A Potential to Reduce the Amount of Carbon Gas Emissions from Buildings by a Substantial Margin - Term Paper Example

Report On Smart Energy Project Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1.0Introduction 3 2.0 Background Information 3 3.0 Analysis 5 3.1 Why choose the project 5 3.2 About the Project 6 3.3 Developing a Communication Tool 7 3.4 Final Reflections on the Project 8 4.0 Recommendations 9 5.0 Conclusion 9 References 10 1.0 Introduction Sustainability is a move aimed at ensuring that people are able to benefit from the environment now and not compromise on the chances of future generations to do so (Mackenzie, 2005). Over the recent years, there has been a sharp focus of the world on issues regarding environmental sustainability. This is due to the adverse effects of environmental degradation which have started affecting the earth. For instance, the climate change is catastrophic to human life since it is threatening to cut short human’s reliance on the land for sustenance. The major cause of this climate change is the emission of carbon gases into the atmosphere. The use of fossil fuels and other sources of energy which deplete the natural resources is one of the main sources of carbon emissions. The following paper proposes a project, Integrated Smart Energy Project, whose use in buildings can lead to a tremendous reduction of carbon emissions. 2.0 Background Information The environment is changing at an alarming rate. With each day dawn, human activities are encroaching more and more into the environment; thus leading to adverse effects on it. As at today, the vegetation on cover on the earth’s surface has hit the record minimum, the weather patterns are changing, the earth is no longer providing for its people and most of all there is a climate change; which is threatening human life existence on earth. Climate change is one of the most prominent effects of environmental degradation. Its main cause is carbon emissions which cover the earth’s surface thus leading to global warming. In the recent past, sustainability has come into the limelight, with the corporate world and the society being encouraged to embrace sustainable practices so as to reverse the current course of the environment (Dale & Sparkes, 2010). Some of the sustainability practices which have been advocated for include the use of smart (green) energy, proper waste disposal, use of green logistics, use of appropriate farming methods and the establishment of green communities. One of the areas which have received a lot of focus is on building sustainable buildings and consequently cities which use far much lesser energy than now. On this pint it is important to acknowledge that energy use is one of the main contributors of green house gases in the atmosphere. Moreover, due to the rising populations and also demands from a building, it has become of utmost importance that focus is shifted to ways of ensuring that these buildings are sustainable. Therefore, it is important to delink carbon gas emissions from energy use, thus achieving sustainability to some extent. The several ways in which this can be done are discussed below. One of the ways of ensuring that there are sustainable buildings and cities is by upholding the need for sustainability in the building design (Braungart & McDonough 2002). This ensures that the final use of the building is put into consideration hence being able to reach sustainability to some extent. Some of the strategies used here includes use of lesser: water, energy to make and operate buildings, reduction of carbon gas emissions, recycling of wastes and designs which are intended to use lesser materials thus reducing the pressures on natural resources. Another strategy is client advocacy. On this strategy, building and construction professionals try to change the mindset of clients, thus persuading them to adapt sustainability measures on their buildings. Here, it is of utmost need that the client acknowledged that those buildings are not just commodities of trade; rather they are a civic fabric. Another strategy in use is master planning. Master palling involves the consideration of each and every aspect that is affected by the establishment of buildings and cities (Kelly, 2012). In so doing, sustainability issues are put into consideration hence ensuring that there is the development of sustainable communities and cities. (Owen, 2009) Lastly is professional advocacy. On this aspect, it is expected that professionals who have the knowledge about sustainability should use their knowhow to change the mindset of the larger communities via various mechanisms such as producing reports, holding seminars and conducting sustainability campaigns. 3.0 Analysis 3.1 Why choose the project This section will analyze the smart energy project chosen for the purposes of this report. The smart energy project chosen is an integrated one since it uses several concepts and strategies of reducing the use of energy in buildings. The project was chosen due to the fact that energy uses in the modern society account for a very high emission of carbon gases into the atmosphere. As a result of this, it has become important that adoption of green energy be adopted in the society. Some of the measures which have been put into place include the development and use of bio fuel and the use of green energies such as solar, wind and biogas (International Renewable Energy Source, 2012). With respect to buildings, it has become important that buildings be regarded to as a civic fabric, as opposed to the commercial commodity. This gives the need for buildings to adopt smart energies which impact positively on the environment and consequently on the larger population. This is the reason behind the choosing of the integrated project, which aims at providing smart energy to various activities in buildings. The project is based on solar energy, which is readily available in many parts of the country. 3.2 About the Project The project chosen is an integrated energy project. The project aims the reducing the amount of energy used in the daily operations of a typical building. Basically, the project is solar driven, hence its suitability since it uses green energy. The project is designed to affect the following aspects of the building: Heating of the building Heating of water Air conditioning Lighting Other electric power uses The principle behind this project is that a building should be able to produce as much energy as it uses. In so doing, a building delinks itself from the use of the conventional energy systems whose carbon gas emissions are high (International Renewable Energy Source, 2012). This leads to sustainability. Moreover, the adoption of such systems in many building leads to a sustainable community. My Role in this project is to create awareness in the general public about the need to embrace sustainability. I am also responsible for selling the smart energy project to the public so as to ensure that the society is given an option of how go about adopting green energy. The target audience is the general public and real estate and housing developers. In order to do this there is an establishment of smart energy ambassadors whose role is to influence other people in the society. This is the first target audience since they will make it possible for the project to realize its success. This type of communication model is successful in creating awareness about specific issues over a short duration of time. Since the people being taken up as Smart energy ambassadors belong to the society on which the broader target audience is based on, it therefore becomes very easy for the ambassadors to influence them, bearing in mind that they are part of them. 3.3 Developing a Communication Tool So as to be able to reach out to the target audience, it is important that there is a development of good communication tool. The main communication tool used in this project is the word of mouth via the use of the smart energy ambassadors. As indicated earlier, the ambassadors are picked from the broader target audience, hence putting them at a better position to influence others. Other communication tools which will be used in the project include the internet via the projects websites, shows on specific events and mass media. The messages for use in the communication strategy were strategically chosen so as to evolve a feeling of the need for sustainability in the target audience. The main message in the project will be the effects of the use of carbon gas emitting energies. After this, the messages will indicate how the target audience can reduce the emission of carbon gases by using the integrated smart energy project. Lastly, the communication message will provide a virtual feeling of a sustainable building or society to the target audience. This will make the target audience desire to be part the sustainable community; hence will embrace the integrated smart energy project. A dominant message in the communication strategy will be indicating to the target audience that they are responsible for the turn of events in the environment, hence each one of them has a role to play towards sustainability and adopting the project is one of the sure ways of doing this. There are several challenges which are expected while communicating this message to the target audience. First of all, the resistance to change will be a dominant challenge throughout the exercise. Generally, change is not welcomed by many people (Braungart & McDonough 2002). The irony of the situation is that a lot of people acknowledge that their current ways are not the best, yet do nothing about it. Therefore, such a project which will impact on the lifestyles of people will face such a challenge. Another challenge which will be faced in communicating this message is the financial challenge. Training the integrated smart energy ambassadors will take a substantial amount of money. Following them up in the field and accessing their efficiency will take additional finances. The use of the internet, mass media and appearance in events will also be financial intensive. The initial costs of setting up the smart energy project are also high; hence many people will feel a nudge while adopting it. Therefore, finances will be a major challenge in the project. With respect to the responses from the target population, it is expected that most of them will indicate finances as a major hindrance to their assimilation of the project in their buildings. However, a strategic financial analysis of the cost of using the integrated smart energy project versus the use of conventional energy in a building over a period of time will be used to give the audience a view of what to expect from the project, thus altering their perception. 3.4 Final Reflections on the Project The project has a potential to reduce the amount of carbon gas emissions from buildings by a substantial margin. However, the success of the project depends on the ability of the target audience to comprehend the effects of environmental degradation; hence acknowledging the need for sustainability. The project cannot make it in the market on its own, hence it needs to be accepted and used by building designers, hence constructing sustainable buildings. It also needs to advocate for to the clients; hence enabling them acknowledged its importance and consequently adopting it. It is also supposed to be included in the master plans of communities and cities, hence ensuring that as much people as possible are using smart energy. Lastly, it should be advocated for by professionals, hence giving it a professional backing hence crediting its efficiency. Precisely, put, the project should be a collaborative move from all the stakeholders involved (Randolph, 2006). 4.0 Recommendations It is recommended that: The integrated smart energy ambassadors are well trained so as to ensure that they have the technical knowhow of the project, hence being able to explain its well to the target audience. It is also recommended that the ambassadors be volunteers, hence ensuring that the project is working with people who share a sustainable perception to life. Lastly, it is recommended that all the stakeholders involved should be incorporated in the project so as to ensure that it is successful. 5.0 Conclusion In conclusion, the integrated smart energy project aims at providing an alternative source of energy to buildings. With the need to use sustainable energy which has minimal or no carbon gas emissions, the solar based project comes in handy to provide this. The main communication strategy used in this project is the use of ambassadors who are supposed to influence people from their areas of operation. The project also uses the internet and mass media to communicate the sustainability message. It has also been seen in this report that the success of these projects depends on the collaborative efforts of all the stakeholders involved. In an effect of this, the paper has indicated who needs to be involved in this project. The communication message has also been emphasized in this paper. It has been seen that there is a need to ensure that every stakeholder involved owns up to the responsibility of sustaining the environment. Summing up, the project has a great potential to reduce the emission of carbon gases from buildings since it offers an alternative source of energy to all the major activities in a building. References Braungart, M & McDonough, W. (2002) Cradle to Cradle – Re-making the way we make things, Jonathan Cape, London. Dale, A., & Sparkes, J., (2010). The ‘Agency’ Of Sustainable Community Development, Community Development Journal, 46 (4); pp. 476–492 International Renewable Energy Source, (2012).Renewable Energy Technologies: Cost Analysis Series, IRENA, 1(2); 1- 48 Kelly, J., (2012). Social Cities, Grattan Institute, 1-67 Mackenzie, A., (2005). Sustainability Is Not Really A Local Issue, But How We Live Is About Sustainability? Manning Clark House Forum, Retrieved on 14th November from file:///E:/Documents%20and%20Settings/mwenda/Desktop/sustainability%20smart%20energy/Paper-Mackenzie_Andrew-Sustainability_is_not_really_a_local_issue.html Owen, D. (2009). More like Manhattan (Ch. 1). Green metropolis: Why living smaller, living closer, and driving less are the keys to sustainability, 1-48. Randolph, B., (2006). Delivering the Compact City in Australia: Current Trends And Future Implications, City Futures Research Centre, 1-31 Read More

 

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