Liveable Communities - Iskandar Malaysia

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SECTION B PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION 7.4. Energy Efficient Buildings The buildings in which we live, work and play protects us from nature’s extremes; heat, wind and rain among others, but these structures affect and shape our environment too. Constructing and operating buildings requires enormous amount of energy, water, and materials and creates large amounts of waste. Where and how they are built affects the eco-system around us in countless ways. The design, construction, and maintenance of buildings have a tremendous impact on our environment and our natural resources. For example, the 76 million residential buildings and 5 million commercial buildings in the United State of America (USA) together use one-third of all the energy consumed in the USA, and two-thirds of all electricity. Buildings are a major source of the pollution that causes urban air quality problems, and the pollutants that contribute to climate change. In the USA, they account for 49% of sulphur dioxide emissions, 25% of nitrous oxide emission and 10% of particulate emissions; all of which damages urban air quality. Buildings produce 35% of USA’s carbon dioxide emissions - the chief pollutant blamed for climate change. KEY DIRECTION: LC 7: The Green Building rating shall be used and implemented to encourage builders to build energy efficient buildings, including for residential units, and to introduce energy efficient mechanisms on older/existing buildings in the city. The challenge will be to build smart buildings that minimise the usage of non-renewable energy, pollution and cost but at the same time, increasing the comfort, health and safety of the people who live and work in them. As the environmental impact of buildings becomes more apparent, a new field called ‘green building’ is arising to reduce the impact of pollution. ‘Green’ or ‘sustainable building’ is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. The many elements of ‘green buildings’ include: ■ Energy: Designing and operating buildings to use energy efficiently and to use renewable sources of energy – solar, wind and biomass. ■ Water: Designing and operating buildings to use water efficiently. ■ Materials: Using building materials that have a reduced effect on the environment throughout their life cycle (e.g. recycled content, low toxicity, energy efficiency, biodegradability, and/or durability). ■ Waste: Reducing the waste from construction, remodelling, and demolition. ■ Indoor Environment: Designing and operating buildings that are healthy for their occupants. ‘Green building’ practices offer an opportunity to create environmentally sound and resource-efficient buildings by using an integrated approach to design. Green buildings: ■ Promote resource conservation, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation features; ■ Create a healthy and comfortable environment; ■ Reduce operation and maintenance costs; and address issues such as historical preservation, access to public transportation and other community infrastructure systems. 7 - 6
LIVEABLE COMMUNITIES CHAPTER 7 | PART 2 Figure 7.4: Example of Efficient Design to Optimise Energy Consumption in a Typical <strong>Malaysia</strong>n House Encouraging new buildings to incorporate a green rooftop can also assist in lowering a building’s energy costs. If used widely, these could lower a city’s total temperature and reduce effect of heat island SOLAR PANEL RAINWATER COLLECTOR prevalent in all cities today. ‘Green rooftops’ can assist in the reduction of emissions, increase air quality and health and more importantly, add WARM AIR OUT WARM AIR OUT COOL AIR IN WATER HARVESTING WARM AIR OUT WATER FROM WATER TANK FOR FLISHING ETC. COOL AIR IN beauty to the city. BEDROOM BEDROOM COOL AIR IN COOL AIR IN DRY YARD KITCHEN LIVING Source: Berjuntai Bestari, <strong>Malaysia</strong> Some of the simple examples that can be incorporated within energy efficient homes can be as follows: • Compact Fluorescents – lasts longer & uses less electricity; • Solar roofing – eg. PV Solar Tiles, toughened laminated glass, wired into home’s electrical system, generating all the power a house might need; reduces electricity bill • Dual Flush toilets – each flush uses 11 litres of water; can save as much as 26% of water if using dual flush. • Insulation – install in between ceiling and roof as well as in the walls to minimize heat penetrating from outside; • Using recycled plastic- combined with wood for decks – will not crack, rot or splinter; • Occupancy sensors – to switch off lights in unoccupied rooms. Many World Class cities have adopted this practice and have been successful in not just implementing into many of the buildings, but have also encouraged the private sector to adopt these practices; especially when encouraged by cost savings in energy bills. Cities such as Melbourne, Australia, have a policy requiring all new buildings to have a highest rating of six star in energy efficiency. The Housing Commission of Victoria, Australia, is currently also building six star rating energy efficient public housing (low cost or non-market housing), as a showcase that such developments can be feasible in order to help the low income earners. 7 - 7
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