Sustainable Design Blog & Information

net zero building design is coming you'll see

renewable energy, Sustainable Design, Energy Efficiency

Net Zero Building Design is Going to be the Standard Sooner than Later

Thu, Jun 23, 2016

Change is coming:

If you do not yet sense an urgency for change, you will soon.

Sure, there's market resistance, and there will continue to be, and so far, it doesn't seem to have moved very fast. But that's because the market will only transform so fast without a crisis.

The sweet spot for now may be where both sides are angry: The market is uncomfortable with the required rate of change, and those that understand the current and pending risks are angry that change is not happening fast enough.

The question today: Why do something different? We are all pretty good at what we do, so why change?

When the risk of NOT changing exceeds the risks of change, change becomes inevitable... so long as everybody sees and believes it.

Change involves risk and creates tension, so we must keep that in mind.

Currently we face many threats and opportunities

Climate Change: The Planet is stressed
Carbon
Population Increase: 7+ billion people now
Geo-Political Risk
Cost of energy
Government taking Action (codes)
Long term performance
Eco Systems provide basic services

Rewards also exist for those who are proactive, not reactive.

Increase profits
Access to natural resources
Access to Capital
Efficient management of resources

Climate change is like the internet. It arrived one day, gets bigger every year, and shows no signs that it will ever go away. It's transformed industries, created new ones, and impacted EVERYBODY... Just like climate change.

The goals of 2030 Architecture

Net Zero Energy is a path that began with the establishment of a base line of energy use/efficiency standard set in 2003. The path goes from 2003 to 2030, and the point is to incrementally reduce the energy use of buildings, shifting to the use of fossil free energy, and having all new buildings be carbon neutral by 2030.

Energy Codes have improved efficiency requirements by about 40% since 1985, and within that window, the large bulk of the change (36%) happened since the first efficiency standards were set in 2003.

So, codes have taken us about 1/3 of the way to our 2030 goal, which is a good start, but we're already 48% of the way to the deadline.

How does one achieve NET ZERO? (Carbon Neutral Building)

Step 1:

Design a building that uses 60%-80% less energy than a minimal code compliant building.

Step 2:

Provide fossil free fuel energy for the remaining energy needs.

Simple, right? The playbook to get to net zero is widely accepted and a proven, successful approach. But reducing energy consumption by 70-80% and maintaining comfort is not accomplished by simply tweaking the way we have always designed and built buildings.

However, a fully integrated, thoughtful and intentional design IS.

Out of these two areas for improvement, we can directly impact the first, which is energy efficiency. Two, we continue to put pressure on legislative support for renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Even with minimal increases in the latter, we can go a long way when building design is driving the change.

(MORE LIKE THIS: Does the Cost of Solar Energy Outweigh the Benefits?)

The current 2030 goal is 70% reduction in 2016:

Since 2003, we have seen an increase in energy efficiency requirements, including one of the most recent in 2014. The graphic below shows the steady improvement of the Energy Codes over the past 30 years.

(Graphic above provided by US Green Building Council)

LEED will always try to stay ahead of the building codes. The next graphic shows this pretty clearly.

(Graphic provided by US Green Building Council)

As the codes improve, LEED changes it base line criteria to be more stringent to stay ahead of the curve. In my opinion, this kind of pressure is helpful in driving better legislation, which drastically improves our chances for success.

Green Building codes and green rating system standards are gradually incorporated into the code requirements for all buildings. Eventually (ideally by 2030), the code will require all to be net zero energy buildings, which will mean that new buildings will have zero carbon impact to the environment based on energy usage.

Currently, we are developing new buildings that have less negative impact than in prior years, which is fine for starting, but "less bad" isn't where we want to settle. Why not move toward developing buildings that have a positive impact on the environment?

Examples of Net Zero Buildings & Net Zero Ready Projects:

Audubon Visitors Center - Sarasota, FL (FULL GALLERY)

Cancer Support Community - Sarasota, FL (FULL GALLERY)

Sun N Fun Wellness Center - Sarasota, FL (FULL GALLERY)

HGTV Green Home 2009 - Port St. Lucie FL (FULL GALLERY)

Kashi by the River - Sebastian, FL

RESOURCES

2030 Challenge

www.architecture2030.org

NZEB

www.living-future.org/netzero

New Buildings Institute

http://newbuildings.org

US Green Building Council

www.usgbc.org

Want to know more about designing for Net Zero?

Schedule a free consultation or download this great ebook on how to design a green home:

renewable energy, Green Design

How to incorporate embodied energy into your green building designs

Tue, Jan 12, 2016

Embrace embodied energy with your green designs:

By designing and constructing more sustainable buildings, it is important to first recognize that these structures are absolutely LOADED with embodied energy. What's that, you ask?

Embodied energy is the energy cost it took to remove something from nature, transport it wherever it goes, manufacture it, and install it.

- From the trees that were harvested to make up the structure, to all the natural resources and manmade components that provide infrastructure, furniture, fixtures, and equipment. All the materials that go into the construction of a building have embodied energy in them, and we should be finding ways to incorporate them whenever possible and practical.

Each material is extracted, shipped, manufactured, shipped again, and eventually ends up on a job site where it was assembled.

When demolishing an old structure to make way for the new, we lose some of that embodied energy instantly - that which was associated with the building's original purpose and the energy it took to create and transport the materials.

In addition, there's human energy involved.

So, how do we incorporate embodied energy into our future designs?

1. Redisribute

That's right - let's have others reuse the materials that are loaded with embodied energy.

As an example, Carlson Studio is advocating for a position of redistributing embodied energy for a house being built in Birch Haven.

Redistribution is a relatively easy and effective goal to realize. Whether a building is in need of remodeling or demolition in order to be re-built with up-to-date technologies and materials, much of the embodied energy CAN be salvaged, even repurposed. There is still value in the materials no matter what their age or condition.

There were also items in the home, such as appliances, fixtures, furnishing, and clothing that found new lives in the salvage effort. Even the aluminum siding made its way to the redistribution pile and was installed on another house.

2. reclaim

The Birch Haven home is replacing a 60-year-old lakefront cottage that was constructed using knotty cedar planks that are no longer available except through salvage. Not only did the homeowners and CSA have a strong desire to re-use these gorgeous, native, resilient materials in the new home for posterity’s sake, they were carefully extracted in the demolition process so as much of the material as possible could be saved, salvaged, and included in the new construction.

The building is on track to receive the highest possible form of certification for sustainability from USGBC- LEED for Home Platinum level. Therefore the waste generated by the project – regardless if it is from new construction materials or existing materials – have been thoughtfully and purposefully kept to an absolute minimum, reducing space in the landfills and trash hauling expenses.

Buildings like this are a living testament that finding new life from structures that are past their useful lifespans is not only possible, but can also be profitable. In addition to the salvaged wood being able to carry forth its embodied energy into the new residence for the next 100+ years, it will provide a Biophilic presence of the natural material of wood into the interior of the home at almost no cost. And on an emotional level, the ghost of the prior home will live on and have a constant visible reminder of what stood on the site before 2015.

CONCLUSION:

Given the combination of salvage, re-use, embodied energy savings, Biophilic design, and emotional connection to the past, this design solution was a winner in so many ways.

Interested in learning more about embodied energy and how it could impact your green design? Set up a free consultation today!

renewable energy, sustainability

The Industrial Revolution and Renewable Energy

Tue, Oct 07, 2014

The Industrial Revolution and Renewable Energy I watched a great BBC documentary on the Industrial Revolution this past week. It is amazing how changes in technology, energy and transportation continue to be as relevant today as they were in the 17^th century.

The documentary’s premise is the industrial revolution began in England, in the 17^th century, and the main driving force was twofold: one was the discovery of an abundance of coal that was easy to access, and the other was the social/political climate in England versus other developing countries.

Up until this time, wood was the primary fuel/energy source in the world.

Coal was 3 times more efficient than wood.

Coal was less bulky and easier to transport.

Once the innovations occurred to begin to tap the energy potential of coal, through the creation of the steam engine, that new energy drove the industrial revolution and made it possible.

Constant improvements in efficiency of steam engines provided the essential tool for constant innovation in the manufacturing of products and materials that drove the economy, and provided an opportunity for private entities to profit from the innovations.

There was a great deal of scientific research and understanding of the natural world around us during this time. Understanding our solar system and the universe, gravity, evolution, forces of nature etc., were being discovered, tested and proven. Religion often tried to sensor the scientific knowledge of the time because it felt threatened. It was hard to grasp that we (the earth/mankind) were not the center of the universe. We were not even the center of our solar system. And yes, the earth was round, not flat, and so on and so on, with discovery through all of recorded history. Science continues to discover new things and refine existing knowledge constantly. I do not see that as a threat to my beliefs any way.

I think about the forces trying to hang onto our petroleum-based energy economy until the last drop/lump is burned and inserted into the atmosphere.

Then I think about how much energy is delivered by the sun to every square foot on this planet - free renewable energy from the sky, evenly distributed to be used everywhere, by everyone.

Renewable energy can drive our economy and provide opportunities for the public and private sectors today.

I think of the changing climate and what the next less than 100 years is going to bring. It is OK to think the 7 BILLION + people on the planet can likely impact our environment and change the climate. How could that many people not affect this third rock from the sun?

The government of England in the 17^th and 18^th Centuries invested in the infrastructure of transportation networks, both toll roads to provide consistent access across areas controlled by different counties, and canals that made transportation much cheaper and easier to bring in raw materials and distribute products to market.

I think government still has a role to play today in getting us into the next phase of energy (renewable energy sources) and reducing the amount of carbon we inject into our atmosphere. The documentary does get into the differences between the government’s approaches in England versus France and how those polices affected the ability for those societies to innovate and advance.

I was reminded of the book, The Third Wave, by Alvin Toffler. I always loved that book. The 3 waves of society he write about are the Agrarian Age, the Industrial Age, and the post industrial age, aka the Information Age. That is another whole discussion for another day.

Check it out the BBC documentary (it is only an hour long) for yourself at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhF_zVrZ3RQ

Renewable Energy and Sustainability

At Carlson Studio Architecture, our LEED Certified architects look at renewable energy and sustainable design as part of the greater "whole system." Everything is part of one Whole System. Ecological thinking means looking at living things in their whole context, while seeking also to understand the interconnections between all living beings and their environment. It recognizes that no living being — including human beings — exists in isolation.

We are happy to provide a complimentary eco-consultation to determine how your building designs can utilize renewable energy sources as part of your sustainability goals. Just click the button below to submit your request, and we'll respond promptly to schedule your consultation.

Florida Power & Light, City of Sarasota, renewable energy

City of Sarasota gets bullied by Florida Power & Light

Wed, Nov 03, 2010

I began to study sustainable design, renewable energy and energy conservation in 1983 while studying architecture and environmental design at Ball State University. Energy did not command the same sense of urgency that it does today. The demand for increased renewable energy development and the rapid changes in technology, knowledge and economic forces are drastically different than they were 27 years ago. The pace of change is continuing to accelerate as the City of Sarasota locks itself into a 30 year deal with Florida Power & Light. 2040 is an eternity when you imagine how much the energy landscape is expected to change even 10 years from now.

The City of Sarasota seems to have forgotten that the City signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution Adopting the “2030 CHALLENGE”. The U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution document in part states:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors will
work to increase the fossil-fuel reduction standard for all new buildings to carbon neutral by 2030, in the following increments:

60% in 2010

70% in 2015

80% in 2020

90% in 2025

Carbon-neutral by 2030 (meaning new buildings will use no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors will urge mayors from around the nation to develop plans to fully implement the above mentioned targets for all new and renovated buildings within the City; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors will work in conjunction with
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and other appropriate organizations to join this effort to develop plans to fully implement similar targets as mentioned above.

I do not see how a 30-year agreement with Florida Power and Light, even with a few commitments to renewable components, can even begin to address – let alone accomplish - these goals both now and by 2030. It will not.

I have a vested interest in how I receive my electrical power.

Carlson Studio's office is in the City.

Michael Carlson