Green Housing and Construction in Greece - Coursework Example

Green housing and construction in Greece of the Green housing and construction in Greece 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This chapter examines the current construction methods from both private and public sectors, with respect to Greece as a country. It also reviews the existing philosophy in U.K based on the different working environment, highlighting the present legislations relevant to a sustainable habitat. 2.2 Review of the Green construction Industry 2.2.1 Background of Green construction Industry Presently, considering high environmentally-conscious public and the sufficient information on the prompt need to control the climate and the environment, there is increased demand for more sustainable products and services. As a result of the ever growing demand for habitats that provides reduced negative environmental impacts, cost friendly, features that promote good health and well-being, there is increased demand for green home builders to show their capabilities in sustainable home building ( Sendzimir, & Guy, 2002). 2.2.2 Crisis in the Environment In the recent past, the majority of the research based on environmental studies reveals that the earth is marred with environmental crisis as a result of many of man-made activities particularly the anthropocentric activities. The ever deepening reduction of the earth’s productive capacity is associated with the serious social and environmental shortcomings. Consequently, a lot of emphasis should be put on the environmental preservation practices with the aim of saving our dear planet earth (Sendzimir & Guy, 2002). The Greenhouse Gases One of the gravest penalties of environmental obliteration is the greenhouse effect. The knowledge and the information about the component and the role of the atmosphere is a significant concept in understanding the origin of the greenhouse gases and their role in the balancing of the temperature. Table 1: Shows the Components of the Earth’s atmosphere Gas Proportion in the atmosphere in % Flux in megatons per year Functions of the gases Nitrogen 79 300 Helps in building the pressure Oxygen 21 100.000 Acts as energy building gas. Carbon dioxide 0.03 140.000 Assist in oxygen regulation, photosynthesis, ventilation of the anaerobic zone methane 10-4 1000 Helps in ozone and oxygen regulation Nitrous oxide 10-5 30 Helps in controlling the PH and the climate Ammonium 10-6 300 Helps in regulating ozone Sulphur dioxide 10-8 100 Helps in transportation of gases in the sulphur cycle Based on the table above, following the industrial revolution, man-made activities resulted to the trouble of the earth’s atmospheric composition. It can be deducted that the core challenge is the ever escalating magnitude of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. This accordingly, has upset the natural equilibrium to a great deal by the emergence of global warming and other environmental havoc. 2.2.3 How building and construction negatively affects the environment Building and construction industry can cause negative impact on the environment in many ways, particularly when the planned construction is in a way causing the poor utilization and wastage of land, energy and resources. According to Glavinich (2008) the current construction methods are utilizing non-renewable resources which prove them lethal to the environment right from the source of extraction to the creation of the harmful materials and the transportation of these materials in long distances. Precisely, the gravest impacts the construction and the building industry are causing to the land, material and energy are summarized in the table below (Glavinich, 2008). Table 2 : Showing different environmental categories and their depletion scale as result of the convection building and construction. Resource or categories The level of impact or depletion percentage Landfill The wastes from the building and construction industry accounts for 44% of the problem of landfill in industrial countries or zones. Forest According to Kibert (2008) nearly a half of the total forest cover on the earth’s surface has been lost through the building and construction particularly when it comes to wood usage which accounts for a quarter of the world’s wood harvest. Water In the near future, potable water will be considered scars and limited. This is because buildings use 1/6 of water supplies. It is noted that of all the more than 700 pollutants found in drinking or fresh water, 20 of this being detected with a carcinogen (Glavinich, 2008). Carbon dioxide In the last century, the magnitude of CO2 has continually escalated by approximately 27%. Nearly a quarter of this amount is attributed to the burning fossil fuel that is used as a source of energy for the buildings (Kibert, 2008). Greenhouse According to Sendzimir & Guy, (2002) buildings and construction industry account for the 1/3 of the whole greenhouse gases produced from the industrialized nations. Energy Glavinich, (2008) argues that annually, about 20% of the total energy consumed is by construction or building. In the United Kingdom, the total energy utilized is about 66% of the yearly consumption. 2.3 Sustainable development Any human activity can be declared sustainable if it doesn’t drain or exhaust all the natural resources and nor create a serious impacts to the ecosystem that the coming generation will inherit. By definition, sustainable is the developments that collectively take care of the needs of the present generation without putting in jeopardy the capability of the future generation to access easily their own needs. For example, depleting the ozone layer by building up the greenhouse gases, exhausting or draining the natural resources, polluting water and air would obviously deny the next generation the ability to support takes care of their needs (Kibert, 2008). Essentially, sustainable development is considered a theoretical framework, a process and a target. It is considered a target because it will bring or develop the world’s environment into a more balanced and holistic place for its inhabitants. It is also looks at as a process based on the application of its techniques that use the principle of incorporation of all decisions. Finally, sustainable development can be referred to as a target because of its aim of fixing the environmental challenges. 2.3.1 Historical review of sustainable development According to Sendzimir, & Guy (2002) humankind has realized the need to uphold the harmony between the environment, the society and the economy. Precisely, sustainable development is an ancient concept that concerns with improving and developing the quality of life without surpassing the ecological supplies of natural resources. However, despite these projections, the idea of sustainability gained support in early 1980s when the environmental depletion became uncontrollably obvious. The year 1973 was the initial moment when the United Nations showed a serious concern over the solutions to the environmental challenges. Subsequently, World Conservation Strategy discussed again the issue of sustainability based on the adoption of new strategies by the more than 40 countries albeit with insignificant practical impact. In 1983, through the United Nations, the World’s Commission in on Environment and Development (WCED) came into existence and in 1987, they compiled a report based on the sustainable development called “our common future” or the Brundland Report. Source elaborates that this report critically focuses on the various ways of governing and harmoniously living within the ecosystem. It also signaled the need to cooperate and coordinates internationally. 2.3.2 Codes for sustainable homes The invention and development of the Codes for Sustainable Homes has helped the government and the dwellers through the realization of the positive change in the sustainable construction and building practices particularly for new buildings. This technique has been developed via the consultation of the Building Research Establishment BRE by the government, in conjunction with the CIRIA (Construction Industrial Research and Information Association and other NGOs representatives. Ideally, the codes are intended to provide guidance in designing and building the sustainable homes. This implies that the technique helps in steering the uninterrupted improvement, greater discoveries and excellent achievement in sustainable home construction. The Code for Sustainable Homes also offers a device for home builders and constructors to exhibit the sustainability presentation of their homes which distinguish them from their competitors majoring in the convectional building and construction. Through the use of the BRE in conjunction with the Eco-Homes System, the Codes for Sustainable Homes have been designed, and its impacts have been witnessed through success in declining the effect of affordable has already housing projects more particularly in the social housing sector. These Codes constructs upon Eco-Homes and through various ways such as; the codes apply a simpler and flexible system of giving points, removing the more complex weightings. Finally, enhance reduced standards for both water, and energy efficiency at every stage or level of the code, thereby requiring high ranks of performance in sustainability, to achieve high code rating. 2.3.3 Benefits of the codes to the environment Summarily, code technique is associated with a number of environmental benefits and such benefits include, it enhances improved adaptation to climate change, there is reduced greenhouse gas evolution or emission and the overall reduction of the environmental depletion, through such measures as promotion of household recycling and the use of less polluting building materials. 2.3.4 Principle of Sustainable Design The Codes for Sustainable Homes involves the sustainability of a home with respect to design categories, taking the ‘entire home’ as a whole package. The design categories incorporated within the Codes are, pollution, surface water run-off, waste, ecology and energy based on the CO2 2.3.5 The working principle of codes Based on the credits awarded for each category of the building element with respect to the specifications of the Green Guide, the awarded credits are multiplied by the weighting factors and eventually, the sum of the results are computed to establish the score of the dwelling. The correlation that exists between the score and the core level is established as shown in the Table 2 below. However, there are four non-credited aspects that must achieve the specified obligatory standards regardless of the rating level of the dwelling for it to be assessed by the code assessor commonly referred to as the Code for Sustainable Homes Technical Guide. The non credited issues includes, the environmental impact of the materials, construction of the site waste management system and the Storage of Surface Water Run-off from the building developments. Table 2. Correlation between specified total percentage points and Code Levels with respect to the Code for Sustainable Homes Technical Guide. . 2.4 Green Guide Green Guide is a technical tool applied during the assessment of the environmental impacts caused by the construction and building elements, this guide is a component of BREEAM, which is a recognized and a certified rating plan meant for builders and constructors. However, this guide is restricted to materials under CSH categories, and which handles 4.5% of the entire code (Yudelson, (2009). The main objective of the guide is to help in achieving sustainability and eco-friendly innovations through introducing simultaneously both greener building materials and natural materials during the building and construction process. According to Yudelson (2009 ) it also provides a suitable guide, when it comes to selection of the materials and components of the buildings of both social and economical importance, and provides assessment for the entire impact of building and construction materials from the LCA point of view, which is the single vital aspect while gauging the environmental position of this guide. Currently, there are 13 environmental aspects addressed by the Green Guide and these issues with respect to their weight are elaborated as in the table below. Environmental impact category Weighting (%) Climate variations 21.7 Water Removal 11.6 Mineral resource mining 9.7 Stratospheric ozone destruction 9.0 Man-made toxicity 8.7 Ecotoxicityto freshwater 8.6 Nuclear waster 8.3 Eco-toxicity to land 8.1 Waste disposal 7.6 Fossil fuel depletion 3.4 Eutrophication 3.1 Photochemical ozone formation 0.21 Acidification 0.06 Table 3. The weightings of the13 environmental impact classes based on the Green Guide to Requirement. Significantly, the criteria for assessment of the Green Guide are based on the elemental concept of the material and component, which enhance the comparison between the materials in question. The chief building basics are specified as, Ground floors, Upper floors, Roofs, Windows, External-walls, internal-walls and apartments, Insulation and landscaping It is significant to note that the rating concept is arranged alphabetically from A+ to E rating, and the credits are awarded based on the GG rating obtained where as a maximum credit of 15 are obtainable for five building elements. CSH requires that it is an obligation for at least three of the building elements to satisfy a minimum guide rating of D with 0.25 credits (Yudelson, 2009). Table 4 showing the relationship between Green Guide Rating and Credits awarded. Upon completion of the assessment of each issue, credits are then awarded based on each category. Each category has unique credits to earn with varied weighting factors as shown in the table below. Table 5 Total Credits available, Weighting Factors and Points as per the requirement of the Code for Sustainable Homes guide. 2.4 Basic aims of the Green-development After a comprehensive coverage of Green-philosophy based on various case studies, in essence the basic aims and objectives of Green development would be; improving on time and quantity management, reducing carbon emissions that would occur during and post construction, utilizing low embodied energy materials such as carbon, using recycling and degradable materials and minimizing wastage or resources (Glavinich, 2008). 2.4.1 Design Principles During the designing and construction, the house orientation or inclination must face towards South, with a larger window compared to convectional development. This will assist in admitting the natural light from the sun during the cold winter season. In terms of color, the walls of the two sun spaces should be painted darker than the rest of the walls to maximize the rate of absorption of sun’s rays as opposed to reflecting them (Glavinich, 2008). Significantly, in Greece, solar radiation during summer period is highly strong; therefore, using louvers in a fixed angle as in would not be a significant solution. The most convenient economical and environmental approach in keeping away the strong solar beams during summer periods and admit light throughout the year is through planting deciduous trees in front of the building. To achieve a super efficient building and construction envelope, there should be installation of tripled glazed windows as this would boost the air tight conditions. Moreover, the area covering the North side of the house should be reduced to decrease the rate of heat loss minimize land wastage which is a significant concept in environmental and economic management ( Maintaining Mission Critical Systems in a 24/7 Environment, 2007). 2.4.2 Summary The core objective of green building is to enhance efficiency in building’s energy and to minimize the environmental impact of depletion by use of efficiency and the minimization of the environmental impact of the use of substitute construction materials that are recyclable, degradable and eco-friendly to the surrounding. Even though this method of building and construction is costly, its environmental impact offset the cost at long. Moreover, Green building techniques such as building’s orientation in minimum solar admission and renewable material sourcing helps in keeping the entire embodied Co2 and the Embodied energy of construction a low scale. 2.5 Standard Assessment procedure This section describes the Government’s Standard Assessment procedure (SAP) applicable for assessing the energy performance of the dwellings. The parameters applied for energy performance are, the energy consumption per unit floor area, an energy cost rating as per the SAP rating and the Environmental or ecological impact rating with respect to CO2 emissions. SAP has been adopted by the government as the UK methodology for computing and establishing the energy performance of habitats or dwellings. The calculation depends on the energy balance without ignoring the factors which contribute to energy efficiency such as, materials for construction, ventilation and lighting characteristics of the dwelling, solar admitted through the openings of the constructions, vibration control of the heating system(s) and renewable and biodegradable technologies (Molenaar & Chinowsky, 2004). The SAP rating is pegged on the cost of energy with regard to space heating, ventilation, lighting and water heating. It is usually adjusted for the size of the floor so that it does not depend on the dwelling size of any given construction. The rating of the Standard Assessment Procedure is usually shown on the scale of 1:100 whereby, the higher the rating, the lower the cost of construction (Blandford, 2004). On the other hand, the rating based on the Environmental Impact depends on the yearly CO2 emission, associated with the water and space heating, lighting and ventilation. Just like the SAP, the rating of the Environmental Impact is depicted on a scale of 1 to 100 and the higher the scale or number, the better the standard. Essentially, Environmental Impact scaling works with the same principle as the Dwelling Carbon dioxide emission rate and both of them are used with the aim of establishing the compliance of the building regulations (Blandford, 2004). These two parameters are equal to the annual CO2 emissions in every unit of floor area. The SI unit for water heating, lighting, coupled with minimum emissions saved by energy production techniques are expressed in kg/m²/per annum. The mode of computing the energy performance and the ratings is designed in the form of a worksheet and tables. The methodology complies with the Energy Performance of Buildings/Construction Directive (E.P.B.D) and the computation should be done using a software program that. The calculation should be carried out using a computer program approved by SAP calculation, which implements the worksheet and its features 2.6 Existing Legislation 2.6.1The UK Legislation 2.6.1.1 Building and Construction regulations These are national building policies which are designed by the UK government with respect to the terms of the Building Act1984, with the aim of meeting the ever dynamic needs of health and safety of the people, strength of the building structure and the conservation of energy. In addition, the concepts of regulations have become obligatory by the UK government, considering the designers and the builders as the most suitable responsible body to abide by these regulations. These policies are also designed or drafted by high rated experts, through the approval of the Buildings Regulations Advisory Committee ( Kriken, Enquist & Rapaport, 2010). Moreover, these norms are designed for the construction and building of the homes basically applied to new dwellings. Even though these regulations do not literally address sustainability, it occasionally undergoes revisions to improve on the present and ever dynamic needs of the sustainability in the building and construction industry. According to Kriken, Enquist, & Rapaport, (2010) currently, there are up-to-date fourteen sectors incorporated in the building and construction regulations and each of the section is in company with a appropriate AD. These sections are classified as in the table 6 below. Table 6: Classification of the categories as in the building regulations 2.6.2 North Greece Legislations 2.6.2.1 Streets and Building Regulations According to Glen, (1895) the Current building regulations in Northern section of Greece depend on the existing UK regulations. Streets and Buildings Regulations which were designed and published by the British administration of the government in1950, has so far been revised and amended more than three times, before coming up with the final copy in1989 under the Turkish administration. Street and Building Regulations abbreviated as SBR addresses issues such as, ventilation of the building, structure, drainage systems of the roofs and water supply and sanitation systems based on the UK Regulations (Fryer, 1894). 2.6.3.2 Ventilation requirement as per SBR-1950 Ventilation is one of the significant aspects that need to be considered when making a steady internal temperature. However, considering the SBR, it is vital to include an adequate number of windows, which should be constructed on the walls of every domestic building in such a way that each window accesses directly the influx of external air (Fryer, 1894). Similarly, it is an obligation to provide each dwelling room with a window on the same state of affairs, and this section should not be less than one-tenth of the total floor area based on the Streets and Building Regulations Law – 1950 Figure 1 Ventilation requirement as per SBR-1950 2.6.3.3 Drainage system of rainwater as per the requirement of SBR-1950 Contrary to the UK regulations, roof drainage systems must be designed in a way that ensures that the rain water is channeled away from the building to control dampness that would otherwise occur in any part of the walls. This also inhibits the flowing of water along any street. Water drainage system and sanitation are some of the vital environmental issues which are presently addressed in CSH Category Bibliography Glavinich, T. E. (2008). Contractors guide to green building construction: management, project delivery, documentation, and risk reduction. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley. Green paper, creating an enabling environment for reconstruction, growth and development in the construction industry. (1997). Pretoria: Dept. of Public Works. Kibert, C. J. (2008). Sustainable construction: green building design and delivery (2nd ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. Sendzimir, J., & Guy, G. B. (2002). Construction ecology nature as the basis for green buildings. New York: Spon Press. Top of Form Fryer, W. J. (1894). Laws relating to buildings in the city of Brooklyn. N.Y.: Record and Guide. Glen, R. C. (1895). The law regulating streets and buildings in the metropolis under the London building act, 1894, and other metropolitan statutes: together with the standing orders, regulations, bye- laws, forms, &c. of the London County Council and of the Commissioners of . London: Knight. Kriken, J. L., Enquist, P., & Rapaport, R. (2010). City building: nine planning principles for the twenty-first century. New York: Princeton Architectural Press Bottom of Form Blandford, G. E. (2004). Structures 2004 building on the past, securing the future. Reston, Va American Society of Civil Engineers. Maintaining Mission Critical Systems in a 24/7 Environment. (2007). New York: Spon Press . Molenaar, K. R., & Chinowsky, P. (2004). Construction Research 2003 winds of change, integration and innovation in construction. Reston, Va.: American Society of Civil Engineers. Yudelson, J. (2009). Green building through integrated design. New York: McGraw-Hill. Read More