From Guest Blogger Manjusha Advenser: Seven Technologies in Green Construction
The term green construction definitely brings a unique-looking building to our mind with energy efficiency. It’s not just about the structure that we build but also the application processes throughout the building life-cycle that make the building resource efficient and environmentally responsible. In this blog post, we will explain to you 7 construction technologies that are applied in green construction.
Technology #1: Cool Roofs
To improve the solar reflectance and reduce the thermal emittance, cool roofs technology is widely used when it comes to green construction. The major role they play in the layman’s term means, they reflect sun’s ray and prevent warm/cool air from escaping from the top of the building when compared with an average shingle roof.
It’s an understood fact that under the extreme heat of summer sun, dark shingle roof can reach up to 70°C. With cool roofs, the temperature at the rooftop is lowered, however, the real saving happens inside. When the cool roof reflects the intense heat or traps the air inside, it reduces the strain on air conditioning system thus reducing the emissions.
Next time, when you think of roof, think about constructing a cool roof. The U.S. Department of Energy (Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy) provides complete guidelines for selecting cool roofs.
Technology #2: Green Insulation
Insulations are generally wall fillers and often stay out of our sight. No wonder, recycled materials are used as green insulations. One of the best examples of green insulation is cotton insulation which comes from recycled denim, that’s right… from old jean scraps.
Cellulose insulation is another material which makes use of the common product – our daily newspaper. The recycled paper insulation does come in several forms, however, the most common the prepared option is blow-in cellulose. You can simply spray it on to your walls or attics instead of sticking the sheets.
Cotton and cellulose insulation are few among the best options while going green insulation. It neither poses any discomfort or health concerns nor thus preferred by several building contractors.
Technology #3: Biodegradable Materials
Using biodegradable materials is one of the best options when the construction is going green. As construction process is about building a new thing, we often forget about the end cycle of the process: which includes demolition and disposal or the materials. With biodegradable materials, the disposal process becomes eco-friendly.
Biodegradable paints are one of the best examples of biodegradable materials. Recycled fiberglass is also an example for using recycled products. Outside of the U.S., for the construction from foundation to insulation, hemp is used. A composite insulator for the wall, Hemcrete – hemp and lime mixture which is similar to concrete. However, the law in the U.S. prohibits the growth of industrial hemp.
Technology #4: Rammed Earth Brick
Rammed earth brick have been in use for over thousands of years. This ancient construction technique makes use of raw materials of the Earth to form a durable building.
The method used now is not much different from what it was centuries before. A damp mixture of earth and clay or gravel is with combined with stabilizing element such as concrete and compressed to form dense, hard walls. After forming, the rammed earth should stay in the humid atmosphere for over two years to harden completely.
The density at which the rammer earth has makes it the most excellent material for temperature regulation inside a building. During summer it stays cool and in the winter it stays warm. The added benefit is, it comes with fewer emissions when compared with the typical building process.
Technology #5: Stormwater Management
Water runoff from heavy rains often leads to two serious issues, erosion and flood. Former being a serious damaging phenomenon and lateral similarly dangerous could lead to flood streets and building creating several millions of property damage and worst diving conditions.
Stormwater management plays a vital role in these areas as it involves landscaping and designing systems to manage a large volume of water properly. The US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) takes special measures to manage stormwater with the help of green construction.
The US EPA make sure of greenery growth in urban areas and lowers the heat island effect with the help of heat absorbing payments. They also make sure that there is no sewer overflow by absorbing water and dropping stormwater pollution with the help of soil and plants. Along with it, US UPA make use of several techniques to have green constructions which include but not limited to plant boxes, trees, and plants along the street.
Basically, the initiative is to make use of plant life to have a control on water or simply managing stormwater.
Technology #6: Geothermal Heating
Geothermal heating looks forward to generating power from Earth’s natural energy sources such as solar power or wind power. When comparing with energy sources such as natural gas or coal-powered electricity, geothermal is much more efficient and renewable source of energy with an environment-friendly tag.
Unlike common belief of cold weather making geothermal heating ineffective is false, as the pipes buried underground doesn’t get affected by the freezing temperature. In fact, it makes it a warm energy source at the time of winter and a cool energy source at the time of summer.
Though geothermal heating has several benefits, it does come with a disadvantage. You need to dig up the ground to lay the pipes.
Technology #7: Solar Power
When we talk about solar power, we definitely think about solar panels which come in large size. It’s true that solar panels come in large size with several tons of equipment, however, some doesn’t even require any equipment for the task. That’s the difference we’re talking about.
Active solar power is where we see tons of equipment and we first pictured when we talked about solar power. Passive solar power is the other option which comes with the smart home design. The principle works with strategic placement of windows in a house so that rays from the sun can heat up the home. As the large set of windows lets in the sunlight, the heat is absorbed using dark wall surfaces and thus retaining the heat to keep the house warm. With the help of fans and air vents, the air can be spread across the house.
When comparing, it’s a well-known fact that active solar power provides more heat than the passive solar power. As we depend on solar energy, it reduces the greenhouse gases which are the end-products of nonrenewable energy sources.
Technology #8 (Bonus): Smart Glass
When it comes to trapping solar energy indoor, passive solar energy is an ideal option. However, during summer, it’s recommended to keep out all the solar radiation. Shades, roof overhangs are few solutions to trim down the sunlight to pass indoor, however, there is an ideal solution for the problem. It’s called smart glass. They not only cut down the sunlight but also cut down the cost on HVAC.
The similar principle is implemented at the tallest skyscraper – Burj Khalifa. The glass consists of two coatings. Titanium coating on the outside capture UV rays and the inner coating is silver which reflects IR rays, thus reducing the outside temperature from 98 °C to 46 °C.
Conclusion:
In the construction industry for green construction, there are several technologies which are applicable for green building. However, we’ve mentioned eight of them which we believe you should be aware of. If you feel if we missed out a few, feel free to let us know in the comment section.
Author-Bio: Manjusha M. Nair is a major player of Digital Marketing Team at Advenser. A company who caters AEC industry with building information modeling services. During her working hours, she focuses her energy on building B2B strategies and networking with industry leaders. At her free time, she travels with her husband.
