scholarly journals Viewpoints on Environmental Assessment of Building Certification Method - Miljöbyggnad

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marita Wallhagen ◽  
Jan Akander ◽  
Abolfazl Hayati ◽  
Mathias Cehlin ◽  
Björn Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Production Management ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Building Regulations

Production, management, use, and end-of-life of buildings has a large impact on climate change. Therefore, environmental targets are set to lower the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector. To reach these targets building regulation and voluntary environmental assessment methods (EAMs) that evaluate and certify the building’s environmental impact are put forward as tools to push the building sector towards lower GHG emissions. In Sweden, building design is governed by building regulations and the dominant EAM is ‘Miljöbyggnad’ (MB) (“Environmental building”). Today, more than 1900 buildings have been certified by MB and it has influenced the building and property sector. In this chapter the potential impact MB and the linked Swedish building regulations have on building performance, energy use and GHG emissions, will be reviewed and discussed. The analysis investigates several of the MB’s indicators, evaluate to what degree EAMs can influence the design of the building and the energy system to lower the energy use and GHG emissions based on material choices. The analysis presents important aspects that may influence the design of the building and its energy system and what challenges and possibilities the indicators, criteria and regulations can have on buildings and climate change. In addition, some modification and suggestion for improvements are presented.

Building Sector & Climate Change: The Case of Hungary

2014 ◽  
Vol 899 ◽  
pp. 99-104
Author(s):  
Attila Talamon
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Energy And Environment ◽  
Low Energy Buildings

Building sector plays an important role in climate impacts mitigation, as it is responsible for 40% of global energy use and global GHG emissions. Climate change has a dual implication on the built environment: on one hand human settlements and buildings are vulnerable to the effects of changing climate and on the other hand the building sector has a significant climate change mitigation potential. Although nowadays the trends are positive, the share of newly built low-energy buildings is very low, the near-zero-energy building market is in its early phase. Simultaneously the optimizing technologies in the building design are strongly highlighted. The presence of the energy and environment efficient buildings and the stringent building energy regulations of the EU need more accurate building design. The constant design parameters will come to foreground and their role will be appreciated. The relevant sustainable development and building policies, as well as the building design, construction and maintenance should jointly respond both to adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. This paper focuses the relevance of the main constant design parameter: How to take into account the increasing outdoor temperature in the building energy design.

scholarly journals Water impacts and water-climate goal conflicts of local energy choices – notes from a Swedish perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 376 ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecka Ericsdotter Engström ◽  
Mark Howells ◽  
Georgia Destouni
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Local Energy ◽  
Sustainable Energy System ◽  
Liquid Biofuel

Abstract. To meet both the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), nations, sectors, counties and cities need to move towards a sustainable energy system in the next couple of decades. Such energy system transformations will impact water resources to varying extents, depending on the transformation strategy and fuel choices. Sweden is considered to be one of the most advanced countries towards meeting the SDGs. This paper explores the geographical origin of and the current water use associated with the supply of energy in the 21 regional counties of Sweden. These energy-related uses of water represent indirect, but still relevant, impacts for water management and the related SDG on clean water and sanitation (SDG 6). These indirect water impacts are here quantified and compared to reported quantifications of direct local water use, as well as to reported greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as one example of other types of environmental impacts of local energy choices in each county. For each county, an accounting model is set up based on data for the local energy use in year 2010, and the specific geographical origins and water use associated with these locally used energy carriers (fuels, heat and electricity) are further estimated and mapped based on data reported in the literature and open databases. Results show that most of the water use associated with the local Swedish energy use occurs outside of Sweden. Counties with large shares of liquid biofuel exhibit the largest associated indirect water use in regions outside of Sweden. This indirect water use for energy supply does not unambiguously correlate with either the local direct water use or the local GHG emissions, although for the latter, there is a tendency towards an inverse relation. Overall, the results imply that actions for mitigation of climate change by local energy choices may significantly affect water resources elsewhere. Swedish counties are thus important examples of localities with large geographic zones of water influence due to their local energy choices, which may compromise water security and the possibility to meet water-related global goals in other world regions.

scholarly journals Is Green Recovery Enough? Analysing the Impacts of Post-COVID-19 Economic Packages

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (17) ◽  
pp. 5567
Author(s):  
Pedro R. R. Rochedo ◽  
Panagiotis Fragkos ◽  
Rafael Garaffa ◽  
Lilia Caiado Couto ◽  
Luiz Bernardo Baptista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Investment Planning ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Support Employment ◽  
Societal Changes

Emissions pathways after COVID-19 will be shaped by how governments’ economic responses translate into infrastructure expansion, energy use, investment planning and societal changes. As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, most governments worldwide launched recovery packages aiming to boost their economies, support employment and enhance their competitiveness. Climate action is pledged to be embedded in most of these packages, but with sharp differences across countries. This paper provides novel evidence on the energy system and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions implications of post-COVID-19 recovery packages by assessing the gap between pledged recovery packages and the actual investment needs of the energy transition to reach the Paris Agreement goals. Using two well-established Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) and analysing various scenarios combining recovery packages and climate policies, we conclude that currently planned recovery from COVID-19 is not enough to enhance societal responses to climate urgency and that it should be significantly upscaled and prolonged to ensure compatibility with the Paris Agreement goals.

Green Building Technologies

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Jeremy Gibberd
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Technical Detail ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Global Energy ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Structured Approach

Buildings are responsible for 40% of global energy use and produce over a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. These impacts are being acknowledged and addressed in specialist building design techniques and technologies that aim to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings. These techniques and technologies can be referred to collectively as green building technologies. This chapter describes green building technologies and shows why they are vital in addressing climate change and reducing the negative environmental impacts associated with built environments. A structured approach is presented which can be applied to identify and integrate green building technologies into new and existing buildings. By combining global implications with technical detail, the chapter provides a valuable guide to green building technologies and their role in supporting a transition to a more sustainable future.

scholarly journals Scenario Analysis for GHG Emission Reduction Potential of the Building Sector for New City in South Korea

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 5514
Author(s):  
Seo-Hoon Kim ◽  
SungJin Lee ◽  
Seol-Yee Han ◽  
Jong-Hun Kim
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Ghg Reduction ◽  
New City

A new government report on climate change shows that global emissions of greenhouse gases have increased to very high levels despite various policies to reduce climate change. Building energy accounts for 40% of the world’s energy consumption and accounts for 33% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. This study applied the LEAP (Long-range energy alternatives planning) model and Bass diffusion method for predicting the total energy consumption and GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions from the residential and commercial building sector of Sejong City in South Korea. Then, using the Bass diffusion model, three scenarios were analyzed (REST: Renewable energy supply target, BES: Building energy saving, BEP: Building energy policy) for GHG reduction. The GHG emissions for Sejong City for 2015–2030 were analyzed, and the past and future GHG emissions of the city were predicted in a Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario. In the REST scenario, the GHG emissions would attain a 24.5% reduction and, in the BES scenario, the GHG emissions would attain 12.81% reduction by 2030. Finally, the BEP scenario shows the potential for a 19.81% GHG reduction. These results could be used to guide the planning and development of the new city.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Link between Low Carbon Reductions Strategies and Its Performance in the Context of Climate Change: A Carbon Footprint of a Wood-Frame Residential Building in Quebec, Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Padilla-Rivera ◽  
Ben Amor ◽  
Pierre Blanchet
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Quebec City ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Change Mitigation

The design and study of low carbon buildings is a major concern in a modern economy due to high carbon emissions produced by buildings and its effects on climate change. Studies have investigated (CFP) Carbon Footprint of buildings, but there remains a need for a strong analysis that measure and quantify the overall degree of GHG emissions reductions and its relationship with the effect on climate change mitigation. This study evaluates the potential of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the building sector by evaluating the (CFP) of four hotpots approaches defined in line with commonly carbon reduction strategies, also known as mitigation strategies. CFP framework is applied to compare the (CC) climate change impact of mitigation strategies. A multi-story timber residential construction in Quebec City (Canada) was chosen as a baseline scenario. This building has been designed with the idea of being a reference of sustainable development application in the building sector. In this scenario, the production of materials and construction (assembly, waste management and transportation) were evaluated. A CFP that covers eight actions divided in four low carbon strategies, including: low carbon materials, material minimization, reuse and recycle materials and adoption of local sources and use of biofuels were evaluated. The results of this study shows that the used of prefabricated technique in buildings is an alternative to reduce the CFP of buildings in the context of Quebec. The CC decreases per m2 floor area in baseline scenario is up to 25% than current buildings. If the benefits of low carbon strategies are included, the timber structures can generate 38% lower CC than the original baseline scenario. The investigation recommends that CO2eq emissions reduction in the design and implementation of residential constructions as climate change mitigation is perfectly feasible by following different working strategies. It is concluded that if the four strategies were implemented in current buildings they would have environmental benefits by reducing its CFP. The reuse wood wastes into production of particleboard has the greatest environmental benefit due to temporary carbon storage.

scholarly journals AN ITERATIVE ASSESSMENT CONCEPT FOR BUILDING DESIGN BASED ON THE ECO‐FACTOR

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-56
Author(s):  
Henrik Brohus ◽  
Erik Bjørn
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Indoor Climate ◽  
Energy Efficient Buildings ◽  
Energy Optimisation ◽  
And Control ◽  
Indoor Comfort

Problems in office buildings are often related to the design and control of the indoor environment and of the building as an energy system. The often interconnected nature of the above two issues is important to take into account, since, for instance, internal and external heat loads, temperatures, and air change rates affect both energy use and indoor comfort. Thus, to avoid the indoor climate problems, it is essential that energy optimisation is integrated with assessment of indoor climate. An assessment concept based on the so‐called Eco‐factor has been developed; it can assist building designers in creating solutions of these problems. The assessment concept is meant to be an integral part of new design guidelines for office buildings, which aim to achieve energy efficient buildings with a good indoor comfort and low environmental impact. The building designers have different needs at different stages of the design process. For this reason, the assessment concept makes use of the Eco‐factor tool, which is defined so input can be based on both simple and advanced calculations in early and later phases of design, respectively, while still delivering the same output.

scholarly journals Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies to Combat Climate Change in the Built Environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1267-1271
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Combat Climate Change ◽  
Building Life Cycle

The built environment with its high energy consumption and carbon emissions during the building life cycle has played a significant role in environmental degradation and global warming. Today the built environment accounts for more than half of global energy use and more than one-third of greenhouse gas emissions in the developed and developing world. New concepts of multidisciplinary design must be generated to develop a climate-responsive and energy-efficient built environment which adapts to the changing environmental conditions and mitigates the causes of the rapid change. By doing so, the building sector can drastically reduce its GHG emissions. Moreover, buildings can also adapt to the constant changes in the environment using emerging technologies such as the use of dynamic climate adaptive building envelopes. This paper presents an overview of climate change theory and its relationship to the built environment and novel methods of mitigation and adaptation.

A weighted multi-objective optimisation approach to improve based facade aperture sizes in terms of energy, thermal comfort and daylight usage

2020 ◽  
pp. 174425912093004
Author(s):  
Yiğit Yılmaz ◽  
Burcu Çiğdem Yılmaz
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Multi Objective ◽  
Design Variables

In building design, the decision-makers should not focus only on energy efficiency as a single objective but indoor environmental quality indicators, such as thermal comfort, daylight usage and so on, should also be considered as a part of building performance. The building performance can be ensured by determining the proper performance indicators and the variables during the design. In this context, a weighted (among the objectives) multi-objective cost function was proposed, for the optimisation of energy, thermal comfort and daylight usage of a case study archetype design, through the selected design variables, considering the base architectural design principles as well. A typical social housing archetype design was determined as the case study to apply the proposed approach. The window sizes are optimised for each orientation simultaneously, for a temperate-humid climatic region. The results were evaluated in terms of improvement potentials of energy, thermal comfort and daylight performances, and the dominant values for the window sizes for each facade. According to the results, the optimised scenario achieved an 11.42% reduction in primary energy use equivalent to 181.24 kWh/m2a, a 4.52% reduction in a predicted percentage of dissatisfied with 9.12%, and a reduction in lighting energy of 4.94% equivalent to 21.17 kWh/m2a. These reductions verify the possibility to achieve higher performances on each criterion.

Energy Use in the Building Sector and Climate Change: Modeling, Developments, and Future Trends

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Francesco Guarino ◽  
Sonia Longo ◽  
Marina Mistretta ◽  
Maurizio Cellura
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Building Sector
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