Moving towards the aim of lower carbon
footprint, the concept of energy-efficiency is used in buildings today, which
not only saves power but also increases productivity and improve the quality of
people’s life. With the concept like Net-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs), the
construction industry is heading towards new heights.
The construction industry in India is
currently the second largest industry after agriculture. The
investment in construction accounts for nearly 8-9% of India’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). India has already recorded the highest
spending in construction driven by growing number of infrastructure projects
and a booming real estate sector. ‘High performance building’ is the new key
word of India’s infrastructure today.
Effective use of the scarce resources, proper
waste disposal and reduction in Green House Gas emissions are some of the
common concerns across the globe. The Earth’s limited resources have been continuously
exploited till now, as a result of which it is facing the alarming trend of
global warming, climate change and many other problems. The problems persist
due to our dependence on the non-renewable resource for generating energy and
lack of proper awareness about a sustainable development approach. But with increasing
awareness, the focus of lead players in the construction industry has shifted
to harmonizing lifestyles with renewable resources as well as improving
efficiencies in systems for ensuring current growth trends.
The only way to sustain life on Earth is to
focus on building infrastructure with a minimal environmental footprint. This is where energy efficiency in buildings
can make a crucial difference in reducing the construction industry’s carbon
footprint.
A zero-energy building – also known as a Zero Net
Energy (ZNE) building, Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB), or Net Zero Building – is
a popular term to describe a building with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions
annually. Zero energy buildings can be independent from the energy grid supply.
Energy can be harvested on-site – usually through a combination of energy-producing
technologies such as solar and wind power – while reducing the overall use of
energy with extremely efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) and lighting
technologies.
The most cost-effective steps towards reducing a
building’s energy consumption usually occur during the design process. This needs an integrated design approach.
Right when the project begins with site selection, its planning, aesthetics,
equipment choice, material selection, construction, commissioning and long-term
operation/maintenance must remain the focus of designers. Developing a
high-performance building therefore mandates close collaboration between owners,
architects, engineers, contractors and the operations team.
NZEBs require additional efforts on part of the
design team to cross the barrier of space constraints and install on-site
renewable power generation systems to meet the cumulative annual energy demand
of the building. This is a task easier said than done. Since most Indian cities
do not have potential for wind power generation, solar power generation is the
only viable option. But lack of adequate space (either roof or external greens)
for mounting solar power panels in a building significantly lowers the power
generation capability. The only means then to construct an NZEB is to match the
annual cumulative power demand with the energy produced by the on-site solar
panels. This requires innovative design solutions, optimization of design and
coordinated team effort as the objective has to be achieved without affecting
the functionality of the building.
As construction
practices worldwide continue to evolve towards higher sustainability goals,
India has a golden opportunity to carve its own niche by building responsibly. The
nation already has to its credit several efficient buildings from ancient times
such as the Taj Mahal, forts, palaces and monuments, which boast of harnessing
natural resources through climate-conscious designs. This knowledge was however
lost in the mists of time, particularly after western influences crept into
India constructions over the past few decades. As many developed nations now
adopt renewable energy sources, India must keep pace with the leaders.
With this goal in mind, the Delhi Chapter of
Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE)
has scheduled the largest technical conference in India related to
HVAC and Building Industry to be held in January 2012 – Acreconf. The
objective of Acreconf is to bring together on the same platform stakeholders of
future energy-conscious buildings. Eminent speakers from across the
world – including US Green Building
Council Chairman Mark Mac Cracken – will
share their experience and knowledge in order to accelerate the acceptance of
Net Zero Energy Buildings on a large scale in India.
In the words of Ashish Rakheja, Chief Operating
Officer, Spectral, an AECOM Company, “The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Reviving
Mother Earth through Better Building Design’. After the success of previous
sessions, ISHRAE has decided to conduct ACRECONF India 2012
on a larger, grander scale.”
Societies like
ASHRAE and other likeminded entities have set a goal to promote Net Zero Energy
Buildings and promote energy-efficient equipment to achieve this target by the year
2020. Towards this end, Acreconf is yet another step towards achieving the goal
of an energy-efficient India.
By GreentechLead.com Team
editor@greentechlead.com