. Compared with normal new constructions complied with national energy efficiency standard, the energy efficiency of this retrofit building increased by 60%.

Using the private finance initiative for energy efficiency projects at the urban scale

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto De Marco ◽  
Giulio Mangano ◽  
Fania Valeria Michelucci ◽  
Giovanni Zenezini
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Light Emitting Diode ◽  
Project Finance ◽  
Private Finance Initiative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Light Emitting ◽  
Alternate Forms ◽  
Private Investors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest the usage of the project finance (PF) scheme as a suitable mechanism to fund energy efficiency projects at the urban scale and present its advantages and adoption barriers. Design/methodology/approach – A case study is developed to renew the traffic lighting system of an Italian town via replacement of the old lamps with new light-emitting diode (LED) technology. Several partners are involved in the case project to construct a viable PF arrangement. Findings – The case study presents the viability of the proposed PF scheme that provides for acceptable financial returns and bankability. However, it also shows that the need for short concession periods may call for a public contribution to the initial funding to make the project more attractive to private investors. Practical implications – This case study is a useful guideline for governments and promoters to using the PF arrangement to fund energy efficiency investments in urban settings. It helps designing an appropriate PF scheme and understanding the advantages of PF to reduce risk and, consequently, increase the debt leverage and profitability of energy efficiency projects. Originality/value – This paper contributes to bridging the gap about the lack of works addressing the implementation of the PF mechanism in the energy efficiency sector in urban areas. The importance of this paper is also associated with the shortage of traditional public finance faced by many cities that forces to seek for alternate forms of financing.

scholarly journals A Framework for Assessing Commitment Indicators in Sustainable Development Decisions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5234
Author(s):  
Mustafa S. Al-Tekreeti ◽  
Salwa M. Beheiry ◽  
Vian Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Capital Projects ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Corporate Leaders ◽  
Corporate Decisions ◽  
Waste Energy ◽  
Infrastructure Project

Numerous decision support systems have been developed to address the decision-making process in organizations. However, there are no developed mechanisms to track commitment down the line to the decisions made by corporate leaders. This paper is a portion of a study that establishes a framework for a comprehensive metric system to assess commitment to Sustainable Development (SD) decisions down the line in capital projects, and sets the groundwork for further development of performance indicators for SD outcomes. This ultimately leads to investigating the relationship between commitment to corporate decisions and better project performance in SD parameters. Hence, this study explores the literature to extract relevant parameters that reflect the degree of the project participants’ commitment to SD decisions and to develop commitment indicators. The study created then validated an index to track this commitment along the project stages: the Sustainable Development Commitment Tracking Tool (SDCTT). The SDCTT was tested on an infrastructure project case study. In this paper, techniques relevant to the first stage of projects (planning and definition) are presented. The SDCTT is the groundwork for the future development of performance indicators for SD outcomes, and within the postulated model should ultimately contribute towards reducing project waste, energy use, and carbon emissions.

scholarly journals Evaluation of CO2 emissions and energy use with different container terminal layouts

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Arif Budiyanto ◽  
Muhammad Hanzalah Huzaifi ◽  
Simon Juanda Sirait ◽  
Putu Hangga Nan Prayoga
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Container Terminal ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Future Planning ◽  
Container Handling

AbstractSustainable development of container terminals is based on energy efficiency and reduction in CO2 emissions. This study estimated the energy consumption and CO2 emissions in container terminals according to their layouts. Energy consumption was calculated based on utility data as well as fuel and electricity consumptions for each container-handling equipment in the container terminal. CO2 emissions were estimated using movement modality based on the number of movements of and distance travelled by each container-handling equipment. A case study involving two types of container terminal layouts i.e. parallel and perpendicular layouts, was conducted. The contributions of each container-handling equipment to the energy consumption and CO2 emissions were estimated and evaluated using statistical analysis. The results of the case study indicated that on the CO2 emissions in parallel and perpendicular layouts were relatively similar (within the range of 16–19 kg/TEUs). These results indicate that both parallel and perpendicular layouts are suitable for future ports based on sustainable development. The results can also be used for future planning of operating patterns and layout selection in container terminals.

Case study of sustainable service design in the hospitality industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-An Chen ◽  
Chun Liang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holistic Understanding

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how creative-cultural hotels can achieve sustainable service design through the development of a holistic conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach The authors created this framework using a qualitative exploratory multi-case study of four creative-cultural hotels in Taiwan. The framework comprises strategic, organizational and interface levels to describe the design process and implementation of service offerings that co-create value within a multifaceted network of actors. Findings The findings of this study show that incorporating local arts and culture into sustainable service design can generate unique value and experiences for customers. From the perspective of sustainable development, these hotels seek to add value by using local creative and cultural resources to ensure that they have a sound commercial base from which to showcase their cultural features. As such, this study recommends that the hotel industry shift its focus to a paradigm that provides a strategic and sustainability-framed vision to create value for society while protecting local natural and cultural resources. Originality/value This multilevel model reframes the development of customer value constellations through a holistic understanding of user experience, eco-design practice, service encounters aligned with user touchpoints and front-line employee capabilities. To integrate the perspectives of both service providers and their customers, the proposed model embeds these stakeholders within a single model through the vehicle of local value co-creation. This holistic framework can assist in designing sustainable service within the hospitality industry to deliver better services and customer experiences. The findings provide an illustration of how the proposed multilevel sustainable-development-oriented service design framework can serve as a useful tool in guiding hotels toward corporate sustainability.

Framing the role of higher education in sustainable development: a case study analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanna Elmassah ◽  
Marwa Biltagy ◽  
Doaa Gamal
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) should play a fundamental role in achieving the international 2030 sustainable development (SD) agenda. Quality education is the fourth of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and one of the targets related to this is to ensure that by 2030 all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote SD. Therefore, the SDGs provide a motive for HEIs to integrate SD concepts into their day-to-day practices. This study aims to introduce a framework for HEIs’ sustainable development assessment. Such a framework guides HEIs and educational leaders to support their countries’ commitments to achieving the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of a case study analysis of the role and successful techniques of HEIs in achieving SD in three countries, namely, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Primary data was collected by semi-structured interviews with three Cairo University officials, while secondary data was collected by reviewing the universities' official websites, reports, publications and related papers. This study introduces a novel framework for HEIs' SD analysis and assessment, which guides HEIs and educational leaders to support SD to fulfill their countries' commitments to achieving the SDGs. This framework is based on the following five categories: strategic direction and institutional working practices, supporting students, supporting university staff competencies, supporting society's stakeholders and networking and sustainable campus. Consideration is given to the potential role of HEIs to support SD in each of these areas. Findings Cairo University could learn from the novel and pioneer practices of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, and the University of Tokyo to fill in the gaps it has in different roles. It can also put more effort into adopting the suggested higher education programs of Egypt's Vision 2030. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to a case analysis comparing three countries, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Second, this study has not considered school education, which is equally essential in countries' SD. Practical implications HEIs can use the framework and the findings in this paper to evaluate their current roles in supporting SD, identify the gaps and take actions accordingly to address their weaknesses. Originality/value The paper compares three universities, one in each of the case study countries. It draws conclusions that identify ways in which the paper's framework and findings can guide SD practice in HEIs internationally, especially those in the developing world.

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