In an article on the Washington Post website, Nicolás Rivero discusses the world’s first LEED Zero Energy certified residential development in Hunter’s Point, Florida where every house produces more electricity than it uses. Why people don’t have to pay anything for electricity in this Florida community In this Florida development, no one pays an … Continue reading Florida community reaches LEED Zero
Category: construction
Emerging markets will need $1.5 trillion in investment before 2035 to make new and existing buildings environmentally friendly and avoid a jump in climate-damaging emissions
Tommy Wilkes and Simon Jessop write on the Reuter’s website that emerging markets will need $1.5 trillion in investment before 2035 to avoid a jump in climate-damaging emissions. China alone would need $1.33 trillion. The funds would be used for investments in electrification of older inefficient buildings with cleaner energy, and the construction of energy-efficient … Continue reading Emerging markets will need $1.5 trillion in investment before 2035 to make new and existing buildings environmentally friendly and avoid a jump in climate-damaging emissions
The need for addressing embodied carbon in our buildings
An efficient EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive must look out for the reduction of ‘whole life carbon emissions’ in order to achieve Europe’s climate goals, writes Zsolt Toth from BPIE in an article on the EURACTIV website. Just published is a PhD thesis by Jane Anderson on on 'Reducing Embodied Carbon in the Built … Continue reading The need for addressing embodied carbon in our buildings
If you look back at the examples of the past two centuries, industry-wide reuse of such materials as iron from sunken ships should have been business as usual by now
Salman Shooshtarian and Tayyab Maqsood at RMIT University in Australia provide a fascinating article on The Conversation website about being innovative in using recycling materials for our building construction. Buildings used iron from sunken ships centuries ago. The use of recycled materials should be business as usual by now At Fremantle Prison in the … Continue reading If you look back at the examples of the past two centuries, industry-wide reuse of such materials as iron from sunken ships should have been business as usual by now
Roman-inspired approaches towards concrete might be a cost-effective way to make our infrastructure last longer
Nicola Davis writes on The Guardian website about new research showing that Romans had techniques to give concrete self-healing properties. Would this work now? ‘Self-healing’ Roman concrete could aid modern construction, study suggests They have stood through the fall of an empire, the carnage of great wars and the foundation of a new country. … Continue reading Roman-inspired approaches towards concrete might be a cost-effective way to make our infrastructure last longer
The European Commission has outlined possible “transition pathways” to address the environmental impact of the construction sector
Europe’s construction ecosystem employs approximately 24.9 million people but it is also extremely fragmented with 99.9% of the companies being SMEs. Nikolaus J. Kurmayer discusses on the EURACTIV website the plans of the European Commission to transform the sector and that digitalisation could be the silver bullet to address all the problems – lack of … Continue reading The European Commission has outlined possible “transition pathways” to address the environmental impact of the construction sector
Project to power 300 Scottish homes with ‘green hydrogen’ hit by delays, leaving some to question whether it is still worthwhile
Alex Lawson writes on The Guardian website about a Scottish project that openly question swhether it is a worthwhile undertaking and whether hydrogen will play a significant part in fuelling the homes of the future. What are your views? ‘World-first’ hydrogen project raises questions about its role in fuelling future homes On the northern … Continue reading Project to power 300 Scottish homes with ‘green hydrogen’ hit by delays, leaving some to question whether it is still worthwhile
New study shows benefits of construction using timber rather than concrete and steel
No doubt globally we need new construction. A new study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research shows the benefits of timber construction. Environmentalists, however, say replacing natural forests with wood plantations to realise shift in construction practices is ‘bonkers’ In an article on The Guardian website, Arthur Neslen discusses the study and the … Continue reading New study shows benefits of construction using timber rather than concrete and steel
European mayors pledge sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities
Mayors from European cities travelled to Kyiv on Friday 19 August to sign a political agreement to support the sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities. The accord outlines plans to match rebuilding needs in Ukraine with capabilities of other European cities. The pact is backed by the city network, Eurocities, and signed by Ukraine’s Congress of … Continue reading European mayors pledge sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities
Building materials have a heavy carbon footprint and present a concrete challenge to the climate
We need to rethink the way we construct our buildings in order to reduce embodied carbon. The strategies to reduce embodied carbon already exist – from building smarter to decarbonising building materials. To shine a light on these solutions, the Programme for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (PEEB) recently published a working paper presenting key facts … Continue reading Building materials have a heavy carbon footprint and present a concrete challenge to the climate
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 