Green Buildings save up to 43 per cent on energy running costs

The 8th General Meeting of Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), a leading non-governmental organisation working in the field of environmental protection in the UAE, hosted another lively lecture on the controversial topic of sustainable development in the construction sector through the design and implementation of green buildings, as well as through the use of recyclable materials in the construction and furnishing process. Held on 18th November, 2003 at Le Meridien Hotel Dubai, the meeting was addressed by Mr. Sougata Nandi, Manager, Energy and Resource Reduction, ServeU, a Union Properties Group Company.

"EEG's mission has been to explore the depths of critical issues in order to understand the probable answers to different problems that are linked to our continuous growth and development. When we talk about sustainability, we do not look at one or two decades, but hundreds of years. I am so proud of the tremendous leap taken by our country encompassing every sphere of growth, but I am equally concerned about the long term implications. That is why this topic is close to my heart. We broached the basic issue in our last general meeting, we would like to delve a little deeper in this one. From the aesthetic part of buildings, we would like to move to the material considerations, and learn from our speaker this evening how green buildings are an imperative that would lead to better environment and sustainable development through our use of resources to meet our needs without depriving resources of future generations," said Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson, EEG.

"While the current construction boom is a reflection of the economic and technological progress made by the country, it also gives rise to a host of new questions. Do we have enough water and electricity to indefinitely sustain the infrastructure requirements of the population? Can green buildings help in addressing these long-term requirements? Therefore, have green buildings moved on from the realm of conjecture to reality?"

"Green buildings are an essential part of sustainable development in not just the construction industry, but the overall regional development as well," said Al Marashi.

"By taking into account factors such as energy efficient devices and recycled and recyclable construction material, environmental friendly architecture ensures that the limited physical resources available to us are used to satisfy our needs without creating a scenario of permanent depletion, thus depriving future generations of their rightful share."

According to a recent Energy Resource Center Project, conducted by the government of USA, the annual operational energy cost of a green building is up to 43 per cent less than that of a normal building. However, the initial capital required for the implementation of a green building project is higher than that of a normal building, by an estimated 1.6 per cent. The annual operational energy cost has been derived from the lifecycle energy running cost calculated over a 15 year period for both normal and green buildings.

Detailing the logistics of green architecture, Sougata Nandi pointed out that the implementation of a green building project involves efficient use of construction essentials such as water and electricity, use of energy efficient construction equipment, the use of renewable energy resources in both the construction process and the eventual lifecycle running costs, as well as the establishment of effective building management systems. One of the lesser known facts spotlighted by Nandi was the use of recycled and recyclable construction material such as concrete in the building process.

"It is a well documented fact that our planet is fast heading towards a point where construction favourites such as natural wood will be confined to history books," said Nandi.

"On the other hand, buildings that become unsafe for a variety of reasons have to be pulled down, and the problem of disposal of the old building material, creates nightmarish waste scenarios. The obvious solution then is to recycle old building material into new construction projects. Recycling reduces the strain on limited natural resources, as well as solves the problem of finding landfills for material such as concrete that does not degrade very fast."

"Recycling of construction material is not entirely new," added Nandi. "Countries such as the United States have experimented in this field, and there is a thriving industry based on recycling construction as well as other kinds of waste material. However, the percentage of buildings adopting green architecture is still considerably lower than the ordinary buildings that do not take into account environmental issues."

A qualified Energy Engineer from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), with over 8 years experience in the field of Energy Conservation and Management, Nandi has conducted energy conservation programmes for buildings and industries in India, Nepal and the UAE. His specialization is in Lighting, Water Conservation and Management Approach to energy conservation.

Drawing on his experience, Nandi also detailed the criteria that determines the degree of environmental friendly status of a building. Buildings are rated at both the design and post completion in-use stages. Points are awarded for quality of atmosphere and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, efficient use of water, sustainable sites that do not tamper with the natural geographical landscape of the surrounding area, quality and reusability of construction materials and innovation in the field of environmental protection.

Expressing EEG's indebtedness to the speaker and the member hotel for facilitating the organisation of this lecture for the benefit of the community, Al Marashi said, "We have completed another successful year of successful dialogue, examining numerous environmental issues that are of strategic importance to the region we live in. For the rise in awareness about environmental issues, I would like to most especially thank our speaker for the evening and the speakers in the previous general meetings, who have willingly and passionately given of their time, experience and knowledge and contributed to EEG's mission for a healthy, sustainable and protected environment."

With this lecture, EEG concluded its planned eight public lectures for this year, covering a diverse range of topics from wildlife to energy, water, architecture, environmental management, and so on. Next year, it will once again organise 8 lectures for public awareness on many critical environmental issues that will be free and open to all.