Sustainable Design - Essay Example

PORTFOLIO Student’s Name Class Instructor Institution of Affiliation City Date Introduction Sustainable design is can be defined as designing physical objects philosophy, the services and built environment to comply with ecological sustainability, social and economic principles. It aims at reducing the negative impacts of buildings on the environment, and the building occupants comfort and health, thus improving the performance of buildings. The basic sustainability objectives are to reduce non-renewable resources consumption, create environments that are productive and healthy and minimize waste (Szokolay, S. 2014, 13). The efficacy of double glazing In home fabrics, windows can be interesting and complex elements. They allow fresh air and light to pass through into the home interior and also provide a view connecting the home’s interior with outdoors. Despite this advantage, windows if allowed can be a primary source for undesired heat gains in areas experiencing summer and a major source of heat loss during winter. Installing energy efficient windows makes homes more comfortable, creates a healthier, brighter and cleaner environment and drastically reduces energy costs. This is achieved by glazing. In double glazing, there are two glass sheets with a gap of about 16mm whose purpose is to form an insulating barrier. The gap is usually left as a vacuum or filled with an inert gas that is heavy (usually argon). The vacuum and the inert gas purpose is to slow the heat movement from one window side to the next thereby keeping heat in (Reardon, C., Milne, G., Mcgee, C. and Downton, P. 2011, 3). Double glazing is also called an Insulated Glass Unit (IGU). Despite the fact that the gaps may change from 12 down to 6mm. Argon gas is usually used since when compared to a vacuum, it is a good insulator. However, such IGU’s are expensive but an individual can obtain IGU’s with the same R values by using low-E glass. There are various types of glazing such as triple and secondary glazing, however, when compared to these two types of glazing, double glazing is the most efficient method for individuals wanting to achieve energy efficiency (Holm, A., Kuenzel, H. and Sedlbauer, K. 2003, 499). Reflection The efficacy of double glazing is important in that it helps in the designing of energy-efficient buildings where it becomes sought after by engineers in that it has its own sustainable design benefits such as: Small carbon footprint, reduced energy bills, comfortable homes (indoors), quietness and peacefulness (noise insulation) and reduced condensation (Home, 2016). Another importance of the efficacy of double glazing is that it provides a checklist for individuals looking for a effectiveness and efficiency in double glazing which include: Frames having a thermal break (an insulating material) since they do not attract condensation and losses less heat as compared to windows having standard aluminium frames; Low-E glass which allows heat and light in, but acts as a reflector for the escaping heat where it reflects the escaping heat from a room back in; Good multiple seal layers for keeping noise, draughts and moisture out. The frame and glazing unit joint also requires to be sealed well; Stainless steel or plastic spacers for separating the glass panes for the purposes of reducing condensation and heat loss at the edge of the glass; The Inert gas used in filling the gap between the layers of glass. Argon is the best gas to be used since as indicated above, it is a good insulator compared to air where it reduces the heat loss through windows by 3 to 9 percent; Windows that are energy star qualified for they act as a thermal performance step up by making homes drier and warmer. The use of radiant barriers in building construction According to the U. S Department of energy (2014), radiant barriers are made up by a material that is highly reflective (aluminium foil) and that reflects radiant heat instead of absorbing it. According to a definition provided by ASTM, a radiant barrier is a low-emittance surface whose emittance is near a component of a building or 0.10 or less, that stops radiant energy flow from a building component to and from. In old houses, the shields made from aluminium foils installed behind radiators are also considered as radiant barriers, since they also block the transfer of radiant heat to exterior wall from the radiator. They are mostly installed in homes during building construction (usually in attics). They are installed for the primary purpose of reducing heat gain during summer and lowering the cost of cooling. However, unlike thermal insulation materials, radiant barriers do not reduce the conduction of heat (Mendler, S. and Odell, W. 2000, 45). In order for a radiant barrier to work effectively, it must be perpendicular to the striking radiant energy. Radiant barriers are recommended for buildings in areas experiencing hot climates as opposed to cool climates. According to some studies carried out, radiant barriers are capable of reducing the costs of cooling when implemented in warm, sunny climate from 5% to 10%. Even though radiant barriers are used in reducing heat gain and loss through the envelope of a building, radiant barriers are not materials for insulation and they have no inherent R-value. Reflection Radiant barriers can help in designing energy-efficient buildings by the way the radiant barriers work. When the roof is heated by the sun, it’s the radiant energy from the sun that is responsible for the roof becoming hot. For a radiant barrier installed in the attic, the barrier decreases the transfer of the radiant heat from the roofs underside to the attics other cooler surfaces since much of the radiant heat travels through other roofing materials to the roofs attic side by conduction. Radiant barriers are beneficial and efficient since they can also be combined with various insulation material types in reflective insulation systems where the radiant barriers acts as the facing material for thermal insulation. The radiant barriers reflective surface should be set facing an air space that is not prone to dust for it to be effective. Radiant barriers can also be used in walls where it is an effective technique for preventing heat loss and gain. When using the radiant barriers in walls, the radiant barrier is wrapped around the wall the air space that is vented. Vents in this case are used at bottom and top to permit heated air to rise to the attic naturally where it is then vented through the vents in the roof to the outside. Radiant barriers can help in designing energy-efficient buildings in that they can be implemented in floor systems that are situated above crawl spaces and unheated basements. The radiant barriers can either be stapled to the floor joists underside creating a single air space that is reflective. They also act as vapour barriers. The definitions of humidity Humidity can be defined as the volume of water vapour found in a given air volume. Water vapour is invisible and is waters gaseous state. Humidity usually shows the probability of fog, dew and precipitation. Humidity is usually measured using specific, absolute ad relative humidity. Relative humidity can be explained as the air moisture ratio to the air’s maximum feasible saturation at a stated temperature. The more the air gets warmer the more the amount of water vapour it can contain (Hoim, A. Künzel, H. and Sedlbauer, K., 2004, 24). Humidity plays a major role in global climate where it is a greenhouse gas just like carbon dioxide. In homes, the presence of humidity reduces a home’s thermal comfort. In order to regain thermal comfort again, heating will be required in order to regulate humidity. In humid seasons or climate, dehumidification uses at most a third of cooling energy. However, even in dry seasons, humidification do not use a large energy load. The dehumidification’s energy efficiency is usually calculated using the energy factor of the dehumidifying device. In simple terms, it can be explained as amount of water in litres removed from air per energy used in kWh. Greater efficiency is achieved by a higher energy factor. To control humidity, the thermostats of a building must have humidity sensors or specified separate hygrometer systems for controlling dehumidifiers and humidifiers separately from the installed HVAC system. For efficiency in energy and comfort, humidity control and temperature control systems can be integrated together. Reflection Humidity definitions can assist in designing energy energy-efficient buildings by ensuring that humidity control systems (HVAC system are installed in homes and buildings purposely for removing or adding water vapour from the air indoors so as to remain within the desired humidity ranges. This is supported by the fact that human beings are sensitive to humidity since in case the air relative humidity is at 100% percent, the air cannot hold any more moisture and thus sweat cannot evaporate. This makes individuals to feel hotter since the human skin depends on air to release moisture from the body and look for alternative ways of cooling themselves and their homes. The various definitions of humidity also becomes sought after by engineers when they are conducting monitoring surveys on residential and office buildings comfort and energy in regard to the occupants needs and behaviours during particular situations under distinct indoor and outdoor climates. This enables the engineers and architects to summarize the basic design principles which are dependent on climate and which should be kept in mind in the design of new buildings. It also assists in formulating new strategies intended to re reducing the demand for building energy while at the same time considering the aspects of comfort. The benefits obtained from humidity control include: It retains a home’s thermal comfort and saves energy and prevents mildew and mould since humidity uses a lot of energy and excessive moisture in buildings can cause mildew and mould which in turn causes indoor air quality problems (Menter, A. 2011, 1). The art of writing reports and giving presentations Reports are short, concise, sharp document written for an audience or a particular purpose. They are used for workplace, technical and scientific subjects. In reference to a writing site SkillsYouNeed (2011), reports usually analyses and sets out a problem or situation, frequently making future action recommendations and since it contains facts, it requires to be well structured and clear. A report should address the following questions: the research problem, the significance of the problem, how the research project fits into other research works context, how the research was carried out, and the findings, what the findings suggest and the conclusion. A presentation on the other hand entails sharing enthusiasm and sharing knowledge. Presentation skills are crucial especially for engineers who require to communicate to an audience and make them understand what he or she is saying. Some of the guidelines for an effective presentation include: nonverbal style that is effective, charisma, planning, overcoming performance anxiety, subject knowledge and communicating enthusiasm. In order to make a presentation that is brilliant, an individual must: open the presentation with something that is unexpected, create a story line that is strong and use pictures to tell the story, use a limited amount of slides, de-clutter the slides by using good fonts, project the slides if possible for the audience to see, engage the audience by asking questions, appeal to the audience emotions, maintain eye contact and lastly, don’t allow means to become the end. Reflection The art of writing reports and giving presentations can be helpful in designing energy-efficient buildings. This is because technical research reports are written for the purpose of answering pre-defined research questions which in this case the research objective can be designing energy-efficient buildings. This is a major problem in the 21st century because of the increased carbon footprint and can greatly assist engineers in communicating the need for energy-efficient buildings by the results obtained from the research findings in the discussion and conclusion section of the report. The structure and outline of a report helps the engineers and architects in designing their reports in a manner that is presentable and supports the correct flow of information which involves the abstract, introduction, research methodologies, results, discussion and conclusion. This enables individuals to be able to follow and understand the contents of the report. Upon completing the report, the engineer or architect will be required to present the information gathered to a panel of experts (engineering body of experts) and the overall audience. Despite the fact that engineers and architects are highly educated and knowledgeable, they usually have a problem when it comes to presenting their work to an audience. In order to communicate effectively and engage the audience, the engineer must have great communication and presentation skills which can be learned or naturally obtained. This is important since the failure of an engineer or architect to convince the audience on the significance of their research problem (in this case energy-efficient buildings) can have a negative impact on the environment. Conclusion Sustainable design considers the particular outdoor and indoor conditions of the climate zone and the cultural peculiarities leading to the formulation of specific requirements. Sustainable energy control needs an individual to focus on the climate, users and the cost-effectiveness. Energy demand and comfort monitoring is of great significance in understanding a buildings reaction to specific climatic conditions and user acceptance. Engineers and architects must also have the skills of reporting and presenting issues and facts relating to the need for sustainable design in order to create a global awareness of the need to protect the environment in building construction. References Home, E.S.T. (2016) Energy efficient windows. Available at: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/home-energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-windows (Accessed: 21 October 2016). Reardon, C., Milne, G., Mcgee, C. and Downton, P., 2011. Your Home Technical Manual, Australia’s guide to environmentally sustainable homes. Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology. Sydney, Australia SkillsYouNeed (2011) Report writing. Available at: http://www.skillsyouneed.com/write/report-writing.html (Accessed: 21 October 2016). U. S Department of energy (2014) Radiant barriers. Available at: http://energy.gov/energysaver/radiant-barriers (Accessed: 21 October 2016). Hoim, A.H., Künzel, H.M. and Sedlbauer, K., 2004. Predicting Indoor Temperature and Humidity Conditions Including Hygrothermal Interactions with the Building Envelope. ASHRAE Transactions, 110(2). Szokolay, S.V., 2014. Introduction to architectural science: the basis of sustainable design. Routledge. Mendler, S. and Odell, W., 2000. The HOK guidebook to sustainable design. John Wiley & Sons. Holm, A., Kuenzel, H.M. and Sedlbauer, K., 2003, August. The hygrothermal behaviour of rooms: combining thermal building simulation and hygrothermal envelope calculation. In Proceedings of the 8th International IBPSA Conference (pp. 499-505). Menter, A., 2011, May. Autodesk sustainability workshop: advancing the practice of sustainable engineering through education. In Proceedings of the 2011 IEEE International Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology (pp. 1-6). IEEE. Read More

The use of radiant barriers in building construction According to the U. S Department of energy (2014), radiant barriers are made up by a material that is highly reflective (aluminium foil) and that reflects radiant heat instead of absorbing it. According to a definition provided by ASTM, a radiant barrier is a low-emittance surface whose emittance is near a component of a building or 0.10 or less, that stops radiant energy flow from a building component to and from. In old houses, the shields made from aluminium foils installed behind radiators are also considered as radiant barriers, since they also block the transfer of radiant heat to exterior wall from the radiator.

They are mostly installed in homes during building construction (usually in attics). They are installed for the primary purpose of reducing heat gain during summer and lowering the cost of cooling. However, unlike thermal insulation materials, radiant barriers do not reduce the conduction of heat (Mendler, S. and Odell, W. 2000, 45). In order for a radiant barrier to work effectively, it must be perpendicular to the striking radiant energy. Radiant barriers are recommended for buildings in areas experiencing hot climates as opposed to cool climates.

According to some studies carried out, radiant barriers are capable of reducing the costs of cooling when implemented in warm, sunny climate from 5% to 10%. Even though radiant barriers are used in reducing heat gain and loss through the envelope of a building, radiant barriers are not materials for insulation and they have no inherent R-value. Reflection Radiant barriers can help in designing energy-efficient buildings by the way the radiant barriers work. When the roof is heated by the sun, it’s the radiant energy from the sun that is responsible for the roof becoming hot.

For a radiant barrier installed in the attic, the barrier decreases the transfer of the radiant heat from the roofs underside to the attics other cooler surfaces since much of the radiant heat travels through other roofing materials to the roofs attic side by conduction. Radiant barriers are beneficial and efficient since they can also be combined with various insulation material types in reflective insulation systems where the radiant barriers acts as the facing material for thermal insulation.

The radiant barriers reflective surface should be set facing an air space that is not prone to dust for it to be effective. Radiant barriers can also be used in walls where it is an effective technique for preventing heat loss and gain. When using the radiant barriers in walls, the radiant barrier is wrapped around the wall the air space that is vented. Vents in this case are used at bottom and top to permit heated air to rise to the attic naturally where it is then vented through the vents in the roof to the outside.

Radiant barriers can help in designing energy-efficient buildings in that they can be implemented in floor systems that are situated above crawl spaces and unheated basements. The radiant barriers can either be stapled to the floor joists underside creating a single air space that is reflective. They also act as vapour barriers. The definitions of humidity Humidity can be defined as the volume of water vapour found in a given air volume. Water vapour is invisible and is waters gaseous state.

Humidity usually shows the probability of fog, dew and precipitation. Humidity is usually measured using specific, absolute ad relative humidity. Relative humidity can be explained as the air moisture ratio to the air’s maximum feasible saturation at a stated temperature. The more the air gets warmer the more the amount of water vapour it can contain (Hoim, A. Künzel, H. and Sedlbauer, K., 2004, 24). Humidity plays a major role in global climate where it is a greenhouse gas just like carbon dioxide.

In homes, the presence of humidity reduces a home’s thermal comfort. In order to regain thermal comfort again, heating will be required in order to regulate humidity.

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