Resource Positive Architecture

An Initiative of Okanagan College

Presentation by Douglas MacLeod

Your Building Can Save the Planet



The heating and cooling of buildings emits at least 30% of the world’s greenhouse gases.

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If you add in the manufacture and transportation of construction materials buildings account for 48% of the world’s greenhouse gases.

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Our cities and communities consume 75% of the world's energy and generate 80% of its greenhouse gases.

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Every year in North America, buildings release some 2200 megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

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In Canada buildings account for:• 50% of the natural resources used in a year

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In Canada buildings account for:• 50% of the natural resources used in a year• 25% of the materials in landfills

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In Canada buildings account for:• 50% of the natural resources used in a year• 25% of the materials in landfills• 12% of the non-industrial water usage.

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In the United States, the annual cost of building-related sickness is estimated to be at $58 billion.

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Green buildings could generate an additional $200 billion a year in the United States in worker performance by creating healthy workplaces.

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More than half of the world’s new construction is taking place in China and India alone.

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China and India could cut current building energy consumption by 25 percent simply by using energy more efficiently.

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In China a dollar spent on green buildings has a 4 times greater impact than a dollar spent on energy generation.

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Green and Healthy Buildings have many benefits.

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Green and Healthy Buildings can decrease:• Absenteeism by 15%

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Green and Healthy Buildings can decrease:• Absenteeism by 15%• Carbon Emissions by 35%

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Green and Healthy Buildings can decrease:• Absenteeism by 15%• Carbon Emissions by 35%• Energy Costs by 30%

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Green and Healthy Buildings can decrease:• Absenteeism by 15%• Carbon Emissions by 35%• Energy Costs by 30%• Hospital Stays by 2.5 days

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Green and Healthy Buildings can decrease:• Absenteeism by 15%• Carbon Emissions by 35%• Energy Costs by 30%• Hospital Stays by 2.5 days• Waste Management Costs by 50-90%

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Green and Healthy Buildings can decrease:• Absenteeism by 15%• Carbon Emissions by 35%• Energy Costs by 30%• Hospital Stays by 2.5 days• Waste Management Costs by 50-90%• Water Usage by 30-50%

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Green and Healthy Buildings can increase:• Factory Production

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Green and Healthy Buildings can increase:• Factory Production• Retail Sales per Square Foot

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Green and Healthy Buildings can increase:• Factory Production• Retail Sales per Square Foot• Office Productivity by 2-20%

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Retrofitting existing buildings with current, cost-effective technology, would reduce our climate change impact by 40%.

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Using new technology would reduce our climate change impact by 60%.

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Using existing technology we can now construct Net Zero Buildings which consume as much energy as they use and have a neutral effect on the environment.

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But we could do more.28



Resource Positive Architecture is about buildings and communities that have a regenerative or positive effect on the environment.

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Resource Positive Buildings generate more energy than they consume.

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Resource Positive Buildings purify more water than they use.

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Resource Positive Buildings sequester more carbon than they emit.

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Resource Positive Buildings also have the potential to generate revenue for their inhabitants.

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The performance of a building is determined:• 25% by its architecture• 50% by its systems• 25% by the behaviour of its occupants.

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We can use all three to create Resource Positive Buildings.

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Here’s how we do it:Metering & Monitoring 10%

Passive Solar Design 15%

Change our Behaviours 15%

Energy Efficient Lighting 10%

Energy Smart Appliances 20%

Better Insulation and Materials 15%

Alternative Energy Systems 20%

Total 105%

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Metering and Monitoring:People will use 12% less energy if they have legible meters that tell them how much they are using.

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Passive Solar Design involves no advanced technologies but can generate huge savings.

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Passive Solar Design includes:• Orientation of the building to maximize daylight• Natural Ventilation• Shading Devices• Passive Heating with Thermal Mass• Efficient Envelopes.

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Passive Solar Design:New technologies can capture and concentrate natural light and deliver it 100 feet inside a building - with a 25% saving in lighting power bills.

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Change our Behaviours:• Turn down the thermostat• Turn off the lights• Power off the computer.

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Energy Efficient Lighting:Compact Fluorescent Bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and deliver the same amount of light.

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LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs now under development will offer even more energy savings, last longer and be better for the environment.

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Energy Smart Appliances:Our electronic devices are energy hogs and they’re getting worse.

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Energy Smart Appliances have the following energy savings over conventional models:• Refrigerators 15%• Clothes Washers 50%• Dishwashers 25%• Air Conditioning Systems 20%.

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Better Insulation and Materials:The Passive House uses superinsulation and other methods to avoid the need for a furnace or air conditioning system.

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Better Insulation and Materials:• Build out of Wood

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Better Insulation and Materials:• The manufacture of most building materials generates greenhouse gases.• Wood soaks up and stores greenhouse gases as it grows.

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Alternative Energy Systems:• Solar Thermal• Solar Photovoltaic• Wind• Geothermal.

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Alternative Energy Systems:• Solar Thermal Collectors can reduce water-heating costs by 70%.

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Resource Positive Architecture is the best means of reducing global warming.

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Collaborative research is the best means of making resource positive buildings.

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The problem is:Levels of building research pale in comparison to amounts being invested in other sectors.

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In the United States research on green buildings was only about 0.2% - two-tenths of one percent - of all federally-funded research from 2002 to 2004.

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We need an international program of research, development and commercialization.

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Schools of architecture and engineering working with practitioners could move us quickly towards resource positive architecture.

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Great progress could be made simply by connecting together existing initiatives and sharing best practices.

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A comprehensive approach provides a competitive advantage.

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To find out more about this presentation and Resource Positive Architecture please visit:

www.resourcepositive.com

Resource Positive Architecture

Design

Transcript of Resource Positive Architecture