Mustafa Ahmed Qureshi Ahmed Omer

Muhammad Abdullah Abassi Khawaja M. Ali

Chapter 9: Challenges in Green Building Development

 Energy and Carbon Footprints:

o Reducing these footprints is a critical challenge for sustainable building

development.

o Environmental damage from fossil and nuclear fuels includes:

 Land degradation due to coal and uranium mining.

 Acid rain, air pollution, radiation, and issues with nuclear waste
storage.

o Buildings and transportation in the U.S. each consume about 40% of

primary energy, linking them as key areas for reform.

 Fossil Fuel Dependency:

o Fracking has delayed the predicted decline in oil production, but

reserves remain finite.

o H.T. Odum suggested that eventually, the energy needed to extract oil
will exceed the energy it provides.

o Renewable energy remains critical as no cost-effective substitute for

fossil fuels has emerged.

 Future Concerns:

o Energy costs are expected to rise with global competition,

necessitating renewable energy adoption.

o Without significant changes, energy production will continue to drive

climate change and environmental damage.

Energy Use in the Built Environment

 U.S. Energy Consumption:

o The U.S., with only 5% of the global population, consumes 20% of the
world’s energy.

o Buildings alone consume 8% of global energy, with the commercial

sector growing fastest.

 Interlinked Energy Use:

o Building design and placement influence transportation energy

consumption.
Mustafa Ahmed Qureshi Ahmed Omer
Muhammad Abdullah Abassi Khawaja M. Ali
o Construction materials and processes add to industrial energy
demands.

 Trends:

o While per capita energy use is decreasing, population growth offsets

these gains.

o Rising demand leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions,

amplifying climate change risks.

Key Low-Energy Building Strategies

 Fundamental Approaches:

o High-performance buildings should incorporate:

 Passive solar design to lower energy needs.

 Renewable energy sources to offset consumption.

 Simulation tools to optimize design.

o Achieving up to a 90% reduction in energy use is essential to meet

sustainability goals.

 Design Steps for Efficiency:

1. Use building energy simulation tools to guide decisions.

2. Prioritize passive solar design for heating and cooling.

3. Optimize thermal insulation in building envelopes.

4. Reduce internal loads from appliances and lighting.

5. Maximize daylight use and integrate efficient lighting systems.

6. Design highly efficient HVAC systems.

7. Choose energy-efficient appliances and motors.

8. Incorporate renewable energy sources like solar panels.

9. Reuse waste energy where possible.

10. Adopt emerging technologies such as ground coupling and radiant

cooling.
Mustafa Ahmed Qureshi Ahmed Omer
Muhammad Abdullah Abassi Khawaja M. Ali

Green Building Standards

 Assessment Systems:

o LEED and Green Globes rely on ASHRAE 90.1-2010 standards to

benchmark building energy performance.

o Baseline Design: A minimally code-compliant model is used for

comparison.

o Performance metrics include:

 Energy savings over the baseline.

 Reduction in carbon dioxide (CO₂e) emissions.

 Energy Goals:

o Targets aim for energy-neutral buildings or even those that export

energy to the grid.

Passive Design Strategies

 Key Features:

o Utilize natural elements like sunlight, wind, and vegetation to reduce

energy needs.

o Passive designs focus on eliminating dependency on powered systems.

 Design Components:

o Site Factors: Include terrain, vegetation, and climate considerations.

o Orientation: Align buildings east-west to minimize solar loads.

o Thermal Mass: Use materials like concrete or brick to store and

release energy.

 Customization is Essential:

o Passive strategies must be tailored to the local climate. For example:

 Thermal mass works in New Mexico’s desert conditions but not

in humid Florida.

Daylighting Strategies
Mustafa Ahmed Qureshi Ahmed Omer
Muhammad Abdullah Abassi Khawaja M. Ali
 Advantages:

o Reduces reliance on artificial lighting, lowering energy use.

o Improves occupant productivity and well-being:

 Schools with daylighting show 20-26% better learning rates.

 Retail stores with natural lighting see 30-50% higher sales.

 Implementation:

o Install skylights, light shelves, and reflective surfaces to enhance

daylighting.

o Optimize window placement for maximum natural light while

preventing glare.

Building Envelope

 Wall Systems:

o Focus on low U-values for better insulation.

o Use thermal mass internally and insulation externally for optimal

performance.

 Window Selection:

o Choose windows with appropriate Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGC)

and Visible Transmittance (VT).

o Low-E coatings and argon fills improve thermal resistance and energy
efficiency.

 Roof Design:

o High-albedo materials (light-colored) reflect sunlight, reducing cooling

demands.

o Roof reflectivity is measured by the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI).

Internal Load Management

 Lighting:

o Daylighting reduces artificial lighting needs.

o Use LEDs and automated systems to optimize energy use.

Mustafa Ahmed Qureshi Ahmed Omer
Muhammad Abdullah Abassi Khawaja M. Ali
 Plug Load Control:

o Laptops consume 25% of the energy used by desktops.

o Occupancy sensors and smart surge protectors reduce phantom

energy use.

Renewable Energy Integration

 Emphasize the use of solar panels, wind systems, and other clean energy
sources.

 Waste energy should be harvested and reused where possible.

Passive Cooling and Ventilation

 Cooling Techniques:

o Use ground coupling and night ventilation for efficient cooling.

o German buildings integrate shading and slab cooling to drastically

lower energy use.

 Ventilation:

o Thermal chimneys and wind-driven Venturi effects provide natural

airflow.

o Jubilee Campus in the UK showcases advanced passive ventilation

systems.

Simulation and Verification

 Tools:

o DOE-2.2 and Radiance help model energy performance and

daylighting.

o These simulations ensure efficient design and system integration.

 Verification Standards:

o The International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol

(IPMVP) offers best practices for evaluating energy efficiency.

Case Studies
Mustafa Ahmed Qureshi Ahmed Omer
Muhammad Abdullah Abassi Khawaja M. Ali
 Germany vs. U.S.:

o German buildings achieve 100 kWh/m²/year energy use, far below U.S.
standards.

o Strategies like passive cooling and shading enable German success.

 LEED Buildings:

o Modeled energy savings often deviate from actual performance due to

user behavior and plug loads.