ENERGY CONSERVATIONS IN BUILDINGS

The concept of energy conservation in architectural design utilizes integrated technology, as well as
scientific and local wisdom, in order to reduce energy consumption and to create a comfortable zone.
Givoni identified the four principles of comfort zone creation,4 as follows:
➢ Ventilated Cooling is the principle of cooling with cool air through, when the wind through the
occupiers will cool down.
➢ Radiant Cooling is the principle of temperature transfer at materials’ surface. This can be
applied with a building envelopment, for the appropriate temperature transfer at an
appropriate time and function area.
➢ Evaporative Cooling, when water evaporates, draws heat energy from the environment to
reduce the temperature. Therefore, there are increases in the spray in the air and evaporation.
When the water evaporates, the temperature decreases.
➢ Cooled soil as a cooling source for the building, at a depth of 2-3 meters from the surface, the
soil is at a lower temperature, which means that the soil can be a cooling source.

When the weather is hot, people often stay in air-conditioned areas. Electricity consumption for air
conditioning systems accounts for at least half of the total power consumption of buildings.
Therefore, the concept of energy conservation in architectural design should apply to all processes of
a project life cycle from the design stage to the construction stage, occupancy stage and renovation
stage.

Passive Design Concept

Passive Design is the concept of building structures based on the principle and potential of natural
energy to create a comfort zone for the occupant. Natural ventilation and natural lighting are the
most natural energy applications in this design.
➢ Natural Ventilation. The three methods of designing architecture can be applied with
natural ventilation for creating a comfort zone.
○ Ventilation through various openings may occur by designing a building with openings
or using a brick vent to allow the air through.
○ Ventilation through the space under a house is found in Thai architecture and
throughout Southeast Asia. The houses are usually raised in the basement due to the
settlements being in flood areas, and that space allows good wind flow.
○ Ventilation through the space under the roof, which is a heat storage space, needs to
be vented through ventilators.
➢ Natural Lighting. In the application of lighting design in buildings, direct lighting and indirect
lighting depend on functional areas, because heat comes with light, which increases the load
on the air conditioning system. Designers must use the appropriate design techniques to
account for this. This paper has compiled four approaches to the use of natural light in a
building: light from the side of the building, light from the top of the building, light through the
hallway.

Active Design Concept

Active Design is based on technology or innovation that saves energy. Boonyatikarn (1999) said “The
design of energy-saving buildings should use the most benefit of natural potential, while seeking the
least energy-consuming processes and technologies to enrich quality of life without compromising the
environment”.
Green Concept
Many large trees can reduce temperatures in the daytime as the trees use solar energy and the
environment to live. They also absorb water from the soil and convert it into steam that is lost from
the leaves. These processes use about 2,200 BTU of thermal energy to convert one liter of water into
steam, so a big tree can absorb water from the soil and convert it into steam at about 65 liters/day,
which means big trees can reduce the heat in the environment equivalent to air conditioning of
12,000 BTU/hr (daytime is 12 hrs.). Thus, temperature reductions can be created by planting trees
and building appropriate environments.

EXAMPLES OF ENERGY CONSERVATION BUILDINGS

● ZEB PILOT HOUSE

ZEB pilot house, a pilot project on a family house in Norway is definitely one of the best pieces of
energy efficient modern architecture. By optimizing architectural qualities and technological solutions,
the house serves both the living and energy needs of a family house, in addition to generating
enough energy surpluses to power an electric car year-round. It manages all that and looks drop
dead gorgeous. It is a Zero energy building, meaning the net energy consumed by the building in a
year is zero.
It is designed by the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta. Most of the energy generated is through
the solar panel roof, which is tilted at at 19-degree angle towards the southeast, to capture as much
light as possible. A 45-degree angle would have actually been the optimum position, but that would
have made the house cartoonish in scale and difficult to build. The solar panels on the roof generate
about 19,200 kWh per year while the house needs only 7272 kWh. It’s enough that an electric car
could drive for 12,500 miles on the surplus energy from the ZEB. In addition to this the building has
an underground well which harvests geothermal energy.

The above image explains how the energy is produced and distributed throughout the house.
The house in the garden has a characteristic tilt towards southeast and a sloping roof surface clad
with solar panels and collectors. These elements, together with geothermal energy from energy wells
in the ground, serve the energy need for the house.
The house’s bedrooms are located on the upper level. A skylit staircase passes by the central brick wall.

Large sliding glass doors connect both the living room and kitchen to the outdoor patio.

● ONE ANGEL SQUARE, MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM

Manchester’s One Angel Square is the headquarters of The Co-Operative Group, and it stands at 15
stories tall. A heat recovery system helps increase energy efficiency, as does One Angel Square’s
rainwater and greywater recycling systems. Low energy LED lights and IT setups and a combined
heat and power plant inside provide practical, cost saving benefits. The building was rated as
Outstanding by BREEAM, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.

● DAVID & LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS, LOS ALTOS,

CALIFORNIA

The David & Lucile Packard Foundation headquarters is modern, beautiful, and super energy
efficient. It’s actually the largest Net-Zero Energy certified building in the world. The California
complex is made up of 95 percent recycled materials from deconstructed buildings. It provides all of
its energy needs and has a total of 915 photovoltaic panels on its roof. One of the things that makes
the Foundation’s headquarters work so well is its effective use of daylight and rooftop gutters that
collect a massive 20,000 gallons of rainwater, which is used for irrigation and the building’s
bathrooms.

● ONE EMBANKMENT PLACE, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

One Embankment Place in the UK has been around since the early 1990s and went through a
massive overhaul in the 2000s. As a result, it received BREEAM’s highest recorded score worldwide in
2013. One Embankment Place proves that buildings can successfully be refurbished and reused,
instead of being torn down and tons of materials being sent to the dump. The energy efficient
London building has one of the largest tri-generation systems in the world, which allowed it to reduce
its carbon emissions by an impressive 51 percent.

● POWERHOUSE KJORBO, OSLO, NORWAY

Oslo’s Powerhouse Kjorbo was the recipient of the 2014 Norwegian Technology Award because it’s so
great at being energy efficient. The building is actually comprised of two buildings that were
renovated and then rebuilt from recycled materials with the goal of sustainability in mind. The project
was a success and the new building’s energy consumption has been reduced by a whopping 90
percent. Ground wells heat its radiators and serve as a water supply, and the building’s unique
charred wood exterior is not only eco-friendly but easy to maintain.

● MANITOBA HYDRO PLACE, MANITOBA, CANADA

Not many buildings in the world have received Platinum Certification from LEED, but Manitoba Hydro
Place has. The Canadian office tower is the most energy efficient building on the North American
continent, and it saves over 70 percent more energy than other commercial and office buildings due
to its incredible design. A 115 meter solar chimney gives the building passive ventilation while a
double skin facade with motorized computer-controlled vents make regulating temperature a cinch.

● THE EDGE, AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

The Edge in Amsterdam has the distinction of receiving the highest score ever recorded by the
BREEAM certification system. It’s also the first building in the world to employ LED lights powered by
Philips Ethernet.This means that workers in the building can regulate the climate and lighting in their
individual work spaces by using an app on their smartphones. In addition, The Edge is energy neutral
and has a bevy of rooftop solar panels.
 ● THE BULLITT CENTRE, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Seattle’s Bullitt Centre opened in 2013 and has since become one of the greenest commercial
buildings in the entire world. It really is the epitome of energy efficient and derives 100 percent of its
power from renewable energy. Not only is the Bullitt Centre naturally lit during the daytime, it’s
ventilated to make it super comfortable and increase the productivity of the workers inside it. It’s a
great example of what work offices will be in the coming years: smartly designed, efficient, and
attractive. Compared to the other commercial offices and buildings in Seattle, the Bullitt Centre is 83
percent more energy efficient on average. As a bonus, it provides a terrific view of the city’s famed
skyline.

● NEW ORLEANS BIOINNOVATION CENTER, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Not far from New Orleans’ fabulous French Quarter is the BioInnovation Center, a hub for biotech
startups that aims to bring innovation and economic empowerment to the area. Its design is both
elegant and smart, and the BioInnovation Center is becoming a key part of the revitalization of the
neighborhood that surrounds it.

● EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Not many people immediately think of sustainability or energy efficiency when they look at the
Empire State Building, but this world famous New York landmark certainly is. $550 million was put
into renovating the building and making it more green, which allowed the Empire State Building to
earn a LEED Gold Certification in 2011. The revamp cut the building’s energy use and expenses by
$4.4 million annually, and within the next decade it’s expected to reduce its carbon footprint by at
least 105,000 tons. One of the most daunting parts of making the Empire State Building more energy
efficient was replacing all 6,514 of its glass windows.
 ● INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY HEADQUARTERS, ABU DHABI,
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The International Renewable Energy Agency Headquarters is one of the most futuristic and energy
efficient buildings on the planet. It entered Abu Dhabi’s skyline in 2015 and has already won a
number of prestigious international awards for its innovative, sustainable design and features. Its
external screen maximizes light while also minimizing the amount of heat inside. The windows block
90 percent of solar radiation and the building’s rooftop has a photovoltaic system to help it produce
its own energy.