Sustainable Commercial Buildings - Assignment Example

Name of the Building and location

Sustainability factors

Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED)

UK

Beaufort Court renewable energy center zero emissions building

Kings Langley, UK

MEC - Mountain Equipment Co-op

Montreal, Quebec

TOHU, la Cite des arts du cirque / Circus Arts

Montreal, Quebec

Government of Canada Building

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Energy Efficiency

Extensive insulation used over walls, roofs, and floors; Natural ventilation with heat recovery from roof cowls was preferred

Use of passive solar techniques, high insulation, daylight, natural ventilation, solar control, recycled materials for maximum sustainability as well as active systems like artificial cooling, mechanical ventilation was also used

Insulation from radiant piping within the concrete slabs linked to a system of geothermal wells provides heating and cooling to the building. The building’s energy consumption is 50% less than that compared to regular buildings.

• A reduction in energy consumption by about 55% over ASHRAE 90.1

• Continuously dimming daylight control.
• Opaque wall and roof insulation values optimized for economic return relative to overall building performance and cost as well as occupant comfort; effective R20 walls and R35 roof
• A compartmentalized four-pipe and two-pipe fan coil system with underfloor delivery provides superior indoor air quality, occupant comfort, and occupant control while providing a superior overall level of energy efficiency through the elimination of reheat.

Use of recycled materials

Recycled materials from demolished buildings were used

Majority of the old building was reused

The building’s roof and walls were filled with cellulose fiber obtained from recycled newsprint

Built from 99% of the original building’s materials.

Recycled building materials that provide durability, performance, low embodied energy, and non-toxic were used

Use of safe alternative materials

Concrete floor slabs are used for insulating the building. The concrete was also produced with lower energy due to the presence of a 27% slag.

Solar tubes harness solar energy for base heating for the building, thermal energy in stormwater helps to heat or cool the building.

Solar domestic hot water heating, High-efficiency condensing boilers, Variable speed drives, and high-efficiency motors

Waste management

Most of the dirt, rock, and rubble from the excavation is reused for backfill or berming.

Water Management

Reduced domestic water consumption by water-saving toilets, smaller flush tanks, and taps and showers with flow restrictors

Stormwater retention in an underground cistern to provide water for landscape irrigation and in toilets.

• Reduction in site water use by approximately 90% (2 million liters/year)
• a reduction in building water usage by over 20%
• A green roof was built for stormwater management that resembles the natural water cycle. The collected stormwater is also used to irrigate the landscape. Waterless urinals and low flow faucets, a stormwater storage tank that stores water for toilets and a car wash are some of the methods adopted for reducing the burden on municipal water. These water conservation features reduced site water use by 90% (2 million liters/year) and building water usage by over 20%.

Reduction of stormwater run-off from the site through the increased use of pervious pavements, landscaping, and a green roof thereby reducing the quantity of stormwater requiring treatment

Biodiversity

Extensive landscaping

Asphalt paving was replaced by natural landscaping.

A parking space landscaped which also allows rainwater collection, filtering of contamination, groundwater recharge and supports wildlife and plants was developed

Transport energy management

Use of local materials obtained from within 35 miles from the building site; Carpool schemes and use of electric vehicles

Salvaged and local materials were extensively used.

Local materials were used.

Embodied energy

The building has its own heat and power unit with a capacity of 130kw of electricity. A combustion engine generates heat and power of 350000kw of electricity per year.

• Majority of the old building was reused
• Use of passive solar techniques, high insulation, daylight, natural ventilation, solar control, recycled materials for maximum sustainabilitySeasonal heat store for heating
• A biomass crop cultivated in the neighborhood
• Provision for groundwater cooling in summer
• 225kw Wind turbine that supplements power supply for the building
• 54m2 of PV/thermal array and 116m2 of solar thermal panels for electricity and hot water generation
• underground heat store in 1100m3 of the water body

Geothermal energy, radiant heating, and cooling systems, and natural ventilation systems were adopted

• Optimization of the building footprint, orientation, and massing. A novel triangular shape that maximizes daylighting within the constraints of the site while using an atrium to reduce the net effective perimeter area
• Reduced embodied energy due to the preferred use of material with recycled content/ salvaged material/ from local/regional areas

Minimization of pollution

Materials containing VOCs (volatile organic compounds) have not been used at all

A new type of concrete was used to reduce CO2 emissions

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) interior materials, mechanical systems, and Noise systems are used

Others

• Favorable site location and layout

Efficient building envelope: multi-pane high-performance glazing (clear triple pane, two spectrally-selective AFG Ti-R Low-E coatings) with fiberglass frames for the punched window sections and clear 4-element Vision Wall framing for the atrium south face.