Air conditioning accounts for 10 percent of the world’s total electricity demand. It is expected to triple by 2050. New construction materials, sensors, and artificial intelligence can help new and existing buildings optimize their energy efficiency.
We need a new approach to creating climate-resilient buildings–e.g., materials, construction design, and technologies–to address different climate-related challenges, such as extremely high and low temperatures, flooding, and power outages.
Digital design tools and optimized, efficient design based on several sustainability parameters–including materials, sunlight, microclimate, energy, and climate impact–contribute to better design and more sustainable buildings.
Additionally, the construction industry accounts for a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions and has a great responsibility–and opportunity–to limit them.
Proper Insulation Is a Great Way to Reduce Power Consumption
Since 2011, building inspections in the European Union (Directive 2010/31/EU) need to calculate the annual power consumption to maintain a comfortable temperature within houses, apartments, and other buildings. Based on the usable area, location, and insulation, buildings and units receive a sustainability label, ranging from A to F, and an estimate of the yearly power consumption.
The rating, by law, has to be included in all advertisements and documentation to sell or rent any house, apartment, shop, etc.
Therefore, as energy prices have risen much more than inflation and, as a result of climate change, heating and air conditioning use is growing every year, investing in better infrastructure insulation not only makes sense to reduce the impact of climate change but also to increase the value of the house or apartment.
Smart Windows Offer Better Insulation and Power Generation
According to the U.S Department of Energy, older, inefficient windows can be responsible for more than 25 percent of the energy costs of heating/cooling a home. For these reasons and more, many homeowners are opting for smart windows.
To get the most out of new windows, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) issues energy performance labels for certified products such as windows, doors, and skylights.
The labels contain ratings for the U-Factor, how well a product can keep heat from escaping from the inside of a room; Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, how well a product can resist unwanted heat gain; Visible Transmittance, how well a product is designed to effectively illuminate a home with daylight; and Air Leakage, how much air will enter a room through it.
One technology gaining traction is low-emissivity (low-E) glass. It has a microscopic layer of metallic particles adhered to the glass. These particles reflect infrared radiation, so solar energy from the sun is reflected back, keeping a home cooler in the summer. The coating also reflects infrared radiation within a home, helping to keep it warmer in the winter.
Furthermore, intelligent building technologies include electrochromic glass windows and skylights that darken automatically. These panels dynamically change tint in response to the outside light, increasing occupant comfort without needing blinds or shades. While the panels can operate without human interaction, it is possible to control them using power knobs or a smartphone app.
Photovoltaic Windows
Massive glass surfaces are now the standard on many new buildings, especially ones for office use. The advantages of letting natural light in, especially in work environments, have been widely demonstrated, and it is now a requirement in several countries and regions.
Since new buildings, and many existing ones, have this amount of glass on their surface, why not use it for capturing solar energy?
Transparency, together with the simplicity of the method of obtaining electricity, makes photovoltaic glass (PV glass) applications so interesting, and it can replace any object with a glass or crystal. These glasses also have excellent protection against the ultraviolet and infrared radiation of the sun and, in turn, provide great acoustic and thermal insulation. Variance in photovoltaic efficiency and light penetration among these products enables multiple options for architectural design.
Buildings That “Breathe”
The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) is currently working on a project examining the benefits of hydroceramic façades to cool down buildings in hot climates. Known as “breathing” buildings, the technology uses an insoluble polymer called “hydrogel,” fabric as a water channel, and ceramics.
The hydrogel can expand its volume up to 400 times when absorbing water. This, in turn, enables the panels to absorb humidity and allows for it to evaporate—hence the similarity to breathing.
“With the help of accurate energy and thermal analysis of today’s technology, the hydroceramic’s passive system can effectively keep the balance of the humidity and temperature inside the human comfort zone,” says the IAAC website.
Sensors and AI to Minimize Extreme Weather Conditions
Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see many buildings equipped with a battery of sensors and gateways collecting different sets of data related to the conditions and operation of varying building spaces and equipment.
By using advanced analytics and technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, it is possible to predict the impact of weather and other events on the building and additional infrastructure.
Today, companies such as Google, IBM, and Microsoft, among others, have developed sophisticated prediction models that allow forecasting potentially damaging weather in real-time.
Gathering information from different weather information services, including forecasts, allows smart buildings to prepare for upcoming weather events, and adjust ventilation, drainage, and other systems, minimizing power consumption and potential damage to the infrastructure and its occupants.
The combination of powerful analytics, better building materials, and sustainability by design can help reduce the climate change impact on buildings and cities–reducing power consumption and additional greenhouse gas emissions.
