Challenge of Environmental Advocacy in the Construction Industry
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| Figure 01, Clark City Aerial View (credit, CNN) |
Insight
The construction is one of the most
intensive industrial practices and businesses in the world and that is true,
and the author does have no arguments in such a way that Construction within
the community is a must for the country’s socio-cultural
development, economic aspects, and market values. The author is
highlighting the above picture where the Philippine New Clark City covered
image by CNN is one of the examples whereas a sustainable environment has been
addressed.
As Building and Construction Engineering
experienced, we learned that within the construction, using heavy equipment has
been used, where more energy encompasses to build buildings and infrastructure
development each day compared to the joint transportation in traditional norms.
In the construction, of course, cement is the standard and primary material
being used in the erection of building and infrastructure construction.
However, the cement is made by heating limestone to more than 2600 degrees
Fahrenheit. And as compared, in producing 1-ton of cement by the manufacturer,
which is roughly equivalent to a ton of carbon dioxide emission from the
burning of fossil fuels used that have been tagged by the US EPA (United States
Environmental Protection Agency) as one of the third largest source's contributions
of greenhouse gas to the environment. Another factor is Steel.
It is another one of the major components used in the construction business
which consumed as much as or roughly 8% to 10% energy used by the manufacturers
that contribute to greenhouse gas.
After the construction stage is finished,
the building maintenance costs to 40% of energy have been used for lighting,
air conditioning, heating, and other building electrical components
consumptions for the building facility. The maintenance is responsible as well as
provides 30% of the world's carbon emission as the world is more concerned with
climate change. However, many of the stakeholders are coming up with their
concerned on how to minimize the direct impact on the environment that has to
be constructed a building that has to be eco-friendly to the environment. And
as an environmental
advocate, the author is wishing that all government agencies
must cooperate with the policy-making that has been issued and implement them
well so that we can have an eco-environment for the building facility.
Sustainable Standards and its Application
In the construction industry, we have the
Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC) that promotes green building
strategic principles as well as sharing of knowledge of green building
practices to ensure a sustainable
environment. And from their website, the PHILGBC was organized
only to serve in the promotion of a holistic and market-based green building
practices that include facilitating the sharing of green building information
and practices as well as serving as a non-partisan venue for the development of
a green building rating system in the building industry in the Philippines like
the Philippine New Clark City.
Because the author is concerned with
sustainability, and as an environmental advocate whereas the author can be involved
much more within the field of the construction industry, the good thing is, the
PHILGBC is continuously developing and improving the BERDE (Building for Ecologically
Responsive Design Excellence) Rating System. The purpose is to facilitate
greener building, and measures how a structure excels above and beyond the
existing local environmental regulations and standards. BERDE’s framework
considers a 9-core area that needs to be measured as the fundamental criterion
for greening the building certification of the following criteria as such; 1) Energy Efficiency and Conservation, 2) Water Efficiency and Conservation, 3) Waste Management, 4) Use of Land and Ecology, 5) Management, 6) Green
Materials, 7) Transportation, 8)
Indoor Environment Quality and 9) Emissions.
Moreover, at the ANC source during the
interview with Arch. Ramon Rufino had explained their building design called
Neclima (Figure 02) to be BERDE Certified by providing the following features
in reducing the energy approaches using the façades architecturally as such; 1)
Using particular design in the curtain
wall and 2) Low eco-coating paints.
Using particular
design in the curtain wall
He explained that they provide a double pane
of glass with argon gas in between the glass. The purpose of the argon gas in
to control the amount of heat that comes into the building in reducing the
temperature coming from outside for energy savings in the air conditioning
system special coating in one of the layers of the glass that rejects heat
coming into the building.
Low eco-coating
paints
The sunshades with aluminum wrap around it
in the entire structure where the solar heat reduces the heat coming from
inside of the building as well as to control the temperature and thereby
reducing the amount of energy to be cooled the interior building facility.
The building design has been developed in
coordination with the International group and the local’s architects and
engineers, and local consultants in further developing the strategic principles
to make the green building concept a reality in the Philippines.
Additional green building concept features
have been adopted and included in the building design concerning air
conditioning system design where the condensate water produced has been
collected as gray water principles and distributed to be used for other
building purposes. The concept is to reduce the water consumption held in
standard form and the energy that usually the building needs the functionality
to deliver the requirement, however, with the use of harvesting principles as
it was implied and included in the building design.
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| Figure 02, The Neclima Building for BERDE Certification (credit, PHILGBC) |
Another idea is the fuel tank whereas being
used as a backed-up for the requirement of a standby generator set in the
building. In the standard design, which the fuel tank has been designed with the
component of steel, however, and as discussed earlier, steel production
contributes roughly 8% to 10% energy used by the manufacturers that add
greenhouse gas in the environment as well as it brought rusty components that
need for replacement after 10 to 15-years. And thereby, instead of using a steel
tank, the green building concept has been changed to fiberglass that will last
for 30-years with automatic leak detection so that the fuel will not
immediately go to the soil within the environmental concerned, and thus,
maintenance can be fixed anytime.
Additional features that have been included
in the building are the air waste or the air return coming from the air
conditioning system. The element has been used for recirculation in the form of
delivering it to the front of the lobby that will serve as an air curtain
whereby or upon entering the building to trap the outdoor air coming into the indoor
building facility. The principles whereas the air return from the air
conditioning system and with the treated fresh air from outdoor are being mixed
to have an air change process. Whereby the excess air will be used either in
the toilet or having a cool breeze at some point to have a comfortable lobby
area rather than extracting the air outside.
However, the payback needs to understand and
the importance of the benefits in applying the green building principles in the
present building projects using the BERDE Rating Systems application that will
be held encompassing all necessary incentives might be applied for any green
building projects.
The Green Building Rating Systems have
enumerated and identified aside from what we have in the Philippines with BERDE
Rating systems, however, some exist globally of the following agencies in
promoting green building design, principles, and methodology as follows;
As well as the application of having
incentives, lower insurance premiums, and government initiatives in
encouraging in promoting the green building, however, more likely is from the
voluntary sides compared to the LEED System, BERDE only answers to the
ecological needs of the Philippine environment. The BERDE Standards have been
lifted from the ideas amongst from the 80-numbers practicing around the globe;
however, the BERDE adopted the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system
where most of the Engineers and the Architects are using and applies in the
country. But currently, the PHILGBC is trying to provide a rating
system that is suited for the Philippine environmental aspect concerning green
building design and construction.
The Solar Powered Air Conditioner and the
Application
Clean and green whereas more groups have been
initiated for this kind of application where become conscious in the
environment concerned to promote the alternative sources of energy which is
affordable and transformative using the Solar Powered Air Conditioners
incorporating the intelligence controller system whereby reducing the carbon
footprint in the environment and saving energy as well.
However, with the realization that fossil
fuels are not sustainable in the environment we are living with, the privates
and public institutions initiate in promoting the required on how to reduce the
carbon footprint financially and environmentally. And most companies are
looking for alternatives, and one of them is using solar as the new global
trend in energy that was being applied to all facilities where applicable. One
of the examples that the Solar Powered Air Conditioner has been introduced is
in the La Consolacion College of Manila. The reason is due to the electrical
rates of the electric bills that have been received in the congregation for them
to construct an environmentally friendly which is harnessing from the sun with
solar-powered air conditioners. With this method is saving the business from
the electrical crisis with the large-scale solar solutions that have been
tailored-fit in the educational institution.
The application of solar panels has been
designed in the La Consolacion College of Manila is to absorb the sunlight as a
source of energy to generate electricity or the heat required for the system to
operate. It is good for the congregation as they decided on this kind of
alternative where looks like they are committed as an example in Manila to
sustainable development and renewable energy application. Thus, this will help
them reduce the electricity costs from Meralco Electricity and the carbon
footprint in sustaining a sustainable environment.
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| Figure 03, Solar Panel for Solar Powered Air Conditioner of La Consolacion College |
The system application arrived in
transforming to an alternative energy source using the Solar Powered Air
Conditioners because of unexpected electric bills consumed by the educational
institution. However, it is going green with solar power using the sun to cool
the school buildings. The cost is too expensive, however, in the long run, will
save much more in their operational cost compared to having Meralco as the
source of electric energy for the school. Also, the system mitigated on how it
will work and the plan on how the system will facilitate in the educational
facility to minimize and maximize the space requirement.
The Drawing Board
Arch. Raymond Andrew of UP College of
Architecture discussed the importance of integrating the green building
architecture in the curriculum. The impact on the environmental solution in
acquiring a sustainable architecture in reducing the carbon footprint and
incorporating environmental architecture in a way that the students or even the
oldies architect in upgrading the conceptual value of a sustainable green
building.
However, this is to enlighten the importance
of the green building to revitalize and enhance the ideas of the green building
using fewer energy requirements. With green principles, overall wherein the
carbon-conscious urban world, the developers, contractors, architects, and the
engineers, as well as the building code authority, have started advocating the
green architecture or even the general approaches that will sustain the needs
of the environment into a sustainable building environment not only in the
Philippine soil but the whole world. Likewise, in Qatar, with all the services
and the building perspective as far as sustainability is concerned in the
construction industry, the author has made the design in align with the environmental
aspect following the LEED and Qatar GSAS principles, e.g., hospital as shown
below (Figure 04).
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| Figure 04, HPH Psychiatry Hospital for Sustainable Building (credit, Stantec) |
Conclusion
As a conclusion, as an Environmental
Advocate, Green
Building adoption in the construction industry is a good
impression that every country has been doing its best and initiatives in
practicing a sustainable green building to reduce the building carbon footprint
that is commonly produced by the existing conventional design as we can experience
from there. However, most importantly, the PHILGBC Council is continuously
developing and improving the green building policy. Through the BERDE (Building
for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) Rating System, where has to
facilitate greener building. Measuring how well the building excels above and
beyond the existing local environmental regulations and standards as well as
the incentives being generated with the green principles that might help
individuals, the institutions, the country and the whole world in sustaining a
sustainable environment in the construction industry.
With the scientist, the realization of
fossil fuels is not sustainable in the environment; it is the La Consolacion
College initiatives in promoting the required on how to reduce the carbon
footprint. Through the innovative technology, using the Solar Powered Air
Conditioners in the educational facility in harnessing the free energy gifted
to us from the sun that has been applied successfully in transforming to an alternative
energy source in the country. Likewise for the Philippine New Clark City, where
they called the green city which has been designed in conformance to BERDE and
LEED principles.
In the construction industry, the green
building concept features where have been adopted and included in the building
design. The conceptual analysis regarding air conditioning system design,
harvesting the condensate water and rainwater, harnessing the sun's energy,
green building materials, and the application of green building architecture
are the main factors in the green building application. And as discussed in the
given link to understanding the principles are the great pleasure to know
things for the sake of our environment in forming a sustainable environment for
the country overall. Hence, as a practicing building and construction engineer,
it is my advocate in the implementation of a sustainable environment, however,
a difficult task but this is one of the challenging parts of my career.
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| Figure 05, Clark City View (credit, Reuters) |
Write-Up
References can be Read from this Links;
Gomeseria,
RV; (December 2018); “Environmental
Advocacy & Conservation Personal Journal & Reflections;”
Durreesamin Journal (ISSN: 2204-9827) December Vol 4 Issue 3; the Year 2018
Gomeseria, RV; (2019,
January); "Challenge of Environmental Advocacy in the Construction Industry;” Retrieved from; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330601558_Challenge_of_Environmental_Advocacy_in_Construction_Industry
https://www.academia.edu/38271745/_Challenge_of_Environmental_Advocacy_in_Construction_Industry._
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