Exploring Green Building and the Future of Construction
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the future of sustainable architecture, focusing on net-zero and green buildings. Host Matt Ferrell discusses how construction and office buildings contribute to energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The video highlights innovations like smart glass, green roofs, and materials like fungus-based walls that reduce energy usage. Examples of successful net-zero buildings, such as London's Crystal and Seattle's Bullitt Center, are provided. The video also covers the challenges and benefits of transitioning to eco-friendly buildings, including cost, design innovations, and global green initiatives aimed at decarbonizing all buildings by 2050.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Buildings contribute significantly to global CO2 emissions, accounting for 28% of energy-related emissions in 2019.
- 🏢 Net-zero and green buildings focus on reducing energy consumption and environmental impact by utilizing energy-efficient materials and renewable energy sources.
- 💡 Smart technologies like high-efficiency LED lighting, occupancy sensors, and advanced energy simulation tools help optimize building efficiency.
- 🏆 Certifications like LEED (USGBC) and BREEAM provide frameworks and ratings for sustainable building design, guiding owners in eco-friendly construction and operation.
- 🌞 Zero-energy buildings incorporate renewable energy sources like solar panels to offset power consumption and even supply surplus energy to the grid.
- 🍃 Retrofitting older buildings, like One Embankment Place and Powerhouse Kjørbo, shows that even existing structures can achieve significant energy and carbon reductions.
- 🏗️ The use of sustainable materials, such as mycelium-based insulation, is being explored for future eco-friendly construction methods, offering low-energy and biodegradable alternatives.
- 🔋 New technologies, like electrochromic glass, enable smart buildings to adjust to solar radiation and heat, reducing HVAC costs and improving overall energy efficiency.
- 🌆 Net-zero buildings are growing in popularity globally, with market value expected to more than double between 2018 and 2024, driven by policy changes and economic benefits.
- 💸 While initial costs for net-zero buildings may be higher, the long-term savings in energy and carbon-related expenses make them an appealing option for building owners.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video discussed in the transcript?
-The video focuses on green buildings, net-zero energy buildings, and sustainable construction methods aimed at reducing energy consumption and environmental impact.
How do green buildings contribute to energy efficiency?
-Green buildings reduce energy consumption by utilizing energy-efficient materials, on-site renewable energy like solar panels, and design features such as green roofs, smart windows, and high insulation. These measures minimize the need for heating, cooling, and lighting.
What are net-zero buildings and how do they function?
-Net-zero buildings are designed to produce as much clean energy as they consume, often using on-site renewable energy sources like solar panels. They aim to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact by combining energy efficiency with sustainable materials and technology.
What are some international certifications for green buildings?
-Some international certifications include the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and the U.K.'s BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method). Both provide guidelines for sustainable building design and operations.
What technologies are used to optimize green building design?
-Technologies like 3D building energy simulation tools, such as Green Building Studio, Energy Plus, and IES Energy Modeling, are used to optimize the building's energy efficiency by simulating climate, HVAC systems, and building orientation before construction.
What is the significance of Siemens' Crystal building in London?
-The Crystal is one of the greenest buildings in the world, achieving Platinum LEED and Outstanding BREEAM certifications. It features triple-glazed windows, solar panels, rainwater collection, and a building management system that monitors energy and water use.
What are the challenges associated with constructing net-zero energy buildings?
-Challenges include higher construction costs due to expensive materials, limited availability of experienced designers and builders, and difficulties in generating enough energy for high-rise buildings with limited roof space for solar panels.
How do retrofitted buildings like One Embankment Place contribute to sustainability?
-Retrofitted buildings like One Embankment Place in London integrate energy-saving systems, such as a tri-generation cooling and heating system powered by recycled vegetable oil, green walls, and daylight harvesting. These changes significantly reduce carbon emissions and energy costs.
What are some innovative materials and technologies being explored for sustainable building construction?
-Innovative materials include mycelium, a fungal spore used to create biodegradable bricks and insulation. Technologies like electrochromic (smart) glass, which adjusts to control solar heat gain, are also being explored to reduce energy consumption.
Why are net-zero and green buildings expected to grow in popularity?
-The growth is driven by policies such as the EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the increasing value of green buildings for owners through utility savings and higher building valuation, and growing awareness of their environmental benefits.
Outlines
🔋 Sustainable Energy Beyond Clean Sources
This section introduces the idea of reducing energy consumption by changing how buildings are constructed. It highlights green buildings, smart windows, and eco-friendly materials like fungus-based walls. The concept of net-zero buildings is explored, emphasizing their positive environmental impact. Matt Ferrell discusses how conventional materials like concrete and steel in construction contribute to pollution and high energy use, while net-zero buildings focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy integration to reduce environmental footprints.
🏢 Innovations in Net-Zero and Green Building Certifications
The section covers global certifications for green buildings, such as LEED from the U.S. and BREEAM from the U.K., both of which set standards for environmentally friendly construction. It explains how net-zero buildings strive to generate as much renewable energy as they consume, with features like solar panels, green roofs, and triple-pane windows to minimize energy needs. It stresses the importance of integrating sustainable, non-toxic materials, good air quality, and water efficiency in building designs, emphasizing the environmental and cost-saving benefits of such efforts.
💡 Advanced Energy Efficiency and Building Simulations
This part discusses the role of advanced software tools like Green Building Studio®, Energy Plus, and IES Energy Modeling in optimizing the design of green buildings. Engineers and architects use these simulations to analyze climate, HVAC systems, and materials, optimizing energy efficiency before construction even begins. High-profile examples, such as Siemens’ The Crystal in London and the Bullitt Center in Seattle, are presented to demonstrate how sustainable design can drastically reduce energy and water use while cutting operational costs.
🌍 Retrofitting Existing Buildings for Sustainability
The focus shifts to retrofitting older buildings for sustainability. Notable examples include One Embankment Place in London and Powerhouse Kjørbo in Norway. These buildings underwent renovations to include efficient ventilation, daylight harvesting, and renewable energy production, significantly reducing their energy needs and carbon emissions. Retrofitting can transform older buildings into green ones, as evidenced by the energy and cost savings achieved through innovations like using recycled materials and tri-generation systems fueled by waste vegetable oil.
📈 The Growing Market for Net-Zero Buildings
This section outlines the growth of the net-zero energy buildings market, expected to reach $2.1 billion by 2024. While construction costs for net-zero buildings remain higher than for conventional ones, the long-term benefits, such as reduced utility bills, increased property valuation, and insulation from energy price fluctuations, are driving adoption. Government policies, such as the EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, are supporting this trend, pushing for nearly net-zero buildings in new construction from 2020 onward.
🔬 Exploring New Building Materials and Technologies
The section introduces innovative materials like mycelium, a fungus-based building material that is biodegradable, non-toxic, and energy-efficient to produce. The Hy-Fi Project in New York is an example of mycelium being used to create a temporary tower that was later composted. There’s also mention of NASA’s interest in using fungus for habitats on the Moon and Mars due to its strength and insulation properties. Additionally, Electrochromic Glass (Smart Glass) technology is explained, which can dynamically adjust the tint of windows to optimize indoor temperature and reduce HVAC costs.
💡 New Technologies Driving the Future of Green Buildings
This section highlights several technologies that could revolutionize building efficiency, including nanotechnology-based Electrochromic Glass, which adjusts window tint in response to sunlight to regulate indoor temperatures. Projects like Netflix's office in Los Gatos have adopted this technology, optimizing building energy use with automated, customizable systems. The narrative reinforces how new materials, technological innovations, and government incentives are collectively contributing to the rise of energy-efficient, net-zero buildings around the world.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Net-zero buildings
💡Green building
💡LEED certification
💡BREEAM
💡Energy-efficient materials
💡Mycelium building materials
💡Electrochromic glass
💡Retrofitting
💡Tri-generation systems
💡Zero-carbon commitments
Highlights
Green buildings and net-zero energy construction help reduce CO2 emissions and lower energy costs.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed the LEED certification to rate the sustainability of buildings.
Net-zero buildings aim to produce as much energy as they consume, utilizing renewable energy like solar power.
The Crystal building in London uses rainwater collection and solar panels to meet energy needs and save on costs.
Seattle's Bullitt Center is made of locally sourced wood and includes triple-glazed windows for improved heat control and daylighting.
The Siemens Building Management System tracks water and energy consumption in real-time at The Crystal.
The Powerhouse Kjørbo project in Norway retrofitted 1980s buildings, reducing energy use by 86% while generating renewable energy on-site.
Building new net-zero structures increases construction costs by around 6.2% to 17%, depending on techniques used.
Green and net-zero buildings can increase property value, reduce energy costs, and improve occupant well-being through better air quality.
The Bullitt Center stores rainwater in a 56,000-gallon cistern, treating it for both potable and non-potable use.
The mycelium brick project by The Living Studio explores biodegradable building materials made from fungi and agricultural waste.
Electrochromic (Smart) Glass technology adjusts window transparency using nanotechnology to control solar radiation and heat.
The UK Green Building Council's study shows that net-zero offices built from 2025 will cost slightly more than standard offices.
Apple Park, the largest LEED Platinum-certified building, is an example of large-scale green and sustainable architecture.
Future innovations like using mycelium bricks and smart windows can reduce building energy use, but widespread adoption remains challenging due to higher costs and technical expertise.
Transcripts
This episode is brought to you by Brilliant ... click the link in the description below.
A lot of focus is put on generating cleaner energy for a sustainable future, but that’s
only one piece of the puzzle.
What if we could dramatically reduce our energy consumption just by changing the way we build
our office buildings and skyscrapers?
Imagine a skyscraper with smart windows and walls made from fungus … yes, a fungus.
Let’s explore green building and the future of construction.
And can going net-zero really make a difference?
I'm Matt Ferrell.
Welcome to Undecided.
Building homes and skyscrapers with thousands of pounds of concrete, steel, and other materials
is a major contributor to pollution and energy use.
But it's more than that.
Our homes and office buildings' lighting, heating and cooling, poor insulation, and
integration into the surrounding environment have a lasting impact on energy use and costs.
They require larger amounts of power and water to keep comfortable, which just keeps going
indefinitely.
Buildings accounted for 28% of energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019.
In order to reduce that problem, we need some innovations around how we build our houses,
offices, and skyscrapers.
This is where net-zero and green buildings come in.
These constructions are designed and built with the goal of creating positive impacts
on the environment and climate.
They can combine energy efficiency and renewable energy to reduce power consumption, benefit
the environment, and improve quality of life for the people that live or work in those
buildings.
The concept of green building has been scaling from small houses to big offices and skyscrapers
around the globe.
Some international certifications have been developed in order to provide clear guidelines
on how to do it.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (known as LEED) to rate green buildings and provide owners with a framework of cost-saving,
high-efficiency, and health for design, construction, operations, and maintenance.
Another popular certification is the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method from the U.K..
Also known as BREEAM ... bree-am?
... bream? ... who comes up with these acronyms?
Zero-energy buildings have on-site renewable power sources like solar panels to try and
produce as much clean energy as it consumes.
You can't always do 100%, but the goal is to get as much as you can.
The power generated during the daytime is consumed by the facility, and if there's an
energy surplus, the building delivers it to the grid to try and compensate for grid energy
consumption at night.
However, to improve efficiency, energy consumption needs to be reduced, so heating, cooling,
and lighting needs to be minimized.
To achieve that it's recommended to integrate things like green roofs, energy-efficient
windows with triple-pane glass and a low-emissivity coating, as well as good insulation.
Net-zero buildings are also considered “green” if they're constructed with non-toxic, eco-friendly,
and sustainable materials.
They should also use less water and have good air quality, so it becomes more sustainable.
Some of the simplest solutions you may have already seen where you work.
A good start to make a building more efficient is using high-efficiency LED and smart lighting.
Or occupancy sensors that are hooked up to the air conditioning or fan systems.
All of those can contribute considerably to reduce energy consumption.
But taking things to the next level, engineers and architects can perform advanced analysis
through 3D building energy simulation tools to achieve higher efficiencies.
Some software like Green Building Studio®, Energy Plus, and IES Energy Modeling enable
engineers and architects to improve a green building's design in order to increase their
sustainability.
They can perform a climate analysis and HVAC simulations, to optimize what materials to
use, and how to orient the building for best efficiency.
They can see exactly how the building will fare throughout the year before it's even
built.
Examples of green and net-zero buildings have been spreading worldwide over the past decade.
In London, for example, Siemens has built The Crystal, one of the greenest buildings
in the world.
This highly sustainable building is also a unique events venue.
It establishes the benchmark for sustainable building design, achieving the Platinum LEED
and Outstanding BREEAM accreditation – the most rigorous standards for sustainable design.
The Crystal is 70% illuminated by natural light due to its triple glazed windows, and
the solar panels produce 20% of the electricity the building uses.
Rainwater is collected from the roof and stored in an underground tank for use in the building.
100% of the water used in the toilets is taken from non-potable sources like that.
Another interesting feature is the 3,500 data points used by the Siemens Building Management
System to monitor the building's efficiency, which can view water and energy consumption
live.
This building cost about £30 million in 2012, but it saves a lot of money with electricity.
Peter Daw, Cities Projects Developer at Siemens, said “In terms of CO2 savings, we are saving
about 71% compared to an equivalent building.
In terms of energy costs we are saving about £500,000 a year.”
In Seattle, the Bullitt Center is considered one of the greenest commercial buildings in
the world.
Its structure is mostly composed of heavy timber and the materials were kept to their
natural state to avoid the toxins in today’s finishes.
And the wood was sourced locally.
The triple-glazed curtain wall system, which creates an air tight seal, along with the
orientation, provides heat control and improved daytime lighting, so the lights are basically
off most of the year.
In addition, a closed-loop geothermal system meets the heating and cooling load in the
office, and an air-to-air heat exchanger provides incoming fresh air from outside.
The Bullitt stores rainwater in a 56,000-gallon cistern in the basement, which is treated
and used for non-potable and potable uses, which means they can use it for drinking water.
According to Justin Stenkamp, a mechanical engineer with the company that designed the
building's control and plumbing systems, “These measures alone help to save approximately
80% of water use over a regular office building.”
All of that is well and good for building new buildings, but what about existing buildings?
One Embankment Place was built in the early 1990s in London for PricewaterhouseCoopers,
and it's a great example of zero-energy retrofitting, and today it’s one of the greenest buildings
in the world.
It utilizes a tri-generation combined cooling, heat, and power system fueled by recycled
waste vegetable oil.
It also has several open-plan spaces to harvest day lighting, roof gardens and green walls
to make the building more ecological, and low flush toilets to reduce water use.
Currently, the One Embankment Place emits 40% less carbon than a typical building of
its size; and 20% of its heat and 60% of its energy needs are produced on-site . From 2007
to 2015, PricewaterhouseCoopers saved £14 million with energy and carbon-related costs.
Another retrofitting example is the Powerhouse Kjørbo , located in Bærum, Norway.
I hope I didn't butcher that pronunciation.
These two office buildings from the 80s were retrofitted with efficient ventilation, insulation,
and daylighting.
In addition to producing renewable energy on-site, the energy needs of the buildings
has been reduced by more than 86%.
As a result, Powerhouse Kjørbo received an “outstanding” classification by BREEAM-NOR
. And probably the coolest part: the building produces about 230,000 kWh but only consumes
approximately 100,000 kWh.
With new buildings and retrofitting old buildings, what's the forecast for net-zero adoption?
According to one report, the global net-zero energy buildings market share was valued at
$896.6 million in 2018 and is expected to reach $2.1 billion by 2024 . That's some serious
growth that's being spurred on by not only policy, but the value it drives for building
owners.
Besides reducing utility bills and zeroing out energy use, it can increase the building’s
valuation and isolate owners from future energy price variation.
On top of that, the benefits also reach people who live or work in green buildings by experiencing
fresh air and enjoying an environment more connected to nature . And there's the positive
impact on the environment due to water conservation, and energy and material efficiency,
So, if this is all so great, why is it still a bit unusual to see a green or a net-zero
energy office building?
I worked in one for years here in Boston, but they're still hard to come by.
The cost of building a zero-energy building is higher than constructing a common one because
the building materials are usually more expensive, and there still isn’t a vast number of designers
or builders that are highly skilled and experienced in these types of buildings.
Also, high rises have many spaces and occupants in a vertical building with limited roof space
for solar panels, so it's difficult for them to produce all the energy they consume.
A study conducted by the United Kingdom Green Building Council (UKGBC) analyzed the feasibility
of the design, delivery, and cost of new net-zero-carbon buildings.
In the study, they broke it down into two buckets.
For offices being built using net-zero goals now through 2025, the cost is about 6.2% higher
than standard.
Looking further out at newer techniques and standards expected to be the norm by 2030,
the cost is 8-17% higher than standard.
Some governments are rolling out policies to stimulate net-zero, or nearly-zero, energy
buildings.
The EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is a good example.
It establishes that all new construction must be nearly net-zero from December 31th 2020
-- so everything from now onwards needs to meet this criteria.
Energy performance certificates must be issued when a construction is rented or sold, and
promote smart technologies like building automation and control systems.
Then there's the World Green Building Council -- a group of 70 Green Building Councils from
around the world -- who have, among other initiatives, the Net Zero Carbon Buildings
Commitment.
This challenges organizations, business, cities, states and regions to make all assets under
their direct control operate at zero carbon by 2030.
There are currently 94 businesses and organizations, 28 cities and 6 States/Regions participating,
covering nearly 6,000 assets.
By sharing knowledge and lessons learned, the initiative aims to remove barriers to
net-zero implementation and inspire others to take action.
Oh, and they also have the little goal of making every building in the world decarbonized
by 2050.
In addition to green policies, another approach to reduce cost and improve efficiency of net-zero
buildings are newer technologies and techniques currently being researched.
Such as ... fungus.
Fungus.
But before I talk about that, I'd like to thank Brilliant for sponsoring this video.
If you’d like to learn more about the physics behind buildings like skyscrapers or how solar
energy is captured to power them, check out the Physics of the Everyday course at Brilliant.
It's a fun one that goes through everyday objects and structures.
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It really helped me to look at the world in a different way.
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All of the concepts are conveyed through fun and interactive challenges, which help you
understand the "why" of something ... not just the "how."
It helps to develop your intuition.
Go to www.brilliant.org/Undecided to sign up for free.
The first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium membership.
Thanks to Brilliant and to all of you for supporting the channel.
So.
Fungus, huh?
What about walls made of plant materials?
This is still at the experimental stage, but it uses mycelium, a kind of fungal spore that
can be used to fill a form with an agricultural product, and the final result is a solid brick
or plate.
This composite has no toxic chemicals and doesn't take a lot of energy to make.
This material could be used as insulation between non-biodegradable materials to avoid
breaking apart since it is biodegradable.
A project using this material was developed by The Living Studio in New York in cooperation
with Ecovative Design.
The Hy-Fi Project was a tower about 12 meters high, composed of 10,000 bricks made of mushroom
mycelium and shredded corn stalks.
When the event ended after three months, the structure was dismantled and the bricks decomposed
to compost, exploiting their natural biodegradability.
While it's not primarily for net-zero reasons, using mycelium to build structures is being
studied by NASA to grow habitats on the Moon and Mars.
It has higher bend strength than reinforced concrete, is a great insulator, and can regrow
and repair itself.
If it's good enough for Martians, why not us?
A new technology that deals with solar radiation and its heat is Electrochromic Glass (Smart
Glass).
It utilizes nanotechnology, which is something I covered in a recent video, to produce small
electrical signals to slightly charge the windows in order to change the quantity of
radiation they reflect.
This tech could help to control the heat inside a building, which could save a lot of money
on HVAC costs, mainly in summer.
Usually, smart windows start a blueish color and, after a few minutes, turn transparent
when you apply an electrical charge.
Some companies have been producing and improving this technology.
For example, View Inc., an American smart window company implemented a project for Netflix’s
office in Los Gatos, CA, that used 56,200 sq. ft. of their smart glass, which uses a
predictive, automated system that can be customized and controlled through an app.
It takes a holistic view of the building, like the arc of the sun or obstructions to
dynamically adjust the tint of the windows.
As you can see there are a lot of different options and techniques out there for improving
how we build our buildings and use energy to keep them comfortable.
Even though the costs are still not universally affordable for all office and skyscraper owners,
the development of new materials, technologies, design improvements, and government incentives
can help the growth of this market worldwide.
It's pretty easy to imagine high-rise buildings and office parks with green roofs and zero
energy popping up in more and more cities in the next few decades.
Much like Apple Park, which is the largest LEED Platinum certified building.
Jump into the comments and let me know what you think ... and if you work or know of net
zero buildings in your area.
If you liked this video be sure to check out one of the ones I have linked right here.
Be sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell if you think I’ve earned it.
And as always, thanks all of my patrons and to all of you for watching.
I’ll see you in the next one.
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