Green Structures for Low Energy Consumption - Case Study Example

Green Structures for Low Energy Consumption al Affiliation Green Structures for Low Energy Consumption Introduction Green energy structures have brought a whole new concept of energy conservation on a global perspective. The infrastructural development was first embraced in the European countries, especially in the United Kingdom to facilitate energy reliability and efficiency. The resultant benefits are geared towards ensuring sustainable energy consumption, particularly the non – renewable ones. This will, therefore, lead to sustained production and economic growth. Most green structures are built near or in the cities as industrial parks, green areas, and eco-villages (Hong, Laurenzi & Asia Business Council, 2007). The technology facilitates mutual coexistence and relationship between the economic development and the environment. The green structures are commonly known as green space, green architecture or urban greenery. The buildings improve the living and working conditions of people and support ecological stability (Jayamaha, 2007). The construction technique achieves its goals while still maintaining building codes, which are either on national or international levels. Some of the reasons why currently green structures are used include necessitating transportation, affordability, sustainability and durability (Kruger & Seville, 2013). In addition to these, there are reduced effects on climate change, enhanced efficiencies, and ultimately investing in low carbon energy. These buildings are planned to achieve both short and long term goals that lead to best infrastructural facilities that link well with the surrounding. Practically, urban green structures are designed as built infrastructures or transport structures with proper planning and management. For instance, industrial parks and eco- cities blend well with the nature (National Academy of Sciences (U.S.), National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine (U.S.) & National Research Council (U.S.), 2013). The green areas also allows opportunities such us recreation, concerts, cultural events, social and playgrounds (Jayamaha, 2007). The buildings are said to be eco-friendly since the economic developments match within the local environment. The relationship is critical in ensuring the nature is protected while, at the same time, natural amenities offer recreational grounds. Fig 1 show a green eco-industrial park The green structures are cheap in terms of energy needed for construction as compared to the conventional buildings. They are made of raw materials from nature, which when exploited sustainably allows for wider applications at reduced production cost. Due to this reduced production cost, the investors find a good environment to set structure while saving some moneys that can be re-invested to further compatibility with the environment. However, this concept of affordability is realized in the long term, both by the inhabitants and the owners of the structures (Hong, Laurenzi & Asia Business Council, 2007). Because energy resources are the most crucial for economic development, green structures almost entirely based on renewable energy, prove to be cheap and affordable to the consumers. Protection and Conservation of Biodiversity; hence, Biomass The green parks are areas known to integrate the concept of environmental protection. All the components of the ecology, that is, air, water and soil are made to properly blend with the structures. That is why many residential parks built on green idea maintain the rivers and streams that pass through them. The notion of clean air is also mandatory in the initial and throughout the process of construction. All these ecological compartments act as habitats for organisms. The mutual coexistence allows humans to enjoy the ecological services, which give man tangible and intangible benefits (National Academy of Sciences (U.S.), National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine (U.S.) & National Research Council (U.S.), 2013). The buildings are laid on the natural landscape to retain the originality of nature, which leads to its protection and management. Implicitly, wetlands are managed and not considered as wastelands but instead taken to be part of the whole composite structures. These structures are laid on natural ecosystems without manipulation. The conserved biodiversity ensures that the biomass energy can be tapped in a convenient and sustainable manner. Fig 2 show a green story building in china Green structures Improve Energy Efficiency Energy efficiency addresses the problem of wastages, losses and reduction of input energy, which may result to less than expected outputs. Green structures are designed in the initial stages to improve efficiencies. Increased conversion capacity has a two-fold importance since energy is conserved as the environment is protected. Subsequently, energy is one of the icon developmental resources; its conservation should be adopted. The technology has been used under a Green Deal program in the United Kingdom (Hong, Laurenzi & Asia Business Council, 2007). The rooms of the buildings may sometimes be conditions to limit heat loss; especially in cold regions of the temperate and higher latitudes. Fig 3 shows underwater proposed green structure in china Fig 4 shows Green ark home that can capable of housing 10000 people Renewable energy can be replenished or be regenerated. The main examples include solar, wind, biogas and biomass. In contrast, the non-renewable, which are exhaustible, are widely used in both developed and developing countries. The latter being finite makes it vulnerable to overexploitation. To remedy the gap, green structures promote adoption of a better alternative, the renewable energy. For example, in the northeastern fringes of Japan, architectures develop houses and incorporate either solar or wind power production sites within the vicinity. The interest in renewable energy comes with many benefits which include friendliness to the environment and fairly cheap (Jayamaha, 2007). Their exploitation if well streamlined is always sustainable. Majority of the world’s countries imported expensive non-renewable petroleum or natural gas. It, therefore, means that national budgetary allocation subdivide big chunk of money for the importation. However, renewable sources provide the best option and that is why the environmental sensitive developers are embracing the green technology (National Academy of Sciences (U.S.), National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine (U.S.) & National Research Council (U.S.), 2013). The solar energy is used as the main source of light during the day to reduce reliance of the expensive electrical energy. That is enhanced by use of specialized roofing system that allow light to pass through it. Green structure Save the Environment of Global Warming High carbon energy is responsible for the global warming since they burn to produce a lot carbon iv oxide, which forms the basis of global warming potential. Fortunately, the low carbon energy used to build the green structures show a far much step taken to reduce this harmful environmental issue. In Europe, legislation enacted in 2009 on climate and energy was a driving motive that made many developers shift to blue structures integrated into the green areas or parks. According to the expired Kyoto protocol, emission reduction efforts could be measured and quantified by building green structures (Jayamaha, 2007). The technology has tremendously aided in the reduction of carbon leakage that cause minimal to severe levels of air pollution. The idea is also helpful to capture atmospheric carbon and store it. It is because the indigenous vegetation is not cut thus, sequestering the atmospheric carbon dioxide to purify the air. Use of the technology was also applied during the carbon trading provision of the previously weaned Kyoto protocol (Jayamaha, 2007). Green Structure Enhance Environmental Sustainability Our short term actions show not compromise the needs of the future generation, for example, wanton destruction of vegetation to give room for settlement areas. The physical green structures ensure the raw materials derived from the natural ecosystem are tapped in a sustainable manner to avoid deterioration. For example, in Slovakian capital city, greenbelt urban forests are used for beautification and aesthetical role, leading to their sustained existence. The technology has also improved access to modern types of energy services; thus the societies abandon the old crude and wasteful use of energy resources. The Rio +20 conference opened a chapter of such initiative. The attempts to improve sustainable energy already have been on the course, but it is projected to accelerate in the coming decades (Kruger & Seville, 2013). Fig 5 show a proposed Green city in Italy Case Studies Bahrain World Trade shows a reality of a green architecture, it is located in Manama city. It a fifty story building that rise as two towers to over two hundred and forty located in a maritime environment. In between the towers exist three wind turbines that generate energy to power all the energy requiring processes. That design has also reduced environmental burdens associated with analysis of the life cycle if probably and external energy had to be sourced. Since the people living within the structure reach a level of self-actualization, a culture is built by them to conserve their own energy. The floor plan was the reason for making this structural work (Kruger & Seville, 2013). The wing resembling towers are used to funnel, increase turbulence and accelerate wind speed between them. Further, the different vertical shape the towers are to help reduce the pressure that is different between the bridges, that when combined with increased wind velocity at the higher points, should give an equal speed amongst the turbines (Hong, Laurenzi & Asia Business Council, 2007). All this provides for greater efficiency when powering the generators. It thus results into multiple benefits due to energy provision and increment in efficiency. Fig 6 show Bahrain World Trade Center implementation of green structure concept. The French design crew proposes inserting windmills to broken electrical towers, therefore, changing the towers to wind energy and energy boost to already-made grid. Wind-it may have been placed in a newly designed electrical tower. The design, given in three sizes, may have provided enough energy to run one room of a house or about 20 whole houses in relation to the size and wind velocity. According to the designers and developers, suppose thirty percent of France’s electrical pillars were outfitted together with turbines, they could lead to rivaling of energy of two nuclear reactors, which is 5% of the country’s total electrical demand (Jayamaha, 2007). Conclusion Green structures are the new trend of energy conservation; especially in the urban setting where eco-structures are raised to conform to the local environment. Energy drivers major economic growth, which makes its management and conservation mandatory. The enshrined technology allows improvement of efficiencies and shifting to the renewable energy sources that are environmental friendly, cheap, and reliable. The shift to low carbon energy also reduces the release of greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming. Moreover, by retaining the natural system to its original state allows storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide to the plant tissues. Despite the many prospects concerning greenhouses, their advancement in the developing countries has been derailed by factors of finances, poor policies, limited government initiatives and socio-cultural aspects. To escalate the number of investors alacritous to develop the structures, the governments should extend subsidies to lure them. Industrial parks and eco-networks are other examples of green production structures. References Hong, W., Laurenzi, M. P., & Asia Business Council. (2007). Building Energy Efficiency: Why Green Building are Key to Asias Future. Hong Kong: Asia Business Council. Jayamaha, L. (2007). Energy-Efficient Building Systems: Green Strategies for Operation and Maintenance. New York: McGraw-Hill. Kruger, A., & Seville, C. (2013). Green Building: Principles and Practices in Residential Construction. Clifton Park, N.Y: Delmar Cengage Learning. National Academy of Sciences (U.S.),, National Academy of Engineering,, Institute of Medicine (U.S.),, & National Research Council (U.S.),. (2013). Energy-Efficiency Standards and Green Building Certification Systems Used by the Department of Defense for Military Construction and Major Renovations. Read More