Page 28 - Climate Control News Magazine March 2021

Building Automation
Back to Basics: A simple approach to sustainability
WHILE TECHNOLOGY SUCH as artificial in- telligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) domi- nate today’s smart buildings market, there are some sustainability measures that are far more simple but just as effective.
Put aside data-driven solutions for a moment and go back to basics and consider simple meas- ures such as green roofs, smart glass and green concrete.
A green roof is a roof of a building that is cov- ered with vegetation and soil, or a growing me- dium, planted over a waterproofing membrane.
Benefits includes reduced energy costs through natural insulation, lower temperatures, reduced storm water run-off plus a green roof can filter pollutants and carbon dioxide.
Not surprisingly, some countries and cities, such as San Francisco, have made it mandatory to incorporate 15-30 per cent of roof space to so- lar, green roofs, or both.
According to Business Research Company’s smart buildings report another trend that is proving popular is the use of low-emittance win- dows, which are coated with metallic oxide to block the sun’s harsh rays during summer and to keep heat inside in the winter.
Low-emittance windows can have a signifi- cant impact on heating, ventilation and air-con- ditioning (HVAC) costs.
A more advanced version of this is known as electro-chromic glass. Using a small amount of electricity, the smart glass charges ions to con- trol the amount of light it reflects. In effect, this glass tints during the sun’s peak hours and re- turns to transparent at night.
The report said other green architecture glass- es include insulated (double and triple glazed
“LOW-EMITTANCE WINDOWS CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HVAC COSTS.”
glass), gas filled glazing, heat- absorbing tinted glass, low emissivity coatings, and spectrally se- lective glass.
Another trend in the smart buildings industry is the use of green concrete, an environmentally friendly concrete. It improves the three pillars of sustainability – environmental, economic, and social impacts.
A concrete is certified ‘green’ when it follows reduce, reuse and recycle techniques.
The three major objectives behind the green concept in concrete are: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; reduce the use of natural re- sources such as limestone, shale, clay, natural river sand, natural rocks; and the use of waste materials in concrete that results in air, land and water pollution.
A number of Australian universities are working on green types of bricks and construction materi- als made from recycled PVC, waste plant fibres or sand with the help of a remarkable new kind of rubber polymer discovered by local scientists.
The rubber polymer, itself made from sulfur and canola oil, can be compressed and heated with fillers to create construction materials of the future.
The powdered rubber can potentially be used as tubing, rubber coatings or bumpers, or com- pressed, heated then mixed with other fillers to form entirely new composites, including more sustainable building blocks, concrete replace- ment or insulation.
Cement is a finite resource and heavily pollut- ing in its production, with concrete production estimated to contribute more than eight per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Flinders has been collaborating with Deakin University and the University of Western Aus- tralia on this project.
LEFT: Cities such as San Francisco have made it mandatory to incorporate 15-30 per cent of roof space to solar, green roofs, or both.
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