3. sustainability

• Meanings of the term 'survey'

  • Verb: to study, inspect, examine, describe the general condition of sth
  • Noun: the result of surveying, either a map, plan or report
• Sustainability


  Meeting today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
• Energy


  The capacity of a physical system to perform work
• Types of energy


  • Renewable sources (wood, waste, wind, solar radiation, etc.)
  • Exhaustible sources (fossil fuels)
• Renewable energy


  Naturally replenished and can therefore be used by humans more or less indefinitely, provided the rate of consumption is in balance
• Non-renewable energy


  Exhaustible and pollutive
• Energy-related terms


  • Energy payback time
  • Primary energy
  • Geothermal energy
  • Final energy
  • Energy storage
  • Energy efficiency
  • Embodied energy
• Saving energy means increasing the efficiency of energy usage, at the same time as decreasing energy consumption
• Buildings are responsible for almost 40% of energy consumption in the EU
• Characteristics of an energy-efficient building


  • Hot water supply
  • Heat recovery
  • Preheating of fresh air
  • Sun tube lights
  • Airtightness
  • Building automation system (BAS)
  • Continuous insulation
  • Southern orientation and shading device
  • Energy-efficient window glazing and frames
  • Energy-saving household appliances
• Types of energy-efficient buildings

  • Low energy building
  • Passive building (ultra-low energy house)
  • Net-zero energy building (or zero-energy house)
  • Autonomous building (building with no bills)
  • Energy-plus building
• There is no global definition for an energy-efficient house and the national standards vary considerably
• Low-energy house


  Energy consumption is about half that of an average house
• Passive house


  Almost energy-self-sufficient buildings, use solar collectors and geothermal energy to provide heating and warm water, and photovoltaic elements to produce electricity
• Compactness


  A compact building with a small envelope to volume ratio (A/V ratio) is one of the most basic ways to improve energy efficiency
• Compact buildings


  • Small envelope to volume ratio
  • No setbacks, cut-outs or add-ons
• Designing building orientation


  1. Consider local environment, landscape, other buildings

  2. Determine sunpaths and position of sun

  3. Maximise daylight and prevent overheating/glare
• South orientation


  Most suitable in northern hemisphere to make use of solar heat gain in winter and avoid heat gain in summer
• Building certification systems


  Tools to measure the sustainability of buildings
• Life cycle assessment (LCA)

  Tool that evaluates the environmental impacts of a development from conception through to demolition and disposal
• LCA phases


  1. Goal and scope definition

  2. Inventory analysis

  3. Impact assessment

  4. Interpretation