Energy efficiency in buildings is considered a priority by various countries, and Canada is one of them

In many developed countries energy codes have been identified as the single best way to ensure buildings are energy efficient. Canada has seriously looked at the new code for application of clean and low-carbon energy in new buildings improving efficiency standards for different elements using, for example, triple-paned windows, lighting, building envelope, insulation, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, among others.

The goal is to reduce the costs for energy consumption and also greenhouse gas emissions. The last state joining this initiative is Alberta which is responsible for 19 megatonnes of gas emissions from buildings in 2014. The B.C. government also supported this initiative and included promising commitments in regard with sustainability in the building sector. The first milestones are the establishment of a zero energy target for new buildings by 2032 and the development of an energy “step code” for local governments. According to the new Zero Emissions Building Plan in B.C., within this coming decade near-zero emissions residential and commercial buildings will be the new reality in Vancouver.

The material used in construction can also help in building more energy efficient and sustainable houses. This is the example of Owens Corning, a leading global producer of residential and commercial insulation materials, who launched the ComfortCertified Program which offers the combined expertise related to energy saving in new buildings. The idea is that the initial inefficiencies, which can last for decades, must be energy efficient from the early stage of the building life cycle. This will be not only more effective, but less expensive in the long run. This is the best investment in the quality of our environment.

For this purpose the “2030 Challenge” is the guideline for construction in Canada under the highest standards of excellence. The goal is to implement an integrated design process for any type of buildings which consume at least 60% less fossil fuel energy than buildings of that type in the region. The traditional energy consumption must reach 90% less by 2025, and by 2030 energy consumption in buildings must be 100% carbon neutral.

 

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Energy efficient structures with a conjoint help of Switzerland in India

The construction of new buildings applying methodology and technology settles the best practices and enhances sustainable global standards worldwide in residential and public buildings. The objective is to reduce energy consumption by using news structures which is getting more and more important not only in developed countries but also in less developed and emergent countries.

This is the example of India where Amaravati, the new capital city in Andhra Pradesh, is being constructed as a world class city for which Switzerland will collaborate providing technical assistance for the implementation of Building Energy Efficiency Project (BEEP). Besides Switzerland, other countries were also called for expertise: US, UK, Japan, Singapore and Germany. Amaravati is a pilot project for implementation of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) entailing construction of 100 per cent energy efficient buildings.

The scheme is aimed at energy savings by up to 30% compared to conventional buildings. The BEEP, the bilateral project between Indi and Switserland, will promote sustainable architecture by utilising Swiss expertise in designing energy-efficient buildings. The objective is to enhance construction standards and, thereby, reduce electricity bills.

The strategy of the Indian Government is to have an environment-friendly city and also attract new investments, especially from the construction and building sector across the world.

 

Sources:

http://avenue.in/2016/05/31/energy-efficient-buildings-amaravati/

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/switzerland-to-help-build-energyefficient-structures/article9213255.ece

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/switzerland-likely-to-support-amaravati-energy-efficiency-plans/article9211097.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/swiss-support-for-green-buildings-in-amaravati/article9243139.ece

EiT will take part in ACCEPT in Málaga (Spain), October 13-14, 2016

Acciona, the EiT project leader, through its Project Manager Belén Gómez will take part in the ACCEPT, an Assistant for quality Check during Construction Execution Processes for energy-efficient buildings. This workshop about will take place in a Spanish city of Málaga in October, 13-14, and will focus on Digital Technologies in Construction.

The aim of the workshop is to discuss various aspects of Digital Construction and the Energy Performance Gap, and to share and disseminate the most up to date findings from ACCEPT. Energy efficiency is one of the listed topic where EiT will present the results achieved by the project in regard with the innovative initiative of energy performance monitoring, management and control of energy efficient buildings. The event offers an opportunity to create links with like-minded initiatives and individuals, something that EiT considers extremely valuable for a proper development of the project and its future application.

ACCEPT Workshop Flyer: accept_workshop_flyer_v2_3

EiT participated in the European Conference ‘Sustainable Places 2016’ organizing its own workshop with focus on Energy Efficiency at Buildings

Several organizations members of EiT, Energy in Time, took part in the workshop Sustainable Places 2016 held in Aglet, France, on June 29-July 1. This is an annual event co-organized by resilient and performer projects focused on sustainability through energy efficiency on different urban elements: cities, districts and buildings.

EiT, focusing on how to get energy and cost savings during building operation and maintenance, organized its own workshop within the frame of Sustainable Places Conference at which made different presentations focusing on integrative character of the project for building control and reporting on prediction as an analysis of indoor comfort conditions and user behavior performance and automated fault detection & diagnostics. Besides that, the team spoke about Decision Support method for building mid-long term analysis which integrates a dynamic energy simulation model, a LCA method and a LCC algorithm, and Data Mining techniques. The workshop also contained a practical part which allowed the participants to learn from the four EiT demo sites (buildings including an airport, offices and test labs, a commercial and office building, and a hotel) in different climatic areas: Bucharest (Romania), Faro (Portugal), Helsinki and Levi (Finland).

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