Green and Sustainable Buildings – A Change to Modern Architecture
The rise in innovation technology resulted with the creation of new building design concepts that are more sustainable and energy efficient. Terms like ´Sustainable Building´, ´Energy Efficient Building´ and ´Green Building´ are more and more used to describe the modern building, the building of the future.
A green, energy efficient building is a building that is able to get the most work out of the energy that is supplied to them by taking certain steps to reduce energy loss. It is a type of building that is healthier and has less impact on the environment and it results in lower costs to maintain.
There is a concept that shows the way towards energy efficient buildings called The Trias Energetica. The Trias Energetica is a model developed by the Delft University of Technology as a guide for pursuing energy sustainability in the building sector. This concept is made up of three main steps:
– Limiting the energy demand by implementing energy-saving measures
– Maximizing the use of sustainable energy
– Reducing the need of fossil fuels (use fossil energy as efficiently as possible)
So, the first step to creating an energy-efficient building is to limit the energy demand through energy saving and thus increasing energy efficiency. There are a couple of ways we could do that:
– Implementation of proper insulation in the walls and roof
– Installing high-performance systems and appliances
– Installing windows with high quality
– Monitoring and evaluating performance so that we can see where energy is being wasted and the ways we can make improvements that are cost-effective
Next, we need to maximize the use of sustainable energy. People spend most of their time in buildings – working, eating, relaxing and sleeping. This is the place where they consume most of the electricity. So, why not implement a sustainable, renewable source of energy on this place?
When constructing a new, green building we should take into account the orientation of that building and the roof pitch, so that it would be suitable for placing solar panels on the roof of that building, or if there are conditions for it, on the façade of the building. Solar power systems play a big role in the construction of green buildings. Green buildings take full advantage of the renewable, solar energy whenever the conditions dictate it.
Another huge advantage that we get from green buildings is that they reduce the need of fossil fuels which results in lower carbon emissions. Green buildings have a sustainable architecture, use energy-efficient appliances and have passive healing and cooling which results in lower need of energy and that can dramatically decrease the carbon footprint.
Around the world, there are a number of green building systems and that’s a good start. Turning the majority of buildings into green, energy-efficient homes might take some time, but we are definitely headed in the right direction. If you are thinking about buying a new home that is powered by green, renewable energy and has a sustainable architecture, you are definitely part of the solution.
