Fight against climate change with green buildings

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To fight against climate change, builders, planners, designers, and architects urgently need to shift gears and implement sustainable designs and practices. Buildings, be it residential or commercial, are an alarmingly dominant source of almost 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), according to Architecture 2030, a prominent non-profit research organization in the US.

The solution – design and build Green!

In light of the grave threat to the environment and subsequently to all forms of life on this planet, building green then becomes critical to our very existence, health, and well-being. Green buildings are about straddling the structure’s entire ecosystem – planning, design, construction, operations, and its end-of-life impact on the environment. This entails looking at options that save energy and water, do not emit harmful GHGs, and are recyclable or sustainable. When a structure does all of this while also retaining the creation of vegetated land areas, it reduces GHGs and thus aids in the fight against climate change. By incorporating all the above elements, you contribute to the UN 17-point charter on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across many parameters which we will see in this article.

Best practices to go Green

Let us now look at elements to be considered as one adopts the Green building route.

  1. Energy requirements- depending on the construction and its need, consider solar, wind, and biogas as alternatives to fossil fuels. Solar is the best option for commercial and residential buildings.
  2. A shift from traditional engineered panels or wood as the choice of construction material is a good practice to adopt. The former emits high VOC emissions, and the latter pushes deforestation to new levels. Look at sustainable options made out of naturally renewable fiber, such as Agribiopanels, coco panels, hemp blocks, or Agrocrete made of agro-waste. They not only recycle Agri waste but provide a healthier environment to live in and are environmentally sustainable as they do not add to landfills or pollution. Remember to be mindful of the impact of each element in the design on the environment.
  3. Source materials close to home. One needs to consider not only the material but also its source. Lesser transport to and from the construction site cuts associated fuel consumption and emission of GHGs.
  4. Other green systems to incorporate in building engineering are radiant floors, grey water recycling, rainwater harvesting, geothermal systems, and energy-efficient window systems. These systems work together to help meet the energy and water-saving goals while lowering the utility bills. These measures help reduce the carbon footprint of buildings and are more energy-efficient.
  5. Retrofitting is another method to deploy to improve energy efficiency. It involves making changes to existing commercial buildings and aids operational optimization, IoT connectivity, onsite solar or renewable energy, and utilizing existing landscaping elements such as shade. In many cases, renovating an old building may be less expensive than constructing a new one from scratch.

Green buildings are growing in popularity and importance. Using sustainable building material improves your LEED and GRIHA ratings under the Green Building rating system.

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