1. BLOG BOOK 1
M.E. Rinker School of Construction Management
Principle of Sustainable Development
& construction
Dr. Charles Kibert
FALL 2015
Blog book 2015
By
Aayush Shah

2. BLOG BOOK 2
Table of Contents
S.No Title
7. Sustainable Community and Urban planning
8.. Energy and Carbon
9. Landscaping and Building Hydrological Cycle
10. Green Building Material and life cycle assessment
11. IndoorEnvironmentQuality
12. Cutting Edge Technology

3. BLOG BOOK 3
7. Sustainable Communities and Urban Planning
In the present time sustainable communities are a growing trends. Cities are planned according
to the needs and requirements of sustainable community. Many indicators are used to measure
the progress of development, and this indicators are known as sustainable indicators. One
important factor in developing sustainable community is urban planning. In this designing of an
urban environment is done. This is done by proper usage of land and proper designing of land
routes, transportation system, communication system, infrastructure etc.
Sustainable community
A sustainable construction is one that is
economically, environmentally and socially healthy.
Sustainable community tend to focus on urban
infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and
social equality. It is sometimes also known as
“Green cities”, “eco communities” or “sustainable
cities”. For a sustainable community there must be
a shared vision of sustainable future among the
community members, skilled leader, and a strong
social capital. By proper planning, a city or town can
become a sustainable city.
Visit: http://www.sustainable.org/about
A city is known as sustainable city if,
1. They are Compact and nearby to daily needs
2. There is diversity
3. Reuse of resource more efficient
4. Visioning in a community
Sustainable community can be attained by following five steps:
1. Partnership: in partnership establishing of an organization is done
2. Community based issue analysis: in this issues are identified which need to addressed
3. Action planning: planning is done, strategies are made
4. Implementation and monitoring
5. Evaluation and feedback

4. BLOG BOOK 4
On June 16, 2009 the U.S. department of housing and urban development (HUD), U.S.
Development of transportation (DOT), and the U.S. environmental protection agency (EPA)
joined together to help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing,
increases transportation option and lower transportation cost while protecting the
environment. The partnership for sustainable communities (PSC) works to coordinate federal
housing, transportation, water, and other infrastructure investment to make neighborhoods
more prosperous, allow people to live closer to jobs, save households time and money, and
reduce pollution
For more: https://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/mission/about-us
Sustainable indicators
The sustainable community indicators helps the communities to measure progress of their
sustainability objectives. Sustainable indicators is a way to measure how well a community is
meeting the needs of present and future members. Sustainable indicator is different from
traditional indicator. Sustainability indicators reflect the reality that the three different
segments are very tightly interconnected as shown in fig:
Communities are a web of interactions among the environment, the
economy and society.
The purpose of indicator is to show how well the community is working. If there is a problem
indicator can help you to take right direction to address the problem.
For more visit site: http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/indicators

5. BLOG BOOK 5
Figure showing how the three different segments are interconnected to each other
There are many projects where people are working to make community more sustainable and
to measure the result. This projects include governmental agencies, large collaborative and
small groups. United States national agencies includes
1. Interagency working group on sustainable development indicators
2. President’s council on sustainable development
3. State of the nation’s ecosystems
For more agencies: http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/projects/Sus/Sustainability/5
Many states pass sustainable acts such as:
1. The state of Maryland passed a Sustainable Communities Act in 2010 with the goal of
revitalizing and promoting reinvestment in Maryland’s older communities as well
working to promote “equitable, affordable housing by expanding energy-efficient
housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicity to increase mobility
and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation
2. The state of California passed the sustainable communities and climate protection act of
2008, also known as SB 375. The law aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through
transportation, housing, and land use planning.
URBAN PLANNING

6. BLOG BOOK 6
Urban planning is process and technique of using land, protection of environment, public
welfare, designing of urban environment, designing of infrastructure such as transportation,
and communication. Urban planning is also known as city planning or regional planning.
Urban planner is a planner who formulates plans for the development and management of
urban and suburban area. City planning enables leaders, citizens and businesses to play a
meaning full role in creating a healthy community. For proper land use the development must
be compact, pedestrian friendly, transit oriented development
For planning following action must be taken
Land use action
1. Development must be compact development
2. Mixed user
3. Pedestrian friendly development
4. Transit oriented development
5. Daily needs must be at a walking distances
Transit oriented development
Transit oriented development is the exciting fast growing trend in creating vibrant, livable,
sustainable community. A transit oriented development (TOD) is a combination of both
residential and commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport. TOD generally
has center with a transit station (train station, metro station, bus station) surrounded by
relatively high density of development with a progressively lower density development outward
from the center. TOD generally are located within a radius of one-quarter to one-half miles (400
to 800 m) from the transit stop. There are many cities such as Portland, Montreal, San Francisco
and Vancouver which are successfully using the transit oriented development and continue to

7. BLOG BOOK 7
write policies and strategic plans which aim to reduce automobile dependency and increase the
use of public transit.
Transit oriented development makes it possible to live a lower- stress life. TOD is also a major
solution for the problem of climatic change by creating a dense, walkable community that
greatly reduces the need for driving and energy consumption. This type of living can reduce
driving up to 85%.
For more information on TOD visit: http://www.transitorienteddevelopment.org/
Transportation action
1. Reduce vehicle trips
2. Use alternate mode of transportation such as bicycles.

8. BLOG BOOK 8
3. Reduce employee and product transport vehicle trip.
Housing and building action
1. Houses must be Solar orientation
2. It must be near work place
3. Buildings must be constructed with eco friendly materials.
Resourc conservation action
1. Minimize energy use
2. Using renewable energy for energy demands
3. Promoting recycling of materials
4. Develop community gardens

9. BLOG BOOK 9
8. Energy and carbon
Energy is the ability to do work. It is the property of material which can be transferred from one
object to another or can be converted into different forms. The U.S. has 4.6% of World’s
population but uses 25% of Worlds oil gas and electricity. There are four major energy users in
U.S.A. they are
1. Industrial 32%
2. Transportation 28%
3. Residential 22%
4. Commercial 18
Currently in U.S. average energy consumption is 293 (Kwh/m2/year) and for net zero buildings
energy consumption is about 100 quads (Kwh/m2/year). This energy is used in electricity (39%),
heating fuel (33%), and transportation (28%)
This energy comes from coal (48%), nuclear (19.6%), natural gas (21.6%), hydroelectricity (6%),
and oil (1.6%), remaining comes from renewable sources (as can be seen from the bar chart)
For more: http://www.energyjustice.net/solutions/factsheet

10. BLOG BOOK 10
Energy resources from all over the Word are getting depleting. Fossil fuel (coal, oil, natural gas)
are the major source of energy all over the world. It is estimated that at present rate of
consumption all oil reserves could be exhausted by middle of this century and natural gas by
2070. Apart from the problem of energy resource depletion, energy harnessing and utilization
causes an immense amount of environmental damage.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important trace in earth’s atmosphere. It constitutes about 0.04%
(400 parts per million) of the earth’s atmosphere. Despite this low concentration, CO2 is potent
greenhouse gas and plays an important role in regulating earth’s temperature through radiative
forcing and greenhouse effect.
The graph below shows the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide from October 1958-
October 2015. It can be clearly seen that during 1958 the concentration of CO2 was about 312
ppm and it has increased to 400 ppm in 2015. We are producing 26 billion ton of carbon dioxide
every year with an average of about 5 ton of carbon per person per year. The main cause of
increase in amount of CO2 in atmosphere is particularly the burning of fossil fuel and
deforestation.
Sources: http://co2now.org/current-co2/co2-now/
http://www.co2.earth/

11. BLOG BOOK 11
Emission and trends
1. In United States
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States increased by about 7% between
1990 and 2013. Since the combustion of fossil fuel is the largest source of greenhouse
gas emissions in the United States, changes in emissions from fossil fuel combustion
have historically been the dominant factor affecting total U.S. emission trends. Changes
in CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion are influenced by many long-term and
short-term factors, including population growth, economic growth, changing energy
prices, new technologies, changing behavior, and seasonal temperatures.
Note:All emissionestimatesfromthe Inventory of U.S.GreenhouseGasEmissionsand Sinks:1990-2013.

12. BLOG BOOK 12
U.S. Carbon Dioxide Gas Emissions, 1990-2013
The main sources of CO2 emissions in the United States are described below.
1. Electricity = 37%
2. Transportation = 31%
3. Industry = 15%
4. Residential and commercial = 10%
5. Others = 6%
Bar chart showing the main sources of CO2 emission in United States
2. In other parts of world

13. BLOG BOOK 13
It can be seen that in many countries such as India, and japan the carbon dioxide emission is increasing
day by day. And due to the endeavor efforts of other countries such as Germany, United Kingdom the
emission of carbon dioxide is decreasing.
REDUCING CARBON DIOXIDE EMMISION
As we know that emission of carbon dioxide is mostly due to electricity (37%) and electricity is
generated mostly from fossil fuels so the most effective way to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions is to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Many strategies for reducing CO2 emissions
from energy are cross-cutting and apply to homes, businesses, industry, and transportation.
There are many other ways to reduce carbon emission footprint
1. Using wind energy
2. Photovoltaics
3. Battery or Fuel cell
4. Using solar energy
5. Net energy buildings
Producing more energy from renewable sources and using fuels with lower carbon content are
ways to reduce carbon emission. Renewables such as wind, solar, hydro, biomass are the best
source to generate energy. A fuel cell is a device which converts chemical energy into electrical

14. BLOG BOOK 14
energy. Fuel cells are used to store and backup power for commercial, residential, and industrial
buildings.
Photovoltaic is the method of converting solar energy directly into electrical energy using
semiconducting materials. It is expected that PV will contribute about 14% of the US total energy
by 2030 and more then quarter energy by 2050. This will reduce the overall carbon emission to
great extent.
For more: http://www.rdmag.com/articles/2015/02/limitless-photovoltaic-future
Fig1: photovoltaiccell
Fig2: Fuel Cell
As due to construction,operation,andmaintenance of abuildinglarge amountof carbondioxide is
emittedintothe atmosphere. Toreduce thisemissionof carbondioxideandtoprotectthe atmosphere
a newtype of buildingsare constructed,thisare knownaszerocarbon emissionbuildings.

15. BLOG BOOK 15
ZERO CARBON EMMISION BUILDING
According to the U.S. department of energy’s definition of a zero emission building “A building
that produces and export at least as much emission free renewable energy as it imports and uses
from emission producing energy source annually”. Zero carbon emission is also known as carbon
neutrality. Carbon neutrality concept can be extended to other greenhouse gases measured in
carbon dioxide equivalence. In recent years, low/zero carbon buildings have attracted much
attention in many countries because they are considered as an important strategy to achieve
energy conservation and reduce greenhouse gases emissions. Some examples of the other
Existing zero carbon buildings in the world include:

16. BLOG BOOK 16
 Self-sufficient solar house, Freiburg, Germany
 Plus Energy House, Ministry of Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Town Planning,
Germany
 Beddington Zero Energy Development, London
 Pusat Tenaga Malaysia’s ZEO Building, Malaysia
 BCA Academy,Singapore
 The Samsung Green Tomorrow House, South Korea
Source: https://zcb.hkcic.org/Eng/Features/whatiszcb.aspx
ThisZCB in HongKong generateson-site renewable energyfromphotovoltaicpanelsandatri-
generationsystemusingbiofuel made of waste cookingoil andachieveszeronetcarbonemissionson
an annual basis.Beyondthe commondefinitionof a‘zerocarbon building’,ZCBexportssurplusenergy
to offsetembodiedcarbonof itsconstructionprocessandmajorstructural materials.
Source: https://zcb.hkcic.org/Eng/Features/whatiszcb.aspx
Many conventional energy sources results in emission of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide,
Sulphur dioxide, etc. a net zero carbon emission building either uses no energy which results in
emission or offsets the emissions by exporting emission free energy (typically from on-site
renewable energy system )
Grid Connection and Net Zero
Most Net Zero Energy Buildings are still connected to the electric grid, allowing for the
electricity produced from traditional energy sources (natural gas, electric, etc.) to be used when
renewable energy generation cannot meet the building's energy load

17. BLOG BOOK 17
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is generally the most cost-effective strategy with the highest return on
investment, and maximizing efficiency opportunities before developing renewable energy plans
will minimize the cost of the renewable energy projects needed. Using advanced energy
analysis tools, design teams can optimize efficient designs and technologies.
Energy efficiency measures include design strategies and features that reduce the demand-side
loads such as high-performance envelopes, air barrier systems, daylighting, sun control and
shading devices, careful selection of windows and glazing, passive solar heating, natural
ventilation, and water conservation.
Renewable Energy
Once efficiency measures have been incorporated, the remaining energy needs can be met
using renewable energy technologies. Common on-site electricity generation strategies include
photovoltaics (PV), solar water heating, and wind turbines.
APPLICATION
Net Zero Carbon Emission Building principles can be applied to most types of projects, including
residential, industrial, and commercial buildings in both new construction and existing
buildings. A growing number of projects have been designed and constructed across the various
market sectors and climate zones
Commercial Examples
NREL Research Support Facilities Building

18. BLOG BOOK 18
9. LANDSCAPING AND BUILDING HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE
Introduction
Buildingsare causinggreatharmto ecosystemitcan alsobecome a contributorypartindevelopingthe
ecosystem.Landisa crucial componentof builtenvironmentandcanbe designed,planned,developed
and maintainedtoprotectandenhance the benefitswe derive fromthe healthyfunctioninglandscape.
Moreover,adoptingsuchsustainablepracticesnotonlyhelpsthe environmentbutalsoenhances
humanhealthandwell-beingandiseconomicallycost-effective.Appropriateuse of landisa majorissue
ingreenbuilding.Well-designedopenspace createsasustainable microclimatethatinturnreduces
buildingenergyuse andsupportsahigh-qualityinteriorenvironment.

19. BLOG BOOK 19
There are fourtypesof land
1. Greenfields:theseare the propertiesthathave experiencednoimpactfromhuman
developmentactivity.
2. Brownfields:these are the landwhichhas beenpreviouslyusedforindustrialorcommercial
purpose
3. Gray fields:these are obsolete buildingthatare notnecessarilycontaminated.
4. Black fields:Thesepropertiesare abandonedcoal mines
Sustainable Landscape Practice
The landscape featuresmustbe selectedandconfiguredtosuitsite conditionsandrestore habitatusing
self-sustaininglandscape designandsite maintenance procedures.Practicesshouldpromote the
conservationandrestorationof existingbiological andwaterresources,includingspeciesdiversity,soil
fertility,andaeration.There are variousprinciplesof sustainable landscapeconstruction,likekeepsites
healthy,heal injuredsites,favorlivingflexible material,conservationof water,etc.
Water issues
Water isthe World’s most preciousresource. AccordingtoUSAgencyforInternational Development
(USAID) inthe UnitedStatesthe amountof waterusedbyper personperday isabout 1800 gallons
(7000 liters).There isonly2.75%freshwateronthe earth,restisall saline waterwhichcannotbe used.
Out of this2.75%, onlya small fraction-0.01% of waterissurface waterfoundin riverandlakesandis
readilyaccessibletodrinkingandotheractivities (chartbelow showsthe distributionof global wateron
earth).There is a seriouswaterproblemsinmanypartsof worldsuch as inWesternAsia, andSpain. We
are extractingwaterfrom acquirers withafar greaterspeedthanitis naturallyreplenished. Inthe
UnitedStates, alsowatercrisesare occurring almosteverywhere.

20. BLOG BOOK 20
Buildingsaccountsforabout12% of freshwaterwithdrawals.Thishighqualityportablewatermixes
withthe waste and getscontaminated.Properselectionof plumbingfixtures,equipment,andfittings
can minimize enduse of domesticwaterwhileconservingwaterqualityandavailability
Hydrological cycle
Earth's wateris alwaysinmovement,andthe natural watercycle,alsoknownasthe hydrologiccycle,
describesthe continuousmovementof wateron,above,andbelow the surface of the Earth.Water is
alwayschangingstatesbetweenliquid,vapor,andice,withthese processeshappeninginthe blinkof an
eye andovermillionsof years.

21. BLOG BOOK 21
There are manytypesof water
1. Portable water:waterthatis safe fordrinking
2. Waste water:water that is adverselybeenaffectedinquality byanthropogenicinfluence.Itos
alsocalledas sewage andcontaminatedfromfacesandurinesfrompeople’stoilet.
3. Gray water:Greywaterisany householdwastewaterwiththe exceptionof wastewaterfrom
toilets.Typically,50-80%of householdwastewateris greywaterfromkitchensinks,dishwashers,
bathroomsinks,tubsandshowers.
4. Black water:domesticwaste waterfromkitchensandtoilets.
5. Reclaimedwater:Reclaimedwaterorrecycled water,isformerwastewater(sewage) thatis
treatedto remove solidsandimpurities,andusedinsustainable landscapingirrigation,to
recharge groundwateraquifers.
High performance building hydrologicalcycle strategy
Highperformance buildingsmaximize operationalenergysavings; improve comfort,health,andsafety
of occupantsand visitors;andlimitdetrimental effectsonthe environment.Properselectionof
plumbingfixtures,equipment,andfittingscanminimizeenduse of domesticwaterwhile conserving
waterqualityandavailability.Designersof highperformance buildingshave developedstrategieswhich
can helpto conserve water. Itincludesthree strategies

22. BLOG BOOK 22
1. to minimize the consumptionof potable ordrinkingqualitywaterfromwellsormunicipal
wastewatersystems
2. to minimize wastewatergeneration
3. to maximize rainwaterinfiltrationintothe ground;
Water Reuse
To achieve overall waterconservationgoals,itisimportanttolimitthe use of potable waterfornon-
potable purposes.On-sitewaterreclamationandreuse shouldbe encouragedandfacilitatedwherever
possible.
1. Rainwater use.Collectanduse rainwaterforlandscape irrigation,urbangardening,toilet/urinal
flushing,roof cooling(foruninsulatedroofs),andforotherpurposesasappropriate.
2. Greenroofs.Plantroof areas to reduce the discharge of stormwaterand to reap the benefitsof
increasedgreenspace (recreation,birdhabitat,roof shading,etc.).
Figure:Greenroof
3. Graywater use.Collectanduse graywaterforwater closetsandurinal flushing,aswell asfor
washdownof floordrains.
4. Excessgroundwater. Recoverexcessgroundwaterfromsumppumpsforuse as a source of
recycledwater.
5. Steam condensate.Collectanduse utilitydistrictsteamsystemcondensate fortoilet/urinal
flushing,coolingtowermake-up,andothernon-potableuses(appliestoManhattanprojects
only).
6. ’Vacuum-assist’systems.Considera‘vacuum-assist’system(inlieuof astandardsystem) for
flushingof waterclosetsandurinals.
By practicingthismethodswe canconserve about34-90% of portable waterusedinresidential and
commercial buildings. Substantive stepsmustbe takentoconserve the use of potable waterbythe
innovative reuseof graywater.

23. BLOG BOOK 23
One of the motivatorsforsuch projectsisthe U.S. GreenBuildingCouncil(USGBC) LEED greenbuilding
certificationprogram. UnderLEED 2.2 waterconservationandinnovativereuse were prime areasrichin
LEED points,andunderthe newLEED 2009 itis weightedevenmore heavily. The use of non-potable
watercan contribute upto 10 LEED pointsona project,anastounding25% of the pointsneededto
achieve aLEED certifiedbuilding.
There are various othernational greenbuildingprograms suchas:
1. USGBC LEED Rating Systems
2. ASHRAEStandard 191 for Water Efficiency
3. GreenGlobes-GreenBuildingInitiative draftstandard(commercial &residential above3stories)
4. U.S. EPA WaterSenseSMforNew Homes
Reference
http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ddc/downloads/Sustainable/high-performance-building-guidelines.pdf
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html
http://www.cwp.org/2013-04-05-16-15-03/stormwater-management
http://landscapeforlife.org/new/downloads/publications/The%20Case%20for%20Sustainable%20Lan
dscapes_2009.pdf
http://opus.mcerf.org/application.aspx?id=-6228344935996635278

24. BLOG BOOK 24
10. Green Building Material and life cycle assessment
Green building material
Green building is the practice of creating structures and using
processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient
throughout a building's life-cycle from siting to design, construction,
operation, and maintenance. Use of green building material for the
construction purpose is one of the major strategies in creating green
buildings. It aims to reduce environmental impacts of buildings. Such
materials are intended to be environmentally friendly, with such
characteristics as low toxicity, minimal chemical emissions, ability to be
recycled, and durability of the material. In addition, green materials often
contain recycled and/or bio-based contents.
Material using recycled content not only requires less virgin
resources, they also use less energy and chemicals to process. For instance recycled aluminum
has 90% less embodied energy than virgin aluminum. There is a rapidly expanding market for
green building materials.
Figure: projected US total green building market value
Green building material selection criteria

25. BLOG BOOK 25
There are various criterial for selecting green building
materials
1. Resource efficiency: the material must have
recycled content, naturally available, renewable,
reusable recyclable, and durable
2. Indoor air quality: low or non-toxic, minimal
chemical emission, and moisture resistant.
3. Energy efficiency
4. Water conservation
5. Affordability
Fig: criteria for selecting green building material
Ideally Green building material must follow a cardinal rules for a closed loop building
strategy. The cardinal rules states that if complete dismantling of a building is done then all its
material and its component can be recovered and used again at the end of building’s useful life.
A very few materials and product follow this rule. Ideally it is very difficult for materials to follow
this rule.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Building Material and Products

26. BLOG BOOK 26
LCA is the most important tool used to
determine the impact of building material. Life
cycle assessment (LCA) is the process that
investigate the impact of a product at every
stages of life, from preliminary development to
obsolescence. It is also known as cradle to
grave or cradle-to-cradle analysis. Life stages
include extraction of raw material, processing
and fabrication, transportation, installation, use,
maintenance and disposal (as shown in fig.). At
each stages in its life the material is analyzed
for its energy consumption, global warming,
potential, water use, other nonrenewable
resource use, air pollution produced and waste
produced. Figure shown below completely
illustrate the complete LCA methodology
Total energy of product is composed of embodied energy, operational energy and disposal
energy. Embodied energy include energy invested in extraction, manufacturing, transportation,
and installation of product. Operational energy includes energy used during the operation of
product. And disposal energy is the energy used to dispose-off the product at the end of its life
span. For an average building operational energy is 5 to 10 times its embodied energy. Figure
below shows the embodied energy of some construction material. Embodied energy of concrete
and steel are notable. This is because they are produced in highly developed plants which
require lots of energy for their manufacturing.

27. BLOG BOOK 27
Fig: Embodied energy of construction material
To date there is no single accepted LCA methodology.
Groups as diverse as the EPA, ASTM international, the Society
of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), the
National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST), and the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) each have
worked on creating an outline of the process. LCA consist of
several steps which are defined in the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14000 series of
standards. These steps include inventory analysis, impact
assessment, and interpretation of the impact, as shown in
figure.
Fig: steps involved in LCA
Goal and scope
• In this step goal and scope of the study is defined.
• Goal and scope document therefore includes technical
details, assumption and limitation, system boundaries, and the impact categories
chosen.
Inventory analysis

28. BLOG BOOK 28
• Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) analysis involves creating an inventory of flows from and to
nature for a product system.
• Inventory flows include inputs of water, energy, and raw materials, and releases to air,
land, and water.
Life cycle impact assessment
• This phase of LCA is aimed at evaluating the significance of potential environmental
impacts based on the LCI flow results.
Interpretation
 Life Cycle Interpretation is a systematic technique to identify, quantify, check, and
evaluate information from the results of the life cycle inventory and/or the life cycle
impact assessment.
The Athena Environmental Impact Estimator (EIE) is a LCA tool used for assessing
building assemblies such as walls, roofs, and floors. Building for Environmental and Economic
Sustainability (BEES) is another LCA tool specific to United States only. Selection of material is
only one part of making a green building. The LCA methodology help us to visualize the link
between the big picture and the details, while bringing us that much closer to the goal of living
sustainably. A future version of LEED green building rating system is scheduled to include LCA
methodology as well.
Environmentalproductdeclaration (EPD)
An environmental product declaration is voluntarily developed set of data that assures third-
party about the environmental performance of the product. EPDs are developed from the LCA
studies of the product. This are just like the nutrition label on the box of food items but instead of
nutritional value it indicates raw material used, embodied energy, water used, waste generation,
disposal energy etc. EPDs are not a certificate, it is just assurance about the quality of product.
EBD can be considered to be the sum total of EPDs for all the products and materials in a
building and represents its total impact.
Fig: various stages of EPD

29. BLOG BOOK 29
LCA studies of some common building materials
1. Bricks and tiles
Primary energy consumption, global warming potential, and water demand for ceramic tiles are
much more than other types of tiles
1. Cement and concrete
It can be seen that environmental impacts of cement is more than cement mortar and
concrete This is because when cement is mixed with low impact material such as gravel,
sand, and water helps reduce impact.
2. Steel and other products

30. BLOG BOOK 30
This all product have significant impact on environment. They all consume great quantity
of energy and raw material for their production. This product are made in fully globalized industries
which increase their impact related to transportation.
Among all this products aluminium has high energy demand especially electricity which
considerably increase primary energy demand and GWP. There is significant water demand for
the production PVC.
Reference
1. Ignacio ZB, Antonio VC, Alfonso A. Life cycle assessment of building materials: Comparative
analysisof energyandenvironmental impactsandevaluationof the eco-efficiencyimprovement
potential. Building and Environment 46 (2011) 1133-1140.
2. http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/materials/CSIArticle.pdf
3. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VFg3iSOBPVYC&oi=fnd&pg=PT5&dq=green+bui
lding+materials&ots=8byJI0J53T&sig=89ly2Hgt12G1ATQbIgrsDgXH5wM#v=onepage&q=green%
20building%20materials&f=false
4. http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/greenbuilding/materials/
5. https://www2.buildinggreen.com/article/life-cycle-assessment-buildings-seeking-holy-grail

31. BLOG BOOK 31
11. INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) refers to the quality of a building’s environment in
relation to the health and wellbeing of occupants living in the building. For creating high
performance green building it has become very important to provide excellent indoor air
quality (IAQ). IEQ is determined by many factors, including lighting, air quality, daylighting,
acoustic, noise, and thermal comfort, portable water monitoring and damp conditions. Better
indoor environmental quality can enhance the lives of building occupants, increase the resale
value of the building, and reduce liability for building owners.
Figure: factors affecting indoor air quality

32. BLOG BOOK 32
If you are at home or work place and you are not feeling comfortable, you are not very
productive. High-quality indoor environments is very important in enhancing productivity. You
may invest more money in making indoor environmental quality, but at the same time you will
save a lot of money because employee are much more productive. American spend the
majority of their time indoor; not surprisingly, studies have shown an increase in worker
productivity when improvements are made to a space’s IEQ. Better indoor environmental
quality can also enhance the lives of building occupants, increase the resale value of the
building, and reduce liability for building owners.
Indoor environments are highly complex and building occupants may be exposed to a
variety of contaminants (in the form of gases and particles) from office machines, cleaning
products, construction activities, carpets and furnishings, perfumes, cigarette smoke, water-
damaged building materials, microbial growth (fungal, mold, and bacterial), insects, and
outdoor pollutants. Other factors such as indoor temperatures, relative humidity, and
ventilation levels can also affect how individuals respond to the indoor environment. According
to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), air quality in buildings can be up to 100 times
worse than the quality of outside air.
Thermal Comfort
Workspacesshouldbe designedtoprovide the optimumlevel of thermal comfortforthe
occupants.Comfortcriteriaare the specificoriginal designconditionsthatata minimuminclude
temperature,humidity,andairspeedaswell asoutdoortemperature designconditions,outdoor
humiditydesignconditions,clothing,andexpectedactivity.Comfortcriteriashouldbe basedonASHRAE
Standard55.
Noise Pollution
Noise pollutioncomesfromimproperlyfunctioningHVACequipment,streetnoise,orthe
conversationsof others.Besides the factthatitis obnoxiousanddistracting,noise pollutioncanbe
detrimental tohumanhealth.Itistherefore importanttoconsiderwaystoeliminate noise pollutionin
projectplanning.
http://www.epa.gov/air/noise.html
Daylighting

33. BLOG BOOK 33
Daylightingusesnatural daylightasa substitute forelectrical lighting.While itwill likelybe
counterproductivetoeliminate electrical lightingcompletely,the bestprovenstrategyistoemploy
layersof light- usingdaylightforbasicambientlightlevelswhileprovidingoccupantswithadditional
lightingoptionstomeettheirneeds.
In orderto provide equitable accesstodaylightensurethe space isoptimizedtodisperse
daylightwell.Locate private officestowardthe core of the space andspecifylow workstationpanels.
Use glasswallsandlight-coloredsurfacesonwallsanddeskstodispersedaylightthroughoutthe space.
In all daylightingstrategies,itisimportanttoconsiderglare andto take stepstominimize it.Findmore
strategiesbelow.
SavingEnergy throughLightingandDaylightingStrategiesPDF
Finish
A finish is the final covering material in an arrangement of building components. It can
refer to the finish on the floor, countertop, wall, or piece of furniture. Similar to adhesives and
binders, finishes must also be used with care. They can emit high levels of harmful Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOCs), which can be dangerous to human health and the environment.
Lower VOC finishes are preferable, and all spaces where finishes are applied should be well
ventilated.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the state of the air within a space. A space with good
indoor air quality is one that is low in toxins, contaminants and odors. Good air quality possible
when spaces are well ventilated (with outside air) and protected from pollutants brought into
the space or by pollutants off-gassed within the space. Strategies used to create good IAQ
include bringing in 100% outside air, maintaining appropriate exhaust systems, complying with
ASHRAE Standard 62.1, utilizing high efficiency MERV filters in the heating ventilation and air
conditioning (HVAC) system, installing walk-off mats at entryways, prohibiting smoking with the
space and near operable windows and air intakes, providing indoor plants, and using only low-
emitting / non-toxic materials and green housekeeping products.
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/
Low VOC
VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are toxins found within products (paints, adhesives,
cleaners, carpets, particle board, etc) and that are released into a space’s indoor air, thus harming
its quality. Low VOC products are those that meet or exceed various standards for low-emitting

34. BLOG BOOK 34
materials. Low-emitting standards include Green Seal, SCAQMD, CRI Green Label Plus, Floor
Score, etc.
http://www.wbdg.org/resources/greenproducts.php?r=mou_rc
Moisture Control
Moisture control is the process of regulating where, when and how much water and water
vapor collect in a building. Mold and other air borne contaminates develop when there is too
much moisture.
Ventilation
Ventilation is the process of "changing" or replacing air in any space to control temperature;
remove moisture, odors, smoke, heat, dust, airborne bacteria, and carbon dioxide; and to
replenish oxygen. Ventilation includes both the exchange of air to the outside as well as
circulation of air within the building. It is one of the most important factors for maintaining
acceptable indoor air quality in buildings.
SICK BUILDING SYNDROME
Sick building causes are frequently pinned down to flaws in the heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning (HVAC) systems. Other causes have been attributed to contaminants produced
by outgassing of some types of building materials, volatile organic compounds (VOC), molds,
improper exhaust ventilation of ozone, light industrial chemicals used within, or lack of
adequate fresh-air intake/air filtration.
SBS, also known as tight building syndrome is the condition in which at least 20 percent of the
building occupants display symptoms of illness for more than two weeks, and the source of
these illnesses cannot be positively identified.
Symptoms of SBS may include headache; fatigue and drowsiness; irritation of the eyes, nose,
and throat; sinus congestion; and dry, itchy skin.
Quality IEQ can be provided through
1. Value aesthetic decisions
2. Providing thermal comfort
3. Supply adequate levels of ventilation and outside air
4. Prevent airborne bacteria, mold, and other fungi
5. Use materials that do not emit pollutants or are low emitting
6. Use materials that do not emit pollutants or are low emitting
7. Create a high-performance luminous environment

35. BLOG BOOK 35
Commissioning
The process that focuses on verifying and documenting that the facility and all of its
systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to
meet the Owner's Project Requirements. This means testing all systems (HVAC, lighting
controls, domestic hot water systems, etc.) to ensure they function as intended. Proper
commissioning saves energy, reduces risk, and creates value for building operators. It also
serves as a quality assurance process for enhancing the delivery of the project.
http://energy.gov/eere/femp/commissioning

36. BLOG BOOK 36
12. Cutting Edge Technology
In the present time, green buildings are gaining momentum in United States and in many parts
of World. Every building specially commercial and institutional buildings in US are constructed
according to high performance green building codes, suggested by US Green Building Council
(USGBC). But there is no long term vision for the high performance green building and this slow
down the progress of sustainable environment. To stimulate the progress we need to introduce
some cutting edge technology in sustainable construction. This would be very helpful for the
future development of high performance green building.
Passive survivability
Weatherconditionsare veryunpredictable.Buildingsmustbe designedtoprotecttheiroccupantsfrom
any natural disasterssuchas heatwaves,hurricanes,flood,drought,vulnerabilityof electricityandfuel
distributionsystemearthquake etc.passivesurvivabilityisatermusedfor buildings.Thiswordhascome
fromUS and because of hurricane Katrinain2005 It tellsushow the buildingsshouldbe designedto
protectits occupantsfromany natural disastersorany services(suchaspower,energy,heatingfuel,
water,or terrorism) breakdownforanyextendedperiodof time.Thisbuildingsmustactas a refugee
for the occupants.Buildingsmusthave certainkeyfeaturesthatensure passivesurvivabilityof the
building.Thiskeyfeaturesinclude propercoolingsystem, natural ventilation,thermal insulation,
daylighting, highefficiencythermalenvelope,passivesolardesign.Differentregionshave different
approachesto passive survivabilityanditdependsonclimate of thatregionandnatural hazardsin that
region.
For more visit:
https://www.efficiencyvermont.com/docs/for_partners/bbd_presentations/2008/Passive%20Survivabili
ty_Wilson.pdf
Cutting edge in urban development
There are variouscuttingedge strategiesforthe urbandevelopmentsome of themare
1. By offeringtax rebatestothose whomake theirpropertygreen,throughsolarpanel,rainwater
harvestingetc.
2. Introducingbike lanes
3. Introducingtoolstoreduce numberof cars on road
4. Update buildingcodes
5. use lesscarbonemittingmaterial
6. Implementandenforce aminimumgreenspace to-buildingratio.
7. Investigate whethersome energyintensivegoodscouldbe 3D-printedlocally.
8. Create an urbangarden to increase local foodproduction.

37. BLOG BOOK 37
The challenges
According to Chrissna du Plessis, a research architect from national building research institute
of South Africa, there are three main challenges in defining the future of built environment.
These challenges are:
1. Taking the next technology leap
2. Reinventing the construction industry
3. Rethinking the products of construction
Taking the next technology leap
Technology plays a great role in development, assisting and even accelerating changes. The
challenge is to foster technology whose benefits are great and impacts are low. There are three
general approaches for the built environment
1. Vernacular vision
2. High technology approach
3. Biomimetic model
Vernacular vision, uses historical wisdom and cultural knowledge to design buildings in contrast
the high-technology approach generally follows the path of current trends in society. By
developing new technologies all our problem such as resource problem, carbon problem can be
solved. New technologies can bring changes in energy, water, material, design and home
health.
REINVENTING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
The construction industry need to be changed to meet the future challenges of building.
Today’s mind set of owners is to build the building at the lowest possible cost due to this
quality, design and material receives minimal attention. Changing the mind-set of this cast of
actors is an enormous challenge. There are several changes such as education, technology,
policy, incentive, and construction process which can bring change in the mind set of people.
RETHINKING THE PRODUCT OF CONSTRUCTION
As buildings are segregating by type such as residential, commercial, industrial, cultural etc.
people are now forced to travel from one point to another to meet their daily requirements. A

38. BLOG BOOK 38
new concept of urbanism is changing this concept and mixing building types and uses. The aim
is that all daily needs must be available within ten minute of walk from the home.
Let us now look at the present advancements in high performance green building movement.
There are various fields in which high performance green building has made significant
developments in past decades. These fields are
1. Green building standards
2. Net zero built environment concept
3. The living building challenge
4. Environmental product declaration
5. Carbon accounting for the built environment
High performance green building standards
There are many green buildings standards which are introduced after the development of
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the United
Kingdom. One such standard is ASHRAE 189.1-2009 which is based on LEED. This standard is
basically for the design of high performance green building except low rise residential buildings.
Another green building standard is ANSI/GBI 01-2010, it was developed using ANSI standards
development process and is based on the Green Globes building assessment system.
There is one green building code also which is gaining momentum since 2009, it is International
Green Construction Code (IgCC), it is also based on LEED building assessment system. This code
was developed as a model building code for new and existing commercial buildings.
Net zero built environment
Now a days the idea of net zero environment is developing very rapidly. Net zero environment
basically focuses on the use of natural resources by the human being for their survival.
According to net zero built environment, for the energy purpose the human being can use
photovoltaic to convert solar radiation into electricity. This can be designed to generate at least
the same amount of energy which they consume in a year. In this way they can create a net
zero energy building (NZEBs). The second concept is net zero water. According to this concept
buildings can be designed to reduce and reuse and water. Rainwater can be used for irrigation,
gardening, washing utensils etc.

39. BLOG BOOK 39
Living building challenge
Living building challenge is the most difficult building assessment system. The LBC require many
stringent measure such as net zero energy, net zero water, and processing of sewage on site.
Unlike other building assessment system, LBC either offers the certificate to the building or just
reject there is no intermediate level of certification.
Environment product declaration
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardized way of quantifying the
environmental impact of a product intended for construction. It is provided by the third party
system. It has developed a sense of competition among the producers to develop eco-friendly
products. It becomes very helpful for the life cycle assessment of building.
Carbon accounting for built environment
The amount of energy consumed by built environment is increasing day by day. This energy
comes from combustion of fossil fuels and as a consequence, an increase in energy
consumption also tends to increase the carbon footprint of the activity. This led to change in
climatic condition of environment. Due this reason many building are now constructed before
doing the carbon accounting for that building. Building using renewable energy for all its need
can reduce the carbon footprint to a great extent. Other ways of reducing carbon footprint are
by reusing of existing buildings and material.