SUSD0003 Week 5: Reflection on readings

Energy Modelling: Early and often

https://www.buildinggreen.com/feature/energy-modeling-early-and-often

This article argues the importance of energy modelling is to support a low-energy project. In many cases a finished building will not perform energy-wise as it was designed to do. There are various reasons for this, but one of the sure fire way to combat this problem is to use modelling programs in the design process. Actually, models should be used before the design phase has even started, then to be continually updated at every given opportunity. The analysis produced by said models form a feedback loop towards the design process, making sure that the planned measures are realistic and up to the agreed target of energy savings. Thus why the title is EARLY and OFTEN.

Yet I have noticed that amongst the given reason of design inaccuracy were:

- Installed equipment different from what was intended

- Different occupancy pattern

-. Variable future conditions

I fail to see how those can be solved with modelling. Perhaps another solution is to make the design rather flexible to accommodate changes to occupancy, use, and perhaps future climate conditions. Even modelling cannot predict strange patterns and unexpected changes. Unexpected changes will most likely happen in a building's lifetime. If it was given certain amount of space to adapt to such changes, it might still perform decently under circumstances.

Baggs, David. Beyond Carbon Neutrality: Strategies for Reductive and Restorative Sustainability, Environment Design Guide, No. 64, Sep 2010

This article focuses on pointing out what we're doing wrong in terms of sustainability practice and how to improve it. In particular, Baggs argues the importance of restorative efforts and not just reductive. This means we as a global nation must not only reduce consumption of energy and materials to make a meaningful impact to the environment, but to help nature recover from the damage done to it. It is assumed that nature might be fully capable of healing itself if we reduce our exploitation, it is still better for all of us to aid in its restoration.

For the reductive effort, Baggs reminded us once again that the field of the Built Environment contributes much to the current environmental crisis. The building industry consumes a significant portion of the world's total material and energy usage. We as practitioners in said field have the capacity to reduce those numbers significantly. In a nutshell, the way to do accomplish that is to design intensely for a closed lifecycle (crade-to-crade) and to make one of such cycle last for as long as possible. On the other hand, the restorative measures focus on giving back what we can to nature, mostly trees (especially native ones) and water.

This article features convincing facts and arguments to adopt Baggs' new strategy of the 5Rs, in particular his use of diagrams. In addition, the suggestions/methods of applying such strategy was also put down neatly. If I have to nitpick a problem with this article, its that designers like me are the vast minority compared to all the stakeholders in this planet. It may not even matter if I design 6 rate green star buildings for everyone if none of them are willing to change how they live. Private consumption also include a large chuck of the total planetary material and energy usage. A building's performance also depends largely on how the occupant's use it. It does not matter if I design a market-leading sustainable apartment if the tenant keeps the air conditioning on 24/7 out of habit. It does not matter if I design a building to last for a century if the owner decides to demolish it and sell the land for a profit opportunity only after a decade. I believe changing ourselves, the way we live, and educating the general public as designers must be included in our strategy for sustainability.