envirospec benchmarking and specification of sustainable building products envirospec is the...
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ENVIROSPEC
Benchmarking and Specification of Sustainable Building Products
ENVIROSPEC is the environmental division of ELECTONIC BLUEPRINT.
ENVIROSPEC
“…..there is a real danger that the ecolabels may fail to provide enough precise data on the in-service performance for each product, under a range of applications and climates….. If unchecked, this could lead to poor decision-making and the selection of products, which appear to be environmentally friendly, but are, in fact, inappropriate for the actual application. ….”
From: “Benchmarking and Specification of Sustainable Building Products”, Johnston, R, Gogstad, P, & Woolcock, J, UAE, 2009.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
“…..there is a real danger that the ecolabels may fail to provide enough precise data on the in-service performance for each product, under a range of applications and climates….. If unchecked, this could lead to poor decision-making and the selection of products, which appear to be environmentally friendly, but are, in fact, inappropriate for the actual application. ….“
From: “Benchmarking and Specification of Sustainable Building Products”, Johnston, R, Gogstad, P, & Woolcock, J, UAE, 2009.
The ENVIROSPEC Protocol sets guidelines for Benchmarking and Life Cycle Assessment, accounting for both in-service and embodied properties.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider single-glazed and double-glazed windows.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider single-glazed and double–glazed windows.
• The embodied energy of a double-glazed window is approximately twice that of a single-glazed window.
• However, the in-service thermal performance of double-glazing is often far superior to that of single-glazing – but not in all climates, all comfort level regimes or in all common combinations of free-running and air conditioning.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider single-glazed and double–glazed windows.
• The embodied energy of a double-glazed window is approximately twice that of a single-glazed window.
• However, the in-service thermal performance of double-glazing is often far superior to that of single-glazing – but not in all climates, all comfort level regimes or in all common combinations of free-running and air conditioning.
The Dilemma:
1. When a specification is written for windows, which is the most sustainable - single glazing or double glazing?
2. Should double-glazing and single-glazing be grouped together in common specifications; or separated by application?
3. This very complicated dichotomy must be given prominence in any ecolabelling scheme.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider shower heads.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider shower heads.
• Most regulators and designers agree with the selection of water-efficient shower heads.
• However, shower heads could be used in a region of:
o High rainfall area, serviced by an efficient hydro-electric supply; or
o Low rainfall area, serviced by energy generated by burning hydrocarbons.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider shower heads.
• Most regulators and designers agree with the selection of water-efficient shower heads.
• However, shower heads could be used in a region of:
o High rainfall area, serviced by an efficient hydro-electric supply; or
o Low rainfall area, serviced by energy generated by burning hydrocarbons.
• We need to be clear, when framing regulations, what we are tying to achieve:
o Saving water
o Saving energy
o Saving greenhouse gas emissions.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider masonry walls.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider masonry walls.
• In winter, heat trying to pass through a wall of high thermal mass will become trapped in the wall, and part will slowly pass back into the room.
• In summer the reverse occurs. Heat trying to pass through a wall of high-thermal mass from the outside will become trapped and part will slowly pass back out of the building.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider masonry walls.
• In winter, heat trying to pass through a wall of high thermal mass will become trapped in the wall, and part will slowly pass back into the room.
• In summer the reverse occurs. Heat trying to pass through a wall of high-thermal mass from the outside will become trapped and part will slowly pass back out of the building.
• However, this phenomenon is only significant in relatively benign climates, where the ambient temperature crosses the comfort level .
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Consider masonry walls.
• In winter, heat trying to pass through a wall of high thermal mass will become trapped in the wall, and part will slowly pass back into the room.
• In summer the reverse occurs. Heat trying to pass through a wall of high-thermal mass from the outside will become trapped and part will slowly pass back out of the building.
• However, this phenomenon is only significant in relatively benign climates, where the ambient temperature crosses the comfort level .
How should marketers and specifiers account for thermal mass in:
a. Benign climates ?
b. Severe climates ?
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
c
ENVIROSPEC
Sustainability can only properly be assessed by considering:
1.Embodied characteristics (energy, green-house gas, water, toxicity)
and
2.In service performance, which is affected by:
• The climate where the product is to be installed
• The building application.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
ENVIROSPEC
Sustainability can only properly be assessed by considering:
1.Embodied characteristics (energy, green-house gas, water, toxicity)
and
2.In service performance, which is affected by:
• The climate where the product is to be installed
• The building application.
The art of green marketing is to:
1.Honestly identify sustainable products
2.Clearly quantify and benchmark the contribution to sustainability
3.Distribute technical data to Architects, Engineers and Builders.
Whilst retaining scientific quantitative assessment, we must remove the “black-magic” from the art of sustainability.
The Dilemma of Green Marketing
c
ENVIROSPEC
Environmental Benchmarking
Environmental Benchmarking is:
the comparison of a product’s life-cycle analysis
and other environmental data to those of the
most common acceptable alternative,
“benchmark construction”.
ENVIROSPEC
Environmental Benchmarking
Environmental Benchmarking is:
the comparison of a product’s life-cycle analysis
and other environmental data to those of the
most common acceptable alternative,
“benchmark construction”.
The logical “benchmarks” are those forms of construction which are both:
•the most economical; and
•in compliance with the current building regulations.
..... in other words, the construction most likely to be built, if sustainability criteria were not applied.
ENVIROSPEC
Environmental Benchmarking
Environmental Benchmarking is:
the comparison of a product’s life-cycle analysis
and other environmental data to those of the
most common acceptable alternative,
“benchmark construction”.
Any improvement over “benchmark construction” may be considered as a step towards sustainability.
The logical “benchmarks” are those forms of construction which are both:
•the most economical; and
•in compliance with the current building regulations.
..... in other words, the construction most likely to be built, if sustainability criteria were not applied.
ENVIROSPEC
Environmental Benchmarking – Example - Energy
Performance may be demonstrated by the following example: 1. Calculate the embodied energy of the Product throughout its life-cycle, Epe.
2. Calculate the operational energy consumption of the building, incorporating the Product, throughout its life-cycle, Epo.
3. Calculate the embodied energy of the Benchmark Construction (that the Product is intended to replace) throughout its life-cycle, Ebe. 4. Calculate the operational energy consumption of the building, incorporating Benchmark Construction, throughout its life-cycle, Ebo. 5. Determine the net increase or decrease in total energy use if the Product is used in lieu of Benchmark Construction, from the following.
Net Energy = Total energy for Product – Total energy for Benchmark Construction = ( EpeN + EpoN) – ( EbeN + EboN)
6. Report the Net Energy (increase or decrease), together with full calculations.
ENVIROSPEC
ENVIROSPEC
LCI/LCA - Currently various organizations are collecting data for the creation of a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) databases.
LCI/LCA
Data Base
ENVIROSPEC
ENVIROSPEC
LCI/LCA - Currently various organizations are collecting data for the creation of a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) databases.
Design Process - This data will be used to populate design software, enabling designers to minimise environmental impacts.
LCI/LCA
Data Base
Design Process
Design & Rating
Software
ENVIROSPEC
ENVIROSPEC
LCI/LCA - Currently various organizations are collecting data for the creation of a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) databases.
Design Process - This data will be used to populate design software, enabling designers to minimise environmental impacts.
Building Product Ecolabels may be prepared using the LCI data LCI/LCA
Data Base
Design Process
Design & Rating
Software
Ecolabelling
ISO 14024 etc
ENVIROSPEC
ENVIROSPEC
LCI/LCA - Currently various organizations are collecting data for the creation of a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) databases.
Design Process - This data will be used to populate design software, enabling designers to minimise environmental impacts.
Building Product Ecolabels may be prepared using the LCI data -
BUT, as noted previously, Ecolabels may be too limited to provide comprehensive design information for each conceivable application.
LCI/LCA
Data Base
Design Process
Design & Rating
Software
Ecolabelling
ISO 14024 etc
ENVIROSPEC
ENVIROSPEC
LCI/LCA - Currently various organizations are collecting data for the creation of a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) databases.
Design Process - This data will be used to populate design software, enabling designers to minimise environmental impacts.
Building Product Ecolabels may be prepared using the LCI data -
BUT, as noted previously, Ecolabels may be too limited to provide comprehensive design information for each conceivable application.
ENVIROSPEC presents building product specifications • in a technically credible format• geared specifically for use by designers • tailored for marketing innovative building products • using LCA techniques• “benchmarked” for particular applications.
LCI/LCA
Data Base
Design Process
Design & Rating
Software
Ecolabelling
ISO 14024 etc
ENVIROSPEC
Protocol based on ISO 14044 ISO/DIS 21930
ENVIROSPEC
Case Study - Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island – Accommodation
ProjectIn 2008, House Energy Rating was commissioned to assess the energy efficiency and thermal comfort of a 20,000 person camp at Saadiyat Island, consisting of stackable modular accommodation units.
Conclusions
• The energy use in the buildings is dictated principally by the number of occupants,
• It is quite possible to have a potentially very energy efficient building with little net energy use.
• Performance for this particular development is driven by the hot local climate.
• Protecting the sub-floor spaces from external conditions resulted in the most significant reduction in overall energy use, up to 50% reduction in overall cooling load.
• Reductions to the external surface absorptance of the building, and incorporation of roof design features also had a beneficial effect on thermal performance.
House Energy Rating is an Australian based sustainability consultant, and a partner of Building Product Certification Pty Ltd (part of the Electronic Blueprint Group).
From: “Benchmarking and Specification of Sustainable Building Products”, Johnston, R, Gogstad, P, & Woolcock, J, UAE, 2009
ENVIROSPEC
“…..there is a real danger that the ecolabels may fail to provide enough precise data on the in-service performance for each product, under a range of applications and climates….. If unchecked, this could lead to poor decision-making and the selection of products, which appear to be environmentally friendly, but are, in fact, inappropriate for the actual application. ….“
From: “Benchmarking and Specification of Sustainable Building Products”, Johnston, R, Gogstad, P, & Woolcock, J, UAE, 2009.
The ENVIROSPEC Protocol sets guidelines for Benchmarking and Life Cycle Assessment, accounting for both in-service and embodiedproperties.
Benchmarking and Specification of Sustainable Building Product
ENVIROSPEC
Rod Johnston
• Technical
• Electronic Blueprint – ENVIROSPEC
Per Gogstad
• Sales - UAE
• AEC Online – ENVIROSPEC
For Further Assistance