Nine Tips for Developing a Sustainable Building

Most of us seem to know that we should be doing what we can to be environmentally friendly and reduce our environmental footprint. We hear much about environmental damage and increasingly, ‘green’ buildings and practices are showcased as examples to aspire to. Ranging from use of water to flooring and heating and cooling systems to future proofing, there are ten good tips for developing, building and using a sustainable building.

Tip #1: Conserve Water

Appliances and fittings that are water efficient (and rated with 3 or more stars) should be used and this includes showerheads if showers are a feature of your building. It is worthwhile and important to install devices to limit water pressure and use rainwater tanks to supply water for gardening, toilets and laundry facilities.

Tip #2: Use Natural Heating and Cooling Processes

Natural approaches to heating and cooling (known as passive solar design) allow a building to respond to its local climate by way of natural heating during the winter months and natural cooling when summer heat is experienced. This sounds good, but what are some of the ways that natural heating and cooling take effect?

Consideration of orientation and room zoning is required, so that breezes and cross ventilation can be maximised. Having adequate and suitable insulation is important as is shading (such as eaves), appropriate building materials (that are lightweight and have a sufficient thermal mass) and fixtures and finishes (these may include, skylights, blinds and curtains).

When passive solar design is integrated, dependence on heaters and air conditioning can be significantly reduced. Added benefits include increased use of natural light, improvements in air quality and circulating breezes offering fresh air.

Tip #3: Ensure Efficient Water Heating is Used

Although it may seem that your business uses only limited amounts of hot water, it is wise to install an energy and greenhouse efficient hot water system, (such a system could be powered by solar energy or natural gas). Energy and greenhouse efficient water heating can drastically reduce energy bills and limit greenhouse emissions.

Tip #4: Consider and Build for the Future

While you will not have a crystal ball, think of the future as far as possible. What will your needs be years down the track? How do you expect your business to have grown, evolved and changed? Some foresight into what your needs down the track may be is important and worthwhile. Similarly, if you think that your business may well move on from the premises, try to envisage what the needs of future tenants may be.

Tip #5: Think about Flooring

Sustainable interior design is just as important as the structure and facilities of the building and flooring is one of your building’s most important features.

As far as possible, it is advisable to have step-free floors and floor surfaces that are safe and slip resistant.

You also want to have flooring that is durable, robust and visually appealing. Carpet tiles present a great option as they are cost effective, hard wearing and available in a range of attractive designs and colours. Carpet tiles can be easily replaced and arranged to form unique designs and patterns Note – check the company’s product LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) to ensure the carpet tile has been manufactured using the most sustainable practices.

Tip #6: View from the Street

Few things are more frustrating than trying to locate the number of a building when numbers are disguised or just not present! Display a clear, easy to read number and invest in good external lighting. For safety, it is also a good idea to have a drive way that is separate from the entrance used by pedestrians.

Tip #7: Reduce Maintenance Costs in the Long Term

The use of low maintenance, environmentally sustainable materials is a great way to reduce costs incurred for repairs and ongoing maintenance.

Tip #8: Enhance the Quality of Indoor Air

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are quite often found in paints, varnishes and adhesives. Products that contain VOCs should be avoided as they can cause allergies and irritation and have negative health impacts.

Tip #9: Provide Outdoor Areas

Sustainable buildings often have permanently covered outdoor areas and the best of these are well positioned to indoor areas.

Environmental responsibility and positive impact certainly extends to sustainable buildings. Components of sustainable buildings include: quality carpet and flooring, heating and cooling systems, use of water and external spaces. Genuinely sustainable buildings need to be carefully planned and designed in order to yield real environmental benefits while still being fit for purpose.

SAVING ENERGY Flat glass, invisible yet essential

Flat glass is a fundamental part of insulation. As the world leader in coated glass, Saint-Gobain is continuously improving its products’ performance. The insulation qualities of double or triple glazing are comparable to those of protective walls. And because glass is transparent, it helps heat the house by letting in the sun. Solar control glass also helps to reduce energy consumption in air-conditioned buildings.


Double glazing made with advanced insulation SGG PLANITHERM ONE from Saint-Gobain Glass is three times more effective than standard double glazing and six times more effective than single glazing. Thanks to its low-emittance (Low-E) coating, SGG PLANITHERM ONE double glazing reflects 99% of interior heat back into the room. At the same time, it lets in 71% of visible light and 49% of solar heat, for the best energy
efficiency performance in Europe. A study by the Glass for Europe association underlines that replacing every window in the 27-member European Union with advanced, low-E double glazing would cut CO2 emissions by up to 90 million metric tons annually–equivalent to one third of the European Union’s greenhouse gas emissions target for buildings.

Bioclean: SGG Bioclean® self-cleaning glass from Saint-Gobain makes window washing easier and reduces water use. Depending on the type of house and number of windows, the water savings for a home equipped with SGG Bioclean® can range from 4,500 to 16,000 liters over an average 60-year lifetime. This corresponds to 30 to 100 days of drinking water for an average European.


THE WINDOWSOF THE FUTURE: As the world leader in coated glass, Saint-Gobain is continuously working on more energy efficient products to deliver even better performance. To give an example, the triple glazing developed by our teams insulates seven times more efficiently than conventional double glazing and lets in the same amount of heat from the sun as advanced Low-E double glazing. At the same time, it lets in 74% of visible light for maximum clarity–almost the same amount as double glazing. Saint-Gobain has also developed electrochromic glass that actively adapts to seasonal changes. By limiting the sun’s impact in the summer and maximizing it in the winter, this glass helps cut down on air conditioning and heating needs while delivering enhanced visual comfort and preserving the building’s architectural style.

SG Glass India wins for its Environmental Project

Saint-Gobain Glass India (SGGI) was recognized as the company with the “Most Innovative Environmental Project’’by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) in a competition held at Hyderabad on 28th & 29th January2011.

Over its decade long operations, SGGI has constantly strived to implement various environment friendly projects. It has been keen to change the way glass is packed, stored and transported. Adopting a system where despatches are made without a wooden crate packing and several other initiatives to reduce the quantity of wood, has helped the company save over 373,000 CFT of wood equivalent to 25000 trees in 2010.

This initiative of SGGI was among 400 nominations received from over 300 renowned companies

Promoting recycling

The three main materials processed by Saint-Gobain–glass, cast iron and gypsum–can are Recycled over and over again. The Group extensively promotes their recycling. This offers a double advantage for the environment as recycling reduces both waste volumes and consumption of raw materials.

At the glass manufacturing sites, each metric ton of cullet used in the melting process avoids255 to 300 kg of CO2 emissions.

GLASS:

In 2008, the percentage of recycled material in most of our glass furnaces was above 35%. The proportion is particularly high for glass wool and container glass. Saint-Gobain Packaging recycles 100% of collected glass and is stepping up collection so as to increase the percentage of recycled glass in its furnaces around the world. In the Flat Glass business, the volume of cullet recovered externally from processing plants rose by 3% between 2007 and 2008 thanks to sorting practices and logistical solutions now in place–including the installation of cullet bins, operator training in sorting procedures and deployment of the necessary systems and equipment.

CAST IRON:

Cast iron can be made from iron ore or from scrap metal and recovered cast iron when a large scrap metal market is located nearby. In 2008, recycled materials went into 47.8% of the metric tons of finished product at concerned sites.

GYPSUM:

The conversion of gypsum into plaster is an age-old process. Plaster is very environmentally friendly because it requires very little energy to be produced and can be recycled indefinitely. Saint-Gobain Gyproc is a pioneer in recycling. In 2008, at the concerned sites within the Gypsum Division, 25.4% of finished gypsum was produced from recycled materials. Waste recycling facilities have been established in several countries. In the United Kingdom, for example, a comprehensive service is provided that spans from on-site collection to gypsum reuse and mechanical sorting to separate paper from other waste components. In southeastern France, Placoplatre® has set up a dedicated collection network for plaster waste among its three production sites in Chambéry, Cognac and Vaujours, with 18 partner organizations that collect plaster waste and recycling workshops. The service is projected to save over 1,000 metric tons of natural resources per month in 2009 and eliminate the need to landfill an equivalent volume of waste.

Building Architecture – Sun Path Analysis

Architecture has evolved over the years and today the facade plays an important role in defining the architecture / form of the building. With modernity, glass has become eminent material for façades for its aesthetic appeal and functionality. However, the inappropriate or inefficient use of glass may result in unwanted heat gain inside the building. While choosing the right energy efficient glazing solution, the façade design needs to incorporate the building location and an understanding of solar geometry with respect to the building. Every building design is classified as Passive Design strategy & active design strategy.

• Passive design, results when a building is created and simply works "on its own". The plan, section, materials selections create a positive energy flow through the building and "save energy".

• Active design uses equipment to modify the state of the building, help maintain energy efficiency and provides comfort; i.e. Fans, pumps, etc.

A good passive design reduces heat gain thereby reducing the dependency on active designs such as air-conditioning system, lighting system etc..,
One of the important passive designs is the Sun Path.
BASICS OF SUNPATH
Earth's orbit is an ellipse, not a circle. The distance between earth and sun varies as revolution occurs. Earth's axis is tilted to a plane of elliptical orbit of 23.5 degrees which causes seasons. Northern hemisphere faces sun in June & Southern hemisphere faces sun in December.
To understand the sun path we need to visualize a skydome - Imaginary "dome" over building site. Every hour of day, we can "mark" points where sun's rays penetrate sky dome. This creates sun path for day. Most critical part of day is the "solar window"

Components of a Sun Path
Position of sun in the sky is defined by azimuth angle & altitude angle. Solar azimuth (Y) is angle along the horizon of position of sun, measured to the east or west of true south. Solar altitude (X) is the angle measured between the horizon & the position of the sun above the horizon. These enable you to locate the position of the sun at any time of day, month and location.

Southern hemisphere : The movement of the sun is east to west through north.

Northern hemisphere : The movement of the sun is east to west through South India falls in this hemisphere. High intensity sun fall is received in the South & South west directions. North is exposed to very low solar radiation.

SHADING DEVICE

Shading is one of the key strategies to achieve thermal comfort and it also impacts the daylight penetration. An ideal shading strategy or device will block maximum solar radiation while still permitting daylight, views. Shading device also depends on climatic conditions and nature of building.

• Horizontal shading device such as overhangs are best for south where solar altitude is high. For Indian Climatic type, shadings are ideally suited for Southern direction

• Vertical Shading device such as vertical fins are best for east and west where solar altitude is low

To understand the calculation & effect of shading device on glass and building performance, keep watching this space. The same will be covered in next edition :

Building Architecture – Sun Path Analysis Part :02

To know more write to us at : designstudio@saint-gobain.com.

OUR ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT IS A KEY PRINCIPLE DRIVING OUR ACTION:

Saint-Gobain’s manufacturing processes involve relatively little technological risk, as they mostly use mineral raw materials and very few environmentally hazardous substances. The main concern for Saint-Gobain, as for many other manufacturers, is carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The Group has set ambitious targets for CO2
emissions at sites with a signifi cant environmental impact. It has accelerated its ISO 14001 certifi cation process to obtain accreditation for more than 80% of these sites. In 2008, 46% were already certified.

These sites are also being called on to reduce their CO2 emissions, landfi lled waste and water withdrawals by 6% between 2007 and 2010. In 2008, the Group had already cut its CO2 emissions by 2% and water withdrawals by 4%.

Role of Glass in Green Architecture

Role of Glass in Green Architecture

Green building design criteria emphasizes the energy-efficient performance of fenestration materials and maximum use of natural daylight. Given this background, Glass is an indispensable material for green building. It has a wide range of functional benefits. Its transparency allows day-lighting of the interiors and integrates the interiors with the exteriors. Studies have proven time and again that this substantially improves the productivity and health of the occupants of the building.

Glass is completely recyclable and non-toxic in nature. It satisfies all the ecological parameters of being the most sought after “green” building material in Green Buildings. Moreover it harmonizes a structure with its environment.

Glass has varied “Green” benefits of which, some of them are:

1. Day-lighting - The use of glass brings in lot of light that helps in giving a high amount of natural day lighting instead of depending solely on artificial lighting thus reducing considerably electricity consumption.
2. Blending interiors with exteriors (Views) - Glass facades give a spectacular view of the outside world from the cozy interiors.
3. Recyclability - Glass being recyclable satisfies the important parameter of being a “Green” building material.
4. Achieving energy efficiency - High performance glass helps in controlling the solar and thermal heat in the interiors and helps to maintain the temperature at its minimum best and in turn helps to tone down the air-conditioning expenses.
5. Innovative application - Being very flexible building material glass helps to satisfy and capture an architect's utmost imagination in its shape and form.
6. Controls noise: Double glazed glass facades help in achieving a high degree of acoustic comfort by keeping away noise penetrating from the exteriors to the interiors thus ensuring a calmer atmosphere inside.
7. Self Cleaning: The future belongs to self-cleaning glass which keeps itself clean on its own and brings out an ever sparkling effect.

Glass and LEED Rating

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green

Building Council (USGBC), provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

The LEED rating system for Green buildings has six major areas of which four have the potential to be tapped through

appropriate usage of High Performance Glass in design:

ENERGY & ATMOSPHERE (EA)

Optimize Energy Performance

The building facade, windows, doors, and skylights can be designed with high performance glass to meet the desired solar  heat gain  coefficient and U-value  requirements.  The  use  of  glass  can  let in  adequate  daylight resulting  in reduction of artificial lighting costs. A complete energy simulation for the building is possible nowadays and helps to improve the energy performance of the design.

MATERIALS & RESOURCES (MR)

Regional Materials

The distance from the glass manufacturing/fabrication facility to the job site (within 500 miles radius) is a major factor in gaining points under the Regional Materials Credit. The wide network of Saint-Gobain Glass' processors and fabricators helps under this category.

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (EQ)

Daylight and View

High Performance glass from Saint-Gobain helps to blend the twin actions of achieving desired levels of daylight and transparency to enable external views. The letting in of natural light helps cut down on the artificial lighting costs.

INNOVATION & DESIGN PROCESS (ID)

Innovation in Design

Saint-Gobain  Glass  addresses  needs  such  as  Acoustic  Insulation,  Self-cleaning  etc  apart from  the  prescribed requirements of Energy Efficiency, Recyclability and Day-lighting. High performance glass when used in Double Glazed panels or as Laminated units provide higher degree of Acoustic Insulation that ward off unwanted noise from the external atmosphere. Saint-Gobain also offers Self-cleaning glass that can keep itself clean without any maintenance hassles.

Thus the overall innovative use of High Performance Glass from Saint-Gobain in a building can fetch upto 13% of the overall points in the LEED Rating system.

Choosing Glass

In tropical countries like India, one needs to be careful in selecting the right glass solution. Selecting the right kind of product is critical in maximizing the benefits possible from glass.

Broadly glass can be chosen according to the performance needs and the aesthetic needs. For a Green Building it is important to choose a glass solution that gives high performance without compromising on aesthetics.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Optimum Light Transmission (LT)

As India is a tropical climate, we have abundant sunlight. Ironically the bill on artificial lighting contributes 20% to the total spend on electricity. The facts in reality are :

1.  The lux level from direct sunlight is around 1,13,000 Lux.
2. The lux level in shade is around 9,000 Lux.
3. Brightly lit interiors which are conducive for working require 500 Lux.

High Performance Glass helps in cutting down excessive glare and brings in abundant natural light thus reducing the dependence on artificial lighting.

Energy Efficiency

In climatic conditions like India, 80% of  the  total heat gain is due  to direct solar  radiation  and  the  rest is due  to temperature difference between the exteriors and interiors. Thus to reduce the overall Relative Heat Gain (RHG) in tropical  climates,  it becomes  necessary  to  curtail  the  incoming  solar  radiation  by  the  use  of  glass  with  high performance solar “control” coating. Contrary to this, in cold climates the emphasis is on glass with low-emissive coatings to reduce the rate of heat loss from interiors to exteriors.

The  total  heat gain  is  measured  in  terms  of  Solar  Factor  and  U-value  and  is  expressed  as  a  sum  of  these  two components.

Solar Factor

Heat gain on the inside of the building due to direct solar radiation incident on glass is measured through the solar factor of glass.

Solar  Factor:  It is  the  sum  of  percentage  of  incident solar  energy  directly  transmitted  and  incident solar  energy absorbed and re-emitted inside.

U-Value

Heat gain due to temperature difference is expressed by U-Value of a glass.

U-Value: It is the amount of heat transferred(lost/gain),due to a temperature differential of 1˚C between inside and outside per square meter.

The best energy performance is obtained from a glass solution which is lower in terms of Solar factor and the U-value. Thus the best option for tropical climates, is to use glass with high performance solar control coatings double glazed with low-emissive glass to reduce the overall heat gain.

AESTHETIC NEEDS

The  High  Performance  Energy  efficient glass  solutions  from  Saint-Gobain  have  also  been  categorized  under  the various Houses of Color to enable comparison of the products based on aesthetic considerations.

The Houses of Color are:

1. Neutrals
2.  Metals
3.  Blues
4.  Greens
5. Blue-Green

Shortly, India would have stringent regulations to conserve energy by way of the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) that would impact upcoming buildings and buildings going in for renovation. Saint-Gobain Glass has a wide range of ECBC Compliant products.