Introduction
Green design is the practice of designing products, services, or processes in a way that minimises their environmental impact. It considers the entire life cycle of a product or service, from the extraction of raw materials to manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal or recycling. Green design aims to reduce the consumption of energy, water, and other resources, as well as the emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants.
Green design for the construction industry
Green design as it relates to construction is a concept that aims to reduce the environmental impact of buildings and improve their performance, health, and comfort. Green design can also help construction businesses save costs, enhance their reputation, and meet the increasing demand for sustainable buildings.
The importance of green design in construction
Materials and construction only contribute about 25% of the total lifetime emissions of a building, with the rest coming from the energy it consumes during its use. Green design choices, such as using low-carbon materials, insulating well, and integrating renewable energy solutions, can significantly reduce a building’s energy demand and lower its environmental impact. Effective green design can spare consumers from having to pay for retrofitting in the future, which will not be as effective or affordable.
Energy efficient buildings help buyers to save money on energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint in the long term. As such, good green design can increase the value and attractiveness of a property. Green mortgages can make sustainably designed homes more affordable and attractive for consumers, offering lower borrowing costs for homes that meet certain green criteria or have a high energy efficiency rating. This can serve as a competitive advantage for construction companies who can offer high-quality low-carbon housing solutions.
Key things to think about for construction businesses
There are many factors to consider when designing and constructing green buildings, but here are some of the most important ones:
Increased insulation: Insulating your building envelope (walls, roof, floor, windows, and doors) can significantly reduce heat loss and gain, and lower energy demand and bills. Insulation can also improve the performance and fire resistance of buildings. Opt for insulation materials with a long lifespan and high thermal performance, such as rockwool.
Better airtightness: Airtightness measures how well a building prevents unwanted air leakage, which can cause heat loss. Airtightness can be achieved by using appropriate sealing materials and techniques and avoiding gaps and cracks in your building envelope. Once construction has finished, undertake post completion testing to measure the building’s air leakage rate, and ensure energy efficiency standards have been met.
Electrification of heating systems: Heating systems that use electricity instead of fossil fuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency. Examples of electric heating systems include heat pumps, which extract heat from the air, ground, or water, and storage heaters, which can store excess electricity during off-peak hours and release it as heat when needed. Also consider using low-temperature heating systems, such as underfloor heating or fan coils, which require less energy to operate.
Improved energy management: Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) are hardware and software systems that monitor, control, and optimise the energy performance of a building. They can help reduce energy consumption, costs, and emissions, by adjusting the settings of heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation systems according to occupancy, weather, and user preferences. BEMS can also provide users with data and feedback on energy use and savings, and alert them to any faults or anomalies.
On-site renewable energy generation: On-site renewable energy generation, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, can help construction businesses reduce GHG emissions and reliance on grid electricity. Solar PV can provide clean, low-cost power for site equipment and lighting, provided supply matches demand. To help achieve this balance, batteries can be used to store excess solar energy during the day and discharge it when the sun is not shining. However, batteries can only help with daily fluctuations in supply and demand, not seasonal ones. Solar PV may not be sufficient to meet the site's energy needs during winter or cloudy days, and grid electricity or other sources of backup power may still be needed.
Resources and standards
There are a number of resources and standards that can help small businesses operating in construction embrace green design principles and minimise the carbon impact of their building projects. We’ve listed a few of the most recognised ones below:
Passivhaus is a voluntary standard for energy-efficient buildings that aims to achieve a high level of thermal comfort and indoor air quality with minimal energy use. Passivhaus buildings are designed to use passive measures, such as insulation, airtightness, ventilation, and orientation, to reduce the need for heating and cooling systems.
EnerPHit is a standard for retrofitting existing buildings to achieve the Passivhaus level of energy efficiency and comfort. EnerPHit recognises the challenges and limitations of retrofitting older buildings and provides more flexible criteria than Passivhaus. EnerPHit can help small UK construction businesses extend the lifespan of their buildings, improve their thermal performance, and reduce their environmental impact.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally recognised green building certification system that provides a framework for designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining sustainable buildings. LEED covers various aspects of green design, such as energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, materials selection, and innovation. LEED can help small construction businesses demonstrate their commitment to environmental responsibility, gain a competitive edge, and access incentives and funding opportunities.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a leading green building certification scheme in the UK and Europe that assesses the environmental performance of buildings across their life cycle. BREEAM covers a range of criteria, such as management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use, ecology, and pollution. BREEAM can help small UK construction businesses improve their design quality, reduce their operational costs, and enhance their marketability.
UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) is a membership organisation that aims to transform the UK built environment and promote sustainability in the construction industry. UKGBC provides various resources and services for its members, such as guidance, training, events, campaigns, and advocacy. UKGBC can help small UK construction businesses access the latest knowledge and best practices, network with other professionals, and influence the policy and regulatory environment.
Green design in other sectors
For some sectors (such as coal, oil and gas), use of product is obviously going to be the biggest contributor to their emissions, but it is too for a surprising number of other sectors. Only about one eighth of the life-cycle emissions from a typical European internal combustion engine car come from its manufacture; the rest are from its use. Total manufacturing emissions for battery electric vehicles are a little higher than for their fossil ancestors, but only comprise about half of their total life-cycle emissions, because emissions in use are so much lower. And as electricity decarbonises, these will become lower still. Once electricity generation is 100% renewable, emissions from cars will have reduced by around 90%.
This shows how emissions from the use of a product can dwarf those from its manufacture. Housing shows a similar pattern, with about a quarter of total life-cycle emissions coming from materials and construction, and the rest from use. With developments in electrification and decarbonisation of electricity generation, these in-use emissions can be almost eliminated. So how do you address these emissions?
The first thing to do is to develop a model of how your products are used in real life. How long do they last? How often are they used? What emissions are associated with their use? Once you have this level of understanding, you can start to address ways to reduce associated emissions. Developing a whole new technology like electric vehicles (or LED lighting, heat pumps, solar PV etc.) is great, but incremental improvements add up too. If your product uses electricity, can you make it more efficient? Can you change when the electricity is used (e.g. Microsoft software updates now wait until grid carbon intensity in your location is minimal)? If a process still uses high carbon forms of energy, could it be electrified?
These principles apply to services as well. If your workforce travels a lot, can their journeys be optimised? Can drivers be trained to drive more efficiently, and incentivised to do so? Can you electrify your fleet?