anas alam faizli, master of proj mgmt: assignment sustainable construction, emsc5103

Assignment Questions EMSC5103 – Sustainable Construction May 2010 Prof Sr Dato’ Dr Kamarudin Mohd Nor

Student Name: Anas Alam Faizli Student ID No. CGS 00385017 Centre of Graduate Studies MPM Intake: January 2009

MAY SEMESTER 2010

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION – EMSC5103

ASSIGNMENT (50%)

LECTURER

PROF SR DATO’ DR KAMARUDIN MOHD NOR

STUDENT

ANAS BIN ALAM FAIZLI



INSTRUCTION: ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.

PART A

Question 1

Define “Sustainable Construction”.

List and explain briefly SEVEN (7) principles of Sustainable Construction articulated by the

CIB [the Conseil International du Batiment] in 1994. How are these principles applied when

evaluating the components and other resources needed for construction?

[20 marks]

Answer:

Only for the past decade has sustainable development gained international momentum in the

international arena which is popularly referred to as sustainable construction. This is as an

effort that addresses the entire life cycle of construction from planning, design, construction,

operation, modifications, renovation, retrofit and finally the ultimate disposal.

According to a definition by Task Group 16 of Conseil International du Batiment or CIB, an

international construction research networking organization with headquarters in Rotterdam,

The Netherlands in 1994 “Sustainable Construction” addresses the ecological, social and

economic issues of a building in the context of its community. Sustainable Construction is

“…creating and operating a healthy built environment based on resource efficiency and

ecological design.

Martinez (2003) says that it is difficult to give a definition of Sustainable Construction

sufficiently complete as to cover all the aspects that this should considered. On the matter he

indicates that the three main pillars on which the Sustainable Development of the

Construction Industry leans are: in first place, the recycling and conservation of the materials



and resources; secondly, the improvement of the structures durability; and lastly, the use and

advantage of by-products of other industries, those that habitually are considered residues.

These three pillars are supported by a holistic approach that allows determining the

interdependence character that each one of the enunciated pillars has. For example, if

decisions taken with respect to the durability of the structures are analyzed from the classic

approach of reductionist type, the benefits as far as increasing the life utility of the work will

only be considered.

The CIB (2000) indicates that the concept of Sustainable Construction is associated to three

key verbs: To Reduce, To Preserve and To Maintain, aspects that must be had considering at

the moment of establishing global criteria that serve as a conceptual frame for the putting in

practice of the sustainable construction.

Kibert (1994) indicates that a sustainable construction is the development of the traditional

construction with a considerable responsibility of all the participants towards the

environment. The key elements are: reduction of the use of energetic sources and mineral

resources, the conservation of the natural areas and the biodiversity, and the maintenance of a

healthful inner atmosphere (CIB, 2000).

The CIB articulated Seven Principles of Sustainable Construction which would ideally inform

decision making during each phase of the design and construction process, continuing

throughout the building’s entire life cycle, from planning to disposal or deconstruction. The

principles apply to the resources needed to create and operate the built environment during its

entire life cycle: land, materials, water, energy and ecosystem. The principles proposed for

Sustainable Construction include: reduce, reuse, and recycle resources; protect nature in all

activities; eliminate toxic substances from construction; apply life cycle economics in

decision making; and create a quality built environment (aesthetics, durability,

maintainability, to name a few quality aspects).



Energy Water Land Materials Ecosystems

Figure 1: Sustainable Construction: Life Cycle Stages, Principles, and Resources (after

Kibert, 1994)

Figure 1 depicts the relationship of the various life cycle stages as proposed by Kibert, 1994.

The resources required for construction are materials, energy, water, land, and in the spirit of

sustainability, ecological system. Ecological system is added because it is becoming more

apparent that ecosystems should be integrated with buildings. Having done this will provide

a wide range of services such as heating, cooling, waste processing, environmental amenity

and even food.

The seven principles articulated by CIB in 1994 are:

1. Reduce resource consumption (reduce);

In the report by CIB (1999), resources consumption in construction concerns with a wide

range of aspects. The ineffectiveness of resources consumption in the practice presents

immense challenges to sustainable performance in construction industry. Energy saving

measures, extensive retrofit programs and transport needs present challenges to energy

consumption. Reduction in the use of mineral resources and conservation of the life support

function of the environment require using renewable and recyclable materials. Water saving

in buildings challenges the management system of using water in operating construction



products. The construction in the process of urbanization is challenged by the limitation of

land resources. There are plenty of resources that can be reduced which covers from the

energy, water, materials, land and the waste generation as we can see from Figure 1.1

Energy use - Various management systems have been developed for providing solutions of

reducing energy use in new buildings. Examples are the use of solar system and the wind

generation to supplement air-conditioning requirements.

Water use - The conservation of drinking water and the reduction of sewage water can be

contributed through water saving equipment in new buildings. The advancement of water

management methods in existing buildings can lead to substantial water savings, for example,

using rainwater and grey water storage, providing water saving guidelines for building

managers, using low flow showerheads, dual flush toilets and self-composting toilets, and

others.

Materials consumption - Selection of materials is very important and the choice should be

based on the materials’ environmental impacts. At the construction and deconstruction

phases, various methods can also be used for reducing the impacts of materials consumption

on the natural environment, for example, materials recycling and reuse, construction-for-

disassembly by using modular, using the materials and components that are available locally.

Land use - Construction industry has a major role to play in protecting land resources by

using land efficiently, designing products for long service life, and using and maintaining the

existing buildings efficiently. Other design solutions include combining more building

functions, to use underground space, and to optimize the use of the roof surface. The choice

of land for construction has not only the local environmental effects, but also social and

economic impacts. In particular, efficient use of land is vital for those countries and regions

where population density is high and mainly confined to urban areas.

Waste generation - Construction industry is a major contributor to waste generation

particularly for solid waste. It is estimated that about 13% of all solid wastes deposited in

landfills world-wide comes from construction and demolition waste with a ratio of about 1:2

between construction and demolition waste. On the other hand, a large part of greenhouse



gases comes from the energy use in building and transport activities, and they contribute to

the air emissions, causing ozone depletion. Construction activities also generate liquid wastes.

Typical impacts of the wastes generated from construction activities on the environment

include the pollution and the damages to the landscape and agricultural land.

2. Reuse resources (reuse);

Typically building reuse means leaving the main portion of the building structure and shell in

place while performing what is known in the trade as a “gut rehab.” Repairing a building

rather than tearing it down: saves natural resources, including the raw materials, energy, and

water resources required to build new; prevents pollution that might take place as a by-

product of extraction, manufacturing, and transportation of virgin materials; and avoids

creating solid waste that could end up in landfills.

Reuse can be done on a big scale when saving buildings from the demolition ball. It does take

planning, but the result can be significant savings, as well as environmental benefit.

A key factor in building reuse is the durability of the original structure. Because concrete and

masonry exteriors are long-lasting, and frequently exhibit superior detail and craftsmanship,

concrete and masonry buildings are good candidates for building reuse. Windows, floor

coverings, partition walls, mechanical systems, and plumbing can be replaced and insulation

can be added while maintaining the original concrete frame and exterior walls.

In addition to its long service life concrete offers a low-maintenance surface, another good

reason to consider reuse. One way to lengthen the building’s life and improve the chances of

reuses it to inspect the exterior yearly and if necessary, repair.

3. Use recyclable resources (recycle);

Construction waste recycling is the separation and recycling of recoverable waste materials

generated during construction and remodelling. Packaging, new material scraps and old

materials and debris all constitute potentially recoverable materials. In renovation, appliances,

masonry materials, doors and windows are recyclable. 17,600 kg of waste are typically

thrown into the landfill during the construction of a 2,000 square foot house.



Technology is quickly developing for recycling of materials into reconstituted building

materials. Recycling of many waste materials that can be reused requires only some

additional effort and coordination.

Before recycling construction waste, identify who will accept it. This is important in

designating type of waste to separate, and in making arrangements for drop-off or delivery of

materials. Some typical recyclable materials from construction are:

Appliances and fixtures

Brush and Trees

Cardboard and Paper

Lumber and Plywood (in reusable form)

Masonry (in reusable form or as fill)

Metals

Plastics – numbered containers, bags and sheeting

Roofing (in reusable form)

Windows and Doors

Containers for material recycling must be set up on site and clearly labelled. Construction

personnel must be trained in material sorting policy, and bins must be monitored periodically

to prevent waste mixing as a result of crews or passersby throwing trash into the bins. Some

materials will require bins or storage that protect from rain. Other bins may be locked to

prevent tampering.

4. Protect nature (nature);

Environment-friendly is the building that employs such functional and technical solutions

that, together with the use of the building, is in harmony with the recovering capacity of the

environment. It also:

– matches the cyclical processes of nature

– does not harm health

ECO buildings have existed since the historic past. They are built using such traditions and

know-how of generations that take into consideration such opportunities as the characteristic

properties of the wind, sun, currents of air, vegetation, water surfaces, and natural sources of

light. They use natural materials known for a long time in ways based on tradition and

experience.



Environment-conscious buildings, in contrast to those of the linear model, need minimal,

especially renewable energy and material supply, which are then used economically, without

producing much waste. The basic principles of environmentally conscious architecture are:

• Locational, functional and structural solutions need to be selected in harmony with

the local conditions, such as topography, microclimate, soil composition, water

surfaces, flora and fauna etc.

• Size must be limited, including the footprint, i.e. the reduction of used green areas.

• Natural features must be enhanced and it is advisable to use renewable energy

resources such as solar energy, wind, biomass etc.

• The daily use must be carefully planned and organized, otherwise the building

cannot be considered ecological.

• Building structures, sanitary engineering systems, alternative ways of construction

are to employ environment-friendly building materials and take ecological

construction theories into consideration.

• Environment-conscious ventilation, energy, material consumption must be observed

in the functioning of the building as well.

The above mentioned principles can rarely be completely realized in their pure forms. In

urban environments, for example, there is not much possibility to “bring in nature”, yet a

Nature-sensitive mentality must prevail. The existing buildings should be ’tamed’, restored in

an environment-friendly fashion. If clients co-operate, some sensible compromise can always

be reached. An all-round examination of the problems needs to be carried out, for an arbitrary

selection of aspects, such as, for instance, energy-saving, is not an efficient solution.

Although the application of the methods described above has no theoretical obstacle, there are

very few ecologically constructed and utilized buildings. Many times the misunderstanding is

caused by insufficient information and unfortunately products that are not at all nature-

friendly are “dressed in green” and their harmful effects on the environment and human

health is not disclosed.

Malaysia is now also very geared towards sustainable construction with SP Setia always on

the move to develop new Eco parks concept, which is chased closely by Sime Darby and

other property developers.



5. Eliminate toxics (toxics);

As of the year of 2008, 23,000 tonnes of waste is produced each day in Malaysia, with less

than 5% of the waste is being recycled. In Selangor alone, waste generated in 1997 was over

3000t/day and the amount of waste is expected to rise up to 5700t/day in the year

2017(Yachio Engineering, 2000 cited in Muhd Noor Muhd Yunus, 2000). An alarming 19%

of waste ends up in our drains; which then cause flash floods and drainage blockage. This

situation has been and will be reducing our environmental capacity to sustain life.

The easiest method to avoid environmental harm from waste is to prevent its generation.

Pollution prevention means changing the way activities are conducted and eliminating the

source of the problem. It does not mean doing without, but doing differently. For example,

preventing waste pollution from litter caused by disposable beverage containers does not

mean doing without beverages; it just means using refillable bottles.

Fisher outlined one of his five principles of sustainable construction that all possible measures

are to be taken to ensure that materials and building systems do not emit toxic substances and

gasses into the interior atmosphere. Additional measures are to be taken to clean and

revitalise interior air with filtration and plantings.

As long as we minimize and try the level best to eliminate toxics in the construction of a

building we would have satisfy one of the seven principles proposed by CIB.

6. Apply life-cycle costing (economics);and,

Sustainable construction can make contribution to poverty alleviation by promoting social

benefits from undertaking construction activities and to the improvement of quality of life by

creating healthy and pleasant and living and working environment. The implementation of

construction works provides employment opportunities, thus contributes to the development

of human resources. The Habitat II Agenda emphasizes that the construction industry is a

major contributor to socio-economic development in every country. It articulates that

government should encourage the construction industry to promote “locally available,

appropriate, affordable, safe, efficient and environmentally sound construction methods and

technologies in all countries, particularly in the developing countries, ate the local, national,



regional and sub-regional levels to emphasis optimal use of local human resources and

encourage energy-saving methods and are protective of human health”.

7. Focus on quality (quality)

Sustainable construction aims for obtaining the best internal environment quality including

indoor air quality, thermal, acoustic and lighting environment. Both the design of the

mechanical environment and aesthetic factors are significant to affect the quality of indoor

environment, which are commonly the causes for work-stress and psychological problems.

The 7 principles that CIB has articulated would be the basic in order to achieve sustainable

design – which has captured most of the essence of moving towards sustainable design.

There are many other concepts, diagrams, pyramids and other approach in explaining or

breaking further down the sustainable concept but all will definitely touch the basic 7

principles no matter how it is presented.



Question 2

The Bruntland Report [1987] defines sustainable development as “…meeting the needs of the

present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”

Discuss sustainable development needs in urban and building designs in the light of the

prevailing environmental issues like global warming.

Answer:

This definition by The Bruntland Report [1987] is elaborated further by Charles J. Kibert that

it advocates that the environment and quality of human life are as important as economic

performance, and suggests that human, natural and economic systems are interdependent. It

also implies intergenerational justice, highlights the responsibility of the present population

for the welfare of millions yet unborn, and implies that we are borrowing the planet, its

resources, and its environmental function and quality from future generations.

Sustainable development is a concept that has taken its roots from the 1972 Stockholm

Conference on the Human Environment where international concern on environment and

development was first highlighted. Efforts to resolve this issue culminated in 1987, in the

pioneering report of the World Commission on Environment and Development — (otherwise

known as the Brundtland Commission), Our Common Future which first advanced the notion

of sustainable development as "meeting the needs of the present generation without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This report proved

to be a catalyst for the global movement for sustainable development capped by the 1992

Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro where governments and members of key sectors of society

forged a consensus to implement an action agenda for sustainable development, now

popularly known as Agenda 21. The U.N. Commission for Sustainable Development was

then established to coordinate the implementation of Agenda 21 and to further develop the

principles and practice of sustainable development.

Agenda 21 clearly identified information, integration, and participation as key building blocks

to help countries achieve development that recognises these interdependent pillars. It

emphasises that in sustainable development everyone is a user and provider of information. It

stresses the need to change from old sector-centred ways of doing business to new approaches



that involve cross-sector co-ordination and the integration of environmental and social

concerns into all development processes. Furthermore, Agenda 21 emphasises that broad

public participation in decision making is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving

sustainable development.

There are 3 elements in the sustainability equation:

Environmental – highlighting environmental issues like global warming and the

initiatives in mitigating and adapting to the issues. Conserve, improve and develop

the environment and natural resources over the long term. Resource conservation

involves reducing environmental impacts, managing and recycling waste.

Economics – highlighting development policies, strategies, and practices that will

enable continued economic growth while at the same time ensuring that available

resources are not depleted. Promote economic growth to create wealth for all by

fostering sustainable patterns of production and consumption. This implies rational

use of natural resources, sound corporate governance and professional ethics.

Social – Highlighting world population growth, lifestyle, and consumption of

resources, ecological foot print, and carbon and water foot prints. Uphold social

equity and fundamental human rights. For companies, this includes anti-

discrimination measures, combating child labour, welfare policies and protecting

workers' rights.



Figure 1.2 Sustainable Equation Schematic which shows the metric of economic,

social and environmental inter-relation

Figure 1.2 plugs the community needs and desires in to the equation. And as this link points

out, sustainable development can be different from green development in that green

development will tend to always favour the environment over the economic or social factors

while sustainable development will consider all three variables in planning on how growth

and development should occur. I believe that the Green Movement is evolving toward

supporting the model of sustainable development and away from the anti-growth stance that it

has had to embrace for the past three decades in order to preserve environmental resources in

different communities. This alternative path to sustainable development is, however, a more

challenging one I think, since it requires dialoguing among groups of people who have

historically seen each other as the enemy.

A good case study will be looking at Conoco Phillip. ConocoPhillips’ approach to sustainable

development stems from our fundamental intent to prosper as a business and to meet the

energy needs of present and future generations. In doing so, we also will create value and

improve living standards for our stakeholders.



Conoco Phillip’s approach to delivering on this objective is based on meeting nine specific

commitments that lead to measurable actions across each of the three areas of sustainable

development: environmental protection, economic growth and social improvement.

Conoco Phillip’s nine commitments are:

Increase the availability of ever-cleaner energy

Be transparent and accountable by measuring and reporting both our financial and

nonfinancial performance

Operate to the highest safety standards

Positively impact communities wherever we operate

Minimize the environmental impact of our operations

Invest in the well-being and development of our employees

Constantly improve the energy and material efficiency of our operations

Practice and uphold the highest ethical standards

Ensure the long-term financial viability of the company

This report uses the nine sustainable development commitments as the framework for

discussing our performance. Conoco Phillip’s position also lays out five competencies that we

believe a company must have in order to successfully promote sustainable development:

integration, stakeholder engagement, life-cycle management, knowledge management and

innovation.

The construction industry is responsible for consuming around 40% of world resources and

energy and emits almost 40% Green House Gases. It thus contributes significantly to the

global environmental issues.

The issues connected to building design and constructions are:

Climate change

Ozone depletion

Soil erosion

Desertification

Deforestation

Acidification



Loss of Biodiversity

Land, water and air pollution

Dispersion of toxic substances

Depletion of fisheries

To be sustainable, various initiatives and measures were and continuously being formulated

and enforced. Framework for sustainable construction developed by Task Group 16 of the

CIB in 1994 can be used as a guidance to attain sustainable development:

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Eliminate Toxics

Life-Cycle Costing

Quality

In connection with the resources exploited:

Land

Materials

Water

Energy

Ecosystems

During the process:

Planning

Development

Design

Construction

Use and Operation

Maintenance

Modification

Deconstruction

How do we benchmark if a construction of a building complies with green and sustainable

equation? There is a green building ratings system in place which has been designed and

adopted worldwide. Some of them are like LEED, BREEAM and GBI.



Typically a building are designed to meet building code requirements, whereas green building

design challenges designers to go beyond the codes to improve overall building performance,

and minimize life-cycle environmental impact and cost. Green Building Ratings introduces

ratings and certification systems which help define green buildings in the market. They give

marks and points how environmentally sound a building is, providing clarity to what extent

green components have been incorporated and which sustainable principles and practices

have been employed. Many different rating systems exist, and each has pros and cons

depending on the specifics of your building. Green buildings are considered high

performance buildings if implemented correctly. Strategically integrated mechanical,

electrical and material systems often create substantial efficiencies. However, rating a green

building is normally subjective, thus the green building rating come in place to try put it

objectively and as a uniform standard throughout the marketplace for a fair comparison just

like the ISO 9001 standardization.

The first certification system was created in 1990 in the UK, The Building Research

Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). In 1998 the Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design (LEED) was introduced which is substantially based on the BREEAM

system. In 2005, the Green Building Initiative (GBI) launched Green Globes by adopting the

Canadian version of BREEAM. There are other ratings too but we will not go in details here

like the Energy Star by EPA, Green Star in Australia, BOMA GO Green Plus in Canada and

the SB Tool in the Canada, and CASBEE in Japan.

Malaysia has also started with its own certification ratings. On the 21st of May 2009

Malaysia commits to the green world. It all started in August 2008 when PAM realised with

feedback from the industry that Malaysia needed a green building rating, and we needed it

immediately. With the endorsement of the Building Industry Presidents Council (BIPC),

PAM decided to initiate it and formed a Sustainability Committee headed by PAM Immediate

Past President Dr Tan Loke Mun, to develop a green building rating for Malaysia, and

pledged through PAM Education Fund (PEF) RM100,000 as seed funding for the committee

to pursue this objective. Malaysia now has in place a rating system called Green Building

index for commercial and residential properties. The requirements under this GBI are: energy

efficiency, indoor environmental quality, sustainable sites and management, materials and



resources and water efficiency. Based on these requirements, commercial buildings will be

rated and then certified silver, gold or platinum.

Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) and the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia

(ACEM) is the mastermind behind Malaysia’s own GBI. It is a profession driven initiative to

lead the Malaysian property sector towards becoming more environmentally friendly. The

GBI is structured specifically for the Malaysian tropical weather, environmental and

developmental context, cultural and social needs.

GBI is intended to promote sustainability in the built environment and raise awareness

amongst Developers, Architects, Engineers, Planners, Designers, Contractors and the Public

about environmental issues. The rating tool provides opportunities for developers to design

and construct green, sustainable buildings that can provide energy savings, water savings, a

healthier indoor environment and sustainable site planning and management.

Buildings are awarded the GBI Malaysia rating (version 1) based on six key criteria:

Energy Efficiency

Indoor Environmental Quality

Sustainable Site Planning and Management

Materials and Resources

Water Efficiency

Innovation

Under the GBI assessment framework, points will be awarded for achieving and

incorporating environment friendly features over and above current industry practice.

The accreditation process involves an assessment at design stage and the award of a

provisional GBI certificate if the criteria are achieved. Verification and assessment leading to

the award of the final GBI certificate is undertaken one year after the building is completed or

earlier if the building has at least 50% occupancy. Buildings will need to be re-assessed every

three years in order to maintain their GBI rating to ensure that buildings are well maintained.

Buildings are awarded GBI ratings depending on the scores achieved as follows:



Point GBI Rating

86 and above Platinum

76 to 85 Gold

66 to 75 Silver

50 to 65 Certified

The role of this facilitator is to support and encourage the design integration required for GBI

rated buildings and streamline the application and certification process. Upon the submission

of application form and payment of the requisite fee to Greenbuildingindex Sdn. Bhd., GSB

will appoint accredited certifiers to assess the projects. Upon completion of the assessment,

the certifier’s report will be forwarded to the GBI Accreditation Panel (GBIAP) to register

and award the certification. That is how GBI in Malaysia certifies and produces green

building ratings.

Let’s go back to the three main rating systems – LEED, BREEAM and GBI.

There is not much different between LEED and GBI system. Given their roots and similar

goals – paraphrased as for providing a guiding principle and assessment system for more

sustainably designed buildings – more similarities than differences exist. That said,

noteworthy differences in process and content still remain and will serve as the motivation

behind this analysis. The central question guiding the report remains in how far pretence and

reality of the rating system align to prompt probable sustainability improvement.

From a market based perspective, specific differences between systems are emphasized by

each rating system’s management in an effort to maintain stakeholder support and maintain

their hold in the competitive marketplace. From a process perspective, GDI uses simpler

methodology employing a user friendly interactive guide for assessing and integrating green

design principles for buildings, which is a point of different to LEED’s more complex and is

more to a paper based system.

A LEED rating is achieved through earning points in each of six categories. Within each

category, there are subcategories including prerequisites. For example, the Sustainable Sites

category contains a prerequisite for Erosion and Sediment Control, and also several other



subcategories, including Site Selection and Storm Water Management, for earning possible

points if applicable.

Category Points

Sustainable Sites 14

Water Efficiency 5

Energy & Atmosphere 17

Materials & Resources 13

Indoor Environmental Quality 15

Innovation & Design process 14

Total 69

Figure 1.3 LEED-NC Point System

Level Points

Platinum 52-69

Gold 39-51

Silver 33-38

Certified 26-32

Figure 1.4 Points Required for LEED-NC Ratings

The rating system is flexible in that it is performance-based, and does not force the applicant

into following a narrowly defined set of specifications. The structure and categories in the

rating system are often used as a basis for the newer rating systems that are being developed

by other entities. If a building is certified as Platinum rating then it has the highest green

building ratings as compared to only being certified.

For GBI it is pretty much the same as adopted in Malaysia.

Let us look at how BREEAM certified a green building.



BREEAM gives rating as below: UNCLASSIFIED <30 PASS ≥30 GOOD ≥45 V GOOD ≥55 EXCELLENT ≥70 OUTSTANDING* ≥85

Figure 1.5 Shows a BREEAM example of score and rating calculation.

Basically all the systems give pointers and marks to indicate the green building rating of any

particular buildings involved. I believe it is a great way forward for Malaysian and



worldwide that these methods being adopted and the construction industry are all fighting and

racing to get the best green building ratings and certification.

[20 marks]

Question 3

(a) Discuss briefly on “Carbon Neutral or Low Carbon Buildings” based on the external and

internal remediation initiatives.

(b) What is ecological footprint? Calculate your average carbon and H2O foot prints based on

your energy and water consumptions per year.

(c) Give examples of green technologies to reduce the emissions of the Green House Gases

[GHG] at the energy generating sources.

Answer:

(a) Carbon neutral buildings are buildings which are specifically engineered to release no

Green House Gases (GHG) at all or to balance the GHG emissions they produce

using GHG trades. GHG in short are gases in the atmosphere that traps heat. The

principal GHG that enter the atmosphere because of human activities are:

- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) which enters the atmosphere through the burning

of fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), solid waste, trees and wood products.

It is however removed from the atmosphere through biological carbon

cycle (photosynthesis process).

- Methane (CH4) is emitted during the production and transportation of

coal, natural gas and oil. There are also emissions from the decay of

organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills and even from the back of

our homes.

- Nitrous Oxide (N2O) is emitted during agricultural and industrial activites

as well as combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.

- Fluorinated Gasses are synthetic powerful GHG that are emitted from a

variety of industrial processes. These gases because they are potent GHG

are sometimes referred to as High Global Warming Potential (GWP)

gases.



GHG are normally released by buildings during construction which includes

renovation or deconstruction and during the lifetime of the building operation. GHG

emissions mainly comes from materials manufacturing, materials transport, and

during the demolition wastes transport and treatment. The construction, renovation,

and deconstruction of a typical building are on average responsible for the emissions

of 1,000-1,500 kgCO2e/m2.

A carbon neutral building sets to balance the production and emissions of the GHG,

of which carbon dioxide (CO2) is the principal gas, from a mix of external and

internal reductions. The surge in the man-made or anthropogenic GHG emissions

since the industrial revolution is linked to the unprecedented increase in the average

surface temperatures globally that, in turn, drives climate.

Schematic 3.1: Showing the exchanges of energy between outer space, the Earth’s

atmosphere, and the Earth surface. This shows the greenhouse effect in place.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change defines climate change as

"a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that

alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural



climate variability observed over comparable time periods." In the latter sense climate

change is synonymous with global warming. Global warming is defined as the

increase of average earth’s temperature near surface air and ocean which has been

increasing since the mid 20th century. The biggest contributing factor to this is the

GHG.

The increase in global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the

amount and pattern of precipitation, and can also include the expansion of subtropical

deserts. Other effects include changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme

weather, species extinctions and changes in agricultural yields.

External reductions are steps taken by the world community to mitigate and adapt to

the impacts of global warming. Among them are the development of green

technologies to generate renewable and reduce GHG emissions which will be further

elaborated in answer (c) and ratification and enforcement of international agreements

like the clean development mechanism (CDM) for carbon offsetting as sanctioned by

the Kyoto protocol.

The Kyoto protocol was proposed and agreed on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan

however was agreed and came into force on 16 February 2005. As of 2009, 187

countries have signed and ratified the protocol. The objective is the “stabilization and

reconstruction of the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that

would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”

Under the protocol 40 industrialized countries called Annex I countries have commit

themselves to a reduction of GHG. Malaysia however is not one of the Annex I

countries. The objective of the Kyoto protocol is to establish a legally binding

international agreement where all countries agree to tackle the issue of global

warming and GHG. The five principal concepts of the Kyoto Protocol are:

Commitments. The heart of the Protocol lies in establishing commitments for the

reduction of greenhouse gases that are legally binding for Annex I countries, as

well as general commitments for all member countries.

Implementation. In order to meet the objectives of the Protocol, Annex I countries

are required to prepare policies and measures for the reduction of greenhouse



gases in their respective countries. In addition, they are required to increase the

absorption of these gases and utilize all mechanisms available, such as joint

implementation, the clean development mechanism and emissions trading, in

order to be rewarded with credits that would allow more greenhouse gas

emissions at home.

Minimizing Impacts on Developing Countries by establishing an adaptation fund

for climate change.

Accounting, Reporting and Review in order to ensure the integrity of the

Protocol.

Compliance. Establishing a Compliance Committee to enforce compliance with

the commitments under the Protocol.

Internal reductions are measures to reduce energy consumption and decrease GHG

emissions of buildings. These can be achieved by encouraging building owners and

users to reduce energy consumption, help produce renewable on a smaller scale and

adopt green buildings practices for new development and the renovation of existing

stocks. Green building practices like Passivhaus, Potton Lighthouse and Eco-

Renovations are examples of the initiatives by researchers to achieve the goals of

carbon-neutral buildings. While green or sustainable building rating, codes and

certification initiatives like LEED, BREEAM, CRISP, GREEN STAR, HK-BEAM,

CASBEE, NABERS, ABGR, EcoProfile, EcoEffect, Green Mark System and Green

Building Index are ratings used to evaluate the greenness of buildings.

Strategies adopted by carbon-neutral buildings to reduce GHG emissions during

construction include:

1. Reduce quantity of materials used

2. Select materials with low emissions factors associated (e.g., recycled materials)

3. Select materials suppliers as close as possible from the construction site to reduce

transport distances

4. Divert demolition wastes to recycling instead of landfills or incineration

Malaysians can be proud as Dr Ken Yeang, a renowned Malaysian architect has recently

been involved in a low-carbon building development project of the Great Ormond Street



Hospital in London, which upon completion will generate 29 percent more power than its

consumption. This will offset at least 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year once the

building is in operation. A mix of green measures is incorporated in the building to use

less energy and recycle/reuse whatever left-overs produced by the users of the building

(Stone, 2009 p.10).

Image 3.1: Aldo Leopold Foundation Headquarters

The Aldo Leopold foundation Headquarters is now claimed as the first ever LEED-

platinum carbon neutral building. It is located in Fairfield, Wisconsin and it was

designed by Kubala-Washatko Architects and Boldt Construction. It can be seen

from the picture how the material uses for construction of this building are of nature

and the solar panel covering the roofs.



Image 3.2: Sustainable Energy Technology Centre at the University of Nottingham

Ningbo (CSET) in China at daytime

Image 3.3: Sustainable Energy Technology Centre at the University of Nottingham

Ningbo (CSET) in China at night time

China has also has its first zero emissions building as per the image above which is a

strikingly an angular five-story CSET building. This is by some academicians is

referred as the living textbook for research on some of the latest energy efficient

technologies. It’s estimated that this building will reduce coal use by 500 metric

tonnes and 1100 metric tonnes of carbon emissions over the next 25 years. It also has

an array of photovoltaic cells around the building which have batteries that can store

two weeks of electricity. It also has geothermal energy which cool and heat floor



slabs, and also double skin of glass to reduce solar radiation. There is also gray water

and rainwater recycling system.

(b) Ecological foot print is an amount of productive land, fresh water and ocean required

on a continuous basis to supply the person with food, wood, energy, water, housing,

transportation and waste disposal. It is rooted in the fact that all renewable resources

come from the earth. It accounts for the flows of energy and matter to and from any

economy and converts these into the corresponding land/water area required for

nature to support these flows. It compares actual throughput of renewable resources

relative to what is annually renewed. Non-renewable resources are not assessed, as

by definition their use is not sustainable.

The world has 11 billion hectares of productive land and water to sustain the current

population of around 7 billion people. In 2006, the average biologically productive

area per person worldwide was approximately 1.8 global hectares (gha) per capita.

But the current ecological foot print of each person on average is around 2.3 hectares.

Clearly there is a deficit of around 0.5 hectare per person. In the US an average

ecological footprint is 9.0 gha per person to sustain the US citizens’ lifestyle. In the

Switzerland it was 5.6 gha and in China it was 1.8 gha per person. If everyone on

earth were to be at par with the US lifestyle and without changes in appropriate

technology to mitigate the consumption, then we need 4 additional planet earths to

maintain the ecological foot print at 1.8 hectares per person. If everyone in the planet

could adapt to China 1.8 gha per person then we will be able to live on one planet

earth.

While the term ecological footprint is widely used, methods of measurement vary.

However, calculation standards are now emerging to make results more comparable

and consistent.

Footprints can be measured at an individual level, or for cities, regions, countries,

or the entire planet. Through specialized adjustments, ecological footprint analysis

can also be used for specific activities, or to measure the ecological requirements of

producing specific goods or services.



Analysts examine the quantity and different types of natural and manufactured

materials and services used, and then use a variety of calculations to convert this

into a land area. Footprints indicate how much "nature" is available for a defined

population to use, compared to how much it needs to maintain its current activities.

Obviously, the size of a footprint will vary depending on the volume and different

types of natural resources consumed by a population, which will in turn depend on

lifestyle choices, income levels, and technology. Therefore, footprints provide

compelling evidence of the impacts of consumption.

Image 3.4: Ecological footprint calculator taken from

http://www.ecologicalfootprint.com

Image 3.4 is an example of an ecological footprint calculator where it calculate how

much CO2 emissions is produced from my daily activity and breakdown the carbon

footprints by components and check it with the efficiency of economy. I give it a try

and it shows that my estimated carbon footprint is 6.5 tonnes CO2 with an ecological



footprint of 3.7 gha which is 1.9 gha above than what it should be enough for a

planet. According to this calculator if everybody is living the way I’m living then we

will need an additional 1.3 planet earth to support global consumption.

What is a carbon footprint? It is defined as the total GHG produced directly and

indirectly to support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of CO2.

In short, whatever activity that human does which resulted in the emission of CO2 is

calculated as carbon footprint. Example, when driving a car, the engine burns fuel

which creates CO2, or when you buy food and goods from the market, indirectly you

have contributed to the CO2 emission as the production of those particular food and

goods that you have purchased have emitted CO2 during its production.

Carbon footprint is the sum of all emission of CO2 which are induced by an

individual activity which is induced by time. In normal practice, carbon footprint is

calculated for the period of a year. The easiest way is to calculate based on fuel

consumption and then add the CO2 emission to your carbon footprint. Rule of the

thumb is a litre of petrol consumes 2.7kg of CO2.

To calculate a student’s average carbon footprint, he/she will have to use the carbon

counter calculator available in Lynas, M. (2007) “Carbon Counter”. London:

HarperCollins Pub. The relevant pages containing the calculator will be distributed to

students beforehand. Average Malaysian carbon footprint is 3,000 kg CO2/year.

Average US: 19,800 kg CO2/year. Average India: 1,200 kg CO2/year.



Table 3.1: Above shows a carbon calculator for Anas Alam Faizli for a period of one

year taken from www.timeforchange.org

The water footprint or H2O footprint is the indication of water consumption which

includes both direct and indirect use. The water footprint can be calculated for an

individual, community or business or even nation by calculating the total volume of

freshwater used to produce the goods and services which are consumed by either the

individual, community, business or the nation. It is measured in water volume

consume per unit of time. It also can indicate location, as it is a geographically

explicit indicator. However, it cannot provide the information on how the water is

contributing to water stress or what are the environmental impacts.

To calculate a student’s H2O footprint, he/she will have to visit

http://www.waterfootprint.org and use the calculator available in the website. For a

Malaysian an average H2O foot print is around 2344 m3/capita/year. Global average

is 1243 m3/capita/year.

See the result below for the water footprint of Anas Alam Faizli:



Table 3.2: Questions answered by Anas Alam Faizli for his waterfootprint at

www.waterfootprint.org



Image 3.5: Result of waterfootprint of Anas Alam Faizli taken from

www.waterfootprint.org

From the calculation below it can be seen that Anas Alam Faizli water footprint is

1423 cubic meter per year which is above the global average of 1243 cubic meter per

year however is lower than the average Malaysian of 2344 cubic meter per year.

Some facts and figures on water taken from http://www.waterfootprint.org :

The production of one kilogram of beef requires 16 thousand litres of water.

There is a huge variation around this global average. The precise footprint of a

piece of beef depends on factors such as the type of production system and the

composition and origin of the feed of the cow.

To produce one cup of coffee we need 140 litres of water. This, again, is a

global average.

The water footprint of China is about 700 cubic meter per year per capita.

Only about 7% of the Chinese water footprint falls outside China.

Japan with a footprint of 1150 cubic meter per year per capita, has about 65%

of its total water footprint outside the borders of the country.

The USA water footprint is 2500 cubic meter per year per capita.

Efforts are underway to standardize and refine the methodology underlying the

Footprint, and to incorporate areas or issues not currently captured. This continuous



attention to methodological and conceptual rigor is a positive move and promises to

increase the usefulness of this sustainability indicator. The intuitive appeal of the

Footprint is another asset, leading to its adoption for many projects. For applications

of the Footprint to sustainable scale issues, it would be wise to keep in mind that this

measure likely provides an underestimate of ecological impact.

(c) Green technologies or also called environmental technology or clean technology is

the application of environmental science applied to conserve the natural environment

and resources to curb the negative impacts of human involvement which could

harness low carbon renewable to generate energy and abate CO2 emissions. Current

available technology are as follows:

Capturing the wind – large-scale turbines collectively constructed in wind farms

(which are actively pursued by many developed countries). It is the conversion of

wind energy into useful form of energy, using wind turbines to make electricity,

wind mills for mechanical power and wind pumps for pumping water and even sails

to propel ships. At the end of 2009, wind power generators contributed to 159.2

GW which is currently only at 2% of worldwide human power consumption.

Several countries have achieved high level of wind power penetration such as in

Denmark 20%, Portugal and Spain 14%, Germany 8% of their total power output in

2009.

The higher the wind speeds the more power it can generate, especially at high

altitudes where continuous wind speeds of over 160 km/h occur. These wind

energy is converted through friction into diffuse heat throughout the Earth’s surface

and atmosphere. The total amount of power available from the wind is more than

present human power consumption. An estimated of 72 TW of wind power on the

Earth which is potentially and commercially available compared to average human

consumption of 15 TW globally.

It is not said that wind generation of power does not have environmental impacts at

all but however it is still very minimum compared to the effects of traditional

energy sources on environment. It is relatively very minor. Wind power consumes



no fuel, and emits no air pollution. The energy consumed to manufacture and

transport the materials used to build a wind power plant is equal to the new energy

produced by the plant within a few months of operation. The impact is little

compared to what is gained.

There are two location of wind power plant which has different pros and cons

which is onshore and offshore wind power plant. However, compared to other

alternative energy source, wind power generation still provides a good green

technology solution to a sustainable development. The fact that it only contributes

2% to the global energy source indicates a huge room for improvement that can be

used to reduce the GHG effects in the world by changing from conservative energy

source to wind power generation energy.

Harnessing solar energy – large installation of solar photovoltaic thin-film panels

and concentrated solar thermal power plants. Solar power is the generation of

electricity or power from sunlight. This can be direct as with photovoltaic (PV), or

indirect with concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP use the sun energy which is

focused to boil water which is then used to provide power. Solar power had the

potential to provide over 1,000 times total of world energy consumption. World

energy consumption is at 15 TW means solar energy could provide up to 15,000

TW of energy. However solar energy is still not as commonly use as hoped so. It

currently only contributes 0.02% of the world energy production. The largest solar

power plants are currently producing 354 MW which is still small considered to the

Bakun hydro dam which upon completion looking at producing 2,400 GW of

power. There are recently big photovoltaic power stations such as the 550 MW

Topaz Solar Farm and the 600 MW Rancho Cielo Solar Farm. Despite that at night

solar energy goes out is not a problem as all these energies received during the

daytime can be stored into batteries which will then be used at nights.

There are two types of energy that can be utilized from the oceans – the tidal energy

and the wave’s energy. Forever moving, our ocean has enough energy to power the

world. However, it is not as easy to harness compared to the solar power and the

wind power. Tidal power converts the energy of tides into electricity utilizing the



rise and fall of ocean tides. The stronger the tide the higher electricity it can

generate. It acts almost the same way do wind turbines except it provide lower

energy compared to wind power generators.

It has two type’s namely tidal streams systems and barrages. Barrages are similar

to hydro electric dams but located in river mouth which acts as barriers that create

artificial tidal lagoons. When water levels outside the lagoon change compared to

the water levels inside, the turbines turn and produce electrical power. There are

currently only three such structures in the world in France, Fundy and Russia.

Ocean waves on the other hand are captured using buoys which generate

mechanical energy as they oscillate vertically from wave motion.

Ocean power is not as well establish technology as solar, thermal and wind but it is

showing a lot of promises. The technology is still in its infant stage and most

projects that exist are mainly pilot projects. The advantages of ocean energy are

numerous. Studies have indicated that the high power density (kW/m2 for currents

and kW/m of wave crest length for wave) of the resource results in smaller energy

conversion machines lower in capital cost than other renewable technologies. The

remoteness and hostility of the ocean environment, however, can result in higher

deployment, operation and maintenance costs. But on balance, the cost of electricity

can be comparable or lower than power produced by other renewable technologies.

Examples of energy and electricity from the oceans – tidal-stream energy machines

[like the Lunar Energy, OpenHydro and MCT turbines], power from the waves

[like the Pelamis (off the coast of Portugal) or “Anaconda.

Combined heat and power or CHP [example, Ceramic Fuel Cells and district heat

and power]. CHP integrates the production of usable heat and power in one single

highly efficient process. It generates electricity whilst also capturing usable heat

that is produced in this process. This is opposites to the conventional ways of

generating electricity where huge amount of heat is simply wasted. In today’s coal

and gas power station, two thirds of the overall energy consumed is lost. The



sophistication and efficiency of CHP plants can reach in excess of 80% at the point

of use compared to coal plant with an efficiency of around 38%. As an energy

generation process, CHP is fuel neutral. What does this mean, meaning that a CHP

process can be applied to both renewable and fossil fuels. CHP is first and

foremost an energy efficiency technology. It can provide a means to substantially

reduce fuel or primary energy, consumption without comprising the quality and

reliability of the energy supply to consumers. And consequently and most

importantly it provides a cost effective means of generating low carbon or

renewable energy.

Super efficient homes system which includes carbon neutral building, zero carbon

house and eco-renovations. What do we mean by zero carbon? A zero carbon

house ensures energy efficiency and use micro-generation and low or zero carbon

energy technologies to move toward energy self-sufficiency of the building. A

genuinely zero carbon building will pay-back the carbon invested in its construction

through exporting zero carbon energy back into the national grid. This aspires for a

move to negative carbon buildings which have exported more zero carbon energy

back into the natural grid. A good example would be the passive house which

originated in Germany (Passivhaus) and is defined as a building in which a

comfortable interior climate can be maintained without active heating and cooling

system. To be considered a passive house, a building must meet certain criteria and

be built with certain specific features:

1) The building must be completely air tight (defined as losing less than 60%

of the house volume per hour through unsealed joints).

2) A full house mechanical ventilation system must be installed fitted with a

heat recovery system achieving efficiency in excess of 80%. This removes

the warm, moist, stale air from the building, and uses it to heat up cold dry

fresh air sucked in from outside.

3) The building must be insulated to a very high level.

4) Avoiding any thermal bridges (e.g. letter boxes).

5) The building must be fitted with triple glazed windows in air-tight frames

installed in positions to maximise solar gain during the winter, and



minimize it in the summer. This is achieved (in the Northern Hemisphere)

by facing the building to the South, and installing shading carefully.

Biofuels are a wide range of fuels which is derived from biomass and includes solid

biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases. 'First-generation biofuels' are biofuels

made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil or animal fats using conventional

technology. The basic feedstocks for the production of first generation biofuels are

often seeds or grains such as sunflower seeds, which are pressed to yield vegetable

oil that can be used in biodiesel, or wheat, which yields starch that is fermented into

bioethanol. ‘Second-generation biofuels’ are Cellulose-ethanol second-generation

biofuels can be use to run motors.

The irony about biofuels is that large scale deforestation activities in developing

countries like Brazil, Malaysia and Indonesia are being carried out to be replaced

by crops like oil palm as the price of such green fuel rose by 45 per cent this year

(2009). Massive cutting down of trees and widespread burning of forests have

resulted in the pollution of waterways, liberation of methane from the soil and

reduction of carbon sinks.

Carbon sequestration – carbon capture and storage [CCS], Integrated Gasification

Combined Cycle [IGCC], large scale algae bio fixation plants, ambient scrubbing

devices like GRT machines for “scrubbing” the air to capture C02. Carbon

sequestration is defined as the process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and

depositing it in a reservoir. It can also be a geo-engineering technique for long-

term storage of carbon dioxide or mitigate accumulation of GHG in the atmosphere.

Sequestration techniques do not provide instantaneous results as they take long time

to make difference in CO2. Carbon capture and storage is a means of mitigating

the contribution of fossil fuel emissions to global warming. This is done by

capturing CO2 from sources such as fossil fuel power plants and storing it away

from the atmosphere by techniques such as scrubbing the CO2 using geo-

engineering technique.



Biochar – sequestering carbon as charcoals. Biochar [bio-charcoal] to be added to

the soil to increase fertility to speed up the growth of plants and crops on a massive

scale that will in turn consume more CO2. Biochar is charcoal created by pyrolysis

of biomass. It differs from charcoal only in the sense that its primary use are not for

fuel but for biosequestration ot atmospheric carbon capture and storage. Biochar is

a way for carbon to be drawn from the atmosphere and is a solution to reducing the

global impact of farming. Since biochar can sequester carbon in the soil for hundres

to thousands of years, it has received considerable interest as a potential tool to slow

global warming. The Biochar can store carbon on the ground making it a

signification reduction of GHG levels in the atmosphere. Its presence in the ground

also contributes to improve water quality, increase soil fertility and raise agricultural

productivity. Facts and figures about biochar:

1. For every one billion Third World families that cook with one kilogram of

charcoal daily the GHG emissions for producing the billion kilograms of

charcoal are averted.

2. For every unit of one billion kilograms of charcoal averted 333,333 trees

weighing 3,000 kilograms each are saved each day.

3. For every kilogram of biochar that is spread onto one square meter of forest

floor, the equivalent of more than 300 square meters of surface area absorbing

carbon dioxide is created.

4. Every one billion square meters of forest floor is the effective surface area of

300 billion square meters per day.

Biochar research is still in infancy. The diversity of biochar properties and potential

interactions between biochar and various soil, climate and cropping systems is

staggering.

Geothermal power plants by pumping water into shafts of deep into hot rocks. The

percolated hot water to a temperature of around 150C will then be pumped up to

generate power. The power is extracted from the heat stored in the earth. It

originates from the original formation of the planet, from radiaoactive decay of

minerals and from solar energy absorbed from the surface. Currently about 10,715

MW of geothermal power is online in 24 countries. Geothermal plants utilising hot



springs, however, are already in use in countries like Iceland. Geothermal power is

cost effective, reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly but it is limited to

areas near the tectonic plate boundaries. However, recent technological advances

have expanded the range and size of viable resources. Geothermal power has the

ability to help mitigate global warming if widely deployed in place of fossil fuels.

There are also GHG released from geothermal wells but these emissions are much

lower compared to those of fossil fuels. The earth’s geothermal resources

theoretically are more than adequate to supply to total human consumption,

however its cost for the drilling and exploration is very expensive.

[20 marks]



PART B

Question 1

Discuss the general approaches to land use that fit in with the concept of high-performance

green buildings as posited by Charles J. Kilbert in his book “ Sustainable Construction :

Green Building Design and Delivery [(2005) John Wiley and Sons: New Jersey].

Answer:

Lester Brown (1981) defined a sustainable society as “... one that is able to satify its needs

without diminishing the chances of future generations.” In 1987, the Bruntland Report

further adapted and elaborated his definition, referring to sustainable development as “…

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to

meet their needs.”

Land is one of the 5 resources noted by the CIB which others are materials, water, energy and

ecosystem. In general the sustainability principles explained by Kibert are the 7 principles

which are reduce, reuse, recycle, protect nature, and eliminate toxics, life-cycle costing and

quality.

These 7 principles are important in further our understanding on Kibert general approaches to

land use. The general approaches to land use that fit in with the concept of high-performance

green buildings as posited by Charles J. Kilbert are:

Building on land that has been previously utilized instead of land that is valuable from

an ecological point of view.

This takes from the principles of reuse, reduce and recycle. Where it is possible when we

use utilized land instead of a valuable land from an ecological point of view, we will be

reducing the resources use to develop it. Furthermore we will be reusing as much as

possible the development that is already there and is able to save as much as possible the

cost. Remember that high performance building is always associated with high cost as the

technological requirement in building this green buildings are high and expensive. Thus,

utilizing existing land will be able to minimize this high cost and the high performance

building built compared to the cost required to build at an expensive land might be

rationalized.



Protecting and preserving wetlands and other features that are key elements to existing

ecosystems.

Using native and adapted, drought-tolerant plants, trees and turf for landscaping.

Landscape surprisingly contributes to high performance green buildings in land use. It is

typically an after thought in the conventional building delivery system, however it is

always given a very low priority. Landscaping are normally done after a project finishes

and the budget is usually low at the end of a project and landscape seriousness is always

forgotten. However landscaping assist heavily for sedimentation and erosion control and

should always been given a thought whenever construction of a building is executed.

Developing brownfields and grayfields, properties that are contaminated or perceived

to be contaminated.

Brownfields or grayfields are lands which has been developed by human where by

greenfields are new land which is yet to be developed. Land which has been impacted by

human activities is preferable in this case. When upgrading an existing brownfields, it

helps to remediate and clean up this properties which were not originally build for high

performance green buildings as compared to damaging new areas. In short, it pays to

clean up the buildings by converting them to high performance green rather than adding

new development and creating new disruption to nature.

Reuse existing buildings instead of constructing new buildings

The same concept with using existing land compared to high prospect ecological lands.

When reusing the existing building there are plenty of cost saving that can be generated

for the project and instead of adding new building to the area, in turn we converted a non

green building into a high performance building.

Protecting key natural features and integrating them into the building project for both

amenity and function

This is pivotal and supports the ecological system. In Design for Human Ecosystems:

Landscape, Land Use, and natural Resources, Lyle addressed how land use and natural



resources could be shaped to make the human ecosystem function in the sustainable ways

of natural ecosystem. Maximizing key natural features shows the understanding of

ecological order linking human values to nature and helps develop solutions that are long-

lasting, beneficial and responsible. The less disruption to nature will eventually brings the

building closer to nature and achieving the objective of a high performance green

building.

Minimising earthmoving and compaction of soil during construction

Soil compaction refers to the formation of dense layers of well packed soil, often at the

bottom of the cultivated layer. The most common causes of soil compaction are tractors,

harvesting equipment and implement wheels travelling over moist, loose soils. Soils tend

to be more compacted deeper into the soil profile due to the weight of overlaying soil

above.

In an environment where rainfall in unpredictable, it is not possible to completely avoid

compaction because there are times when driving on the paddock when it is too wet is

unavoidable. This often occurs during a wet harvest. However, compaction can be

minimised by restricting the use of high compaction tools such as disc ploughs, header

chaser bins and tractors with heavy axle loads. Resist the urge to work the soil too wet by

starting a day or two later, and avoid working the soil merely to dry it out. Finally,

determine the axle loads and ground pressure of new equipment before you buy it.

Firm soil is beneficial for getting the tractor power to the ground. Tractors are most

efficient when they work on concrete, but as concrete is obviously unsuitable for growing

crops, a compromise is necessary. One option is to use a series of compacted laneways

throughout the paddock. The tractors and harvesting equipment drive on the compacted

laneways and the crops grow in between. This practice is commonly referred to as

"controlled traffic", and it is gaining popularity in the major cropping areas of Australia.

Controlled traffic does not eliminate compaction, but minimises its impact on crop

production.

Fully using the sun, prevailing winds and foliage on the site in the passive solar design

scheme.



Energy consumption remains the single most important green building issue, this is

because it has significant high cost and it affects the environment. According to Kibert in

2002, 80 million buildings in the United States consume 33 quads which are 33 billion

BTUs, about 36 percent of United States primary energy. However this has affected the

environment and emitted toxic too. Energy consumption by building in 2002 contributed

to 47% of sulfer dioxide emissions, 22% of nitrogen oxide emissions and 35% of carbon

dioxide emissions. Thus if we are to ensure that building consumes clean energy then the

toxic and pollution rate will directly drop.

A good design can ensure that natural light or daylighting for illumination can be use to

minimize electrical lighting. Good ventilation can be use to minimize airconditioning.

Wall System, Roof System and material selection, color and everything can help assist

minimizing energy use. Other additional methods to be use are clean energy like solar

power, good air distribution system, chillers, and there are so many literature readings that

are now available to help assist minimize energy consumption, use clean energy and the

natural environment to the advantage.

Passive solar design is the design of the building’s heating, cooling, lighting, and

ventilation systems, relying on sunlight, wind, vegetation and other naturally occurring

resources on the building site. Passive design includes all possible measures to reduce

energy consumption. Two major aspects are important which is the use of the building

location to reduce energy consumption and the design of the building itself which will

projects the energy consumption required. Passive design can be successful if all the

factors are built in and considered in the design.

Maintaining as much as possible the natural hydroperiod of the site.

A hydroperiod can be defined as the number of days per year that an area of land is dry or

the length of time that there is standing water at a location. Hydroperiod is one of the

biggest factors affecting littoral plants within a stormwater lake. It should be considered

whenever designing a high performance building. Hydroperiod and planting elevation in

a stormwater lake are interconnected. The tolerance levels of different wetland plants

vary. Some plants can survive in deeper water with year round flooding. Other plants

cannot survive deep water, but still need some flooding. Once the hydroperiod of a lake is



approximated, each plant’s maximum water depth and flooding duration must be

considered before determining its planting elevation. Maximizing hydroperiod will help

assist in contributing to high performance building in land use.

Minimising heat island effects on the site by using light-colored paving and roofing.

Cities, with all their paved streets and concentrations of hot, black roofs, often experience

higher air temperatures than the surrounding countryside. This phenomenon is known as

an Urban Heat Island Effect. It is an increasing problem in cities not only because the

increased air temperatures require more energy for cooling, but because the higher

temperatures aid the formation of ozone and trap other pollutants. Measures that reduce

the urban temperature not only reduce energy use but also the formation of these various

pollutants.

Urban heat island mitigation measures can reduce energy consumption through cooling

the buildings themselves and the surrounding area. These measures include light colored

surfaces (roofs and pavement) and trees, which result in direct and indirect effects on

energy consumption. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) estimates that total

energy consumption in a city could be reduced by as much as 16.3% of base energy

consumption by simply adopting reflective roofing, reflective pavement and by providing

more shade trees/window shading. This analysis shows that the heat island measures

would achieve a 14% reduction in peak power use.

This resulted in higher cooling requirements for buildings in urbran areas compared to

rural areas. This additional energy requirement to provide cooling resulted in more air

pollution, higher resource consumption and costs. Reducing / mitigating urban heat

island can counter these negative effects and result in a more pleasant urban lifestyle.

Different cities have different urban heat island effect. This can be seen or checked via

http://eetd.lbl.gov/Heatisland/ Other impacts that can be caused by heat island are

contributing to the global warming, and the increase of pollution. It also adversely affect

human health, especially children and old people which is affected more sensitively by

the increasing temperatures and ground-level ozone.

Urban heat island mitigation measures are cost effective and can be phased in by cities

through budgeting for road repair and maintenance, zoning requirements on new

buildings and by encouraging residences and businesses themselves to plant trees and



vegetation to reduce surface and ambient air temperature. Other mitigation includes

installing reflective or emissive roofs that reflect solar energy back into the atmosphere.

Light colored construction materials can also reflect solar radiation and should be used as

much as possible. A good case study was the Urban Heat Island Pilot Project in 1998 at

the City of Sacramento where citywide reduction of 26.1 USD million per year and

savings of 468 milllion watts peak power can be achieved by reducing heat islands.

Eliminating light pollution through careful design of exterior lighting systems.

Light pollution is quite complicated and complex. Light pollution incorporates many

different types of overuse of lights. It can refer to the way lights in a city obscure viewing

the stars, the effects of too much light in a work or home setting, the pollution caused by

energy consumption due to lighting, or the negative effects of too much human light on

ecology. With so many possible definitions it can be challenging to determine what one

means by light pollution, without specific reference to examples. Light pollution when it

refers to obscuring the night sky is most common in highly populated areas, like cities.

The degree of light pollution is influenced not only by the many lit apartments but also by

the headlights of cars, billboards, and lighting on buildings. City dwellers are often

amazed when they camp or vacation in areas where not much exterior lighting exists.

They see more stars than they could possibly see in a city environment because the area is

lower in light pollution. Such a view can be a revelation to many who are used to a much

higher degree of lighting during night-time hours. A site lighting criteria could assist to

maintain safe light levels while avoiding offsite lighting and night sky pollution. Site

lighting should be minimized where possible.

Technologies are now available which is able to reduce light pollution by including full

cutoff luminaries, low reflectance surface and low angle spotlights. Illuminating

Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) has recommended that exterior

illumination should not exceed the lighting levels as per recommended best practices for

exterior environments.



Use alternative stormwater management technologies such as pervious pavement,

bioretention, rainwater gardens, and others which assist on-site or regional

groundwater and aquifer recharge.

According to Wikipedia, Stormwater is a term used to describe water that originates

during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with

snowmelt or runoff water from overwatering that enters the stormwater system.

Stormwater that does not soak into the ground becomes surface runoff, which either flows

directly into surface waterways or is channeled into storm sewers, which eventually

discharge to surface waters.

A development dramatically affects the quantity and flows of stormwater across the

surface of the Earth. Covering natural landscapes with buildings and infrastructure

replaces largely pervious surfaces with impervious materials, thereby increasing the

volume and velocity of horizontal water flows. Our ecosystem has naturally been

absorbing pulses of stormwater and returning it in a control manner back into bodies of

water and aquifers which can be destroyed by construction activities. Green building

addresses the issue of stormwater by protecting ecosystems and the pervious character of

the landscape. Stormwater can cause pollution and has to be controlled. There is plenty

of ways available to do this such as minimizing the impact area in a development, thus

reducing the disruption to nature’s own defensive system against stormwater. Do not

install gutters unless rainwater is collected for use. In short, try to minimize disruption to

nature by maintaining the flow of water which came from rain or waterflow, etc. It is sad

that this practices are not really of the high consideration when building design are done

in Malaysia as we can see in our surroundings on how we deal with stormwater

management. I also doubt that people are familiar even with the term ‘stormwater’.

Use natural wetlands to the maximum extent possible in the stormwater management

scheme and minimizing the use of dry-type retention ponds.

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface

of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the

growing season. Water saturation (hydrology) largely determines how the soil develops

and the types of plant and animal communities living in and on the soil. Wetlands may

support both aquatic and terrestrial species. The prolonged presence of water creates



conditions that favor the growth of specially adapted plants (hydrophytes) and promote

the development of characteristic wetland (hydric) soils.

Wetlands vary widely because of regional and local differences in soils, topography,

climate, hydrology, water chemistry, vegetation, and other factors, including human

disturbance. Indeed, wetlands are found from the tundra to the tropics and on every

continent except Antarctica. Two general categories of wetlands are recognized: coastal

or tidal wetlands and inland or non-tidal wetlands.

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain

forests and coral reefs. An immense variety of species of microbes, plants, insects,

amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals can be part of a wetland ecosystem.

Physical and chemical features such as climate, landscape shape (topology), geology, and

the movement and abundance of water help to determine the plants and animals that

inhabit each wetland.

Constructed wetlands are now recognised as an ecologically sustainable option for water

pollution control. Natural wetlands are biologically diverse ecosystem. They provide an

array of physical, biological and chemical processes to facilitate the removal, recycling,

transformation or immobilisation of sediment and nutrients. Most of these processes are

facilitated by the wetland vegetation, associated bio films and micro-organisms. Wetland

ecosystems are complex and the interactions between biotic and non biotic components

are fundamental to an understanding of the treatment processes.

Constructed wetlands must therefore be designed to have the attributes of natural wetland

ecosystems. The treatment efficiency of a wetland system requires a balance between

pollutant loading rate and hydraulic retention time, which is also affected by the water

quality and quantity of wastewater effluent or stormwater runoff: The size of a wetland

will depend upon the volume of runoff, pollutant characteristics, desired level of

treatment and the extent to which the wetland is expected to function as a flood retention

basin. Water depth and extent of inundation will determine the types and species of

aquatic plants. A combination of emergent, submerged and floating species should be



selected. Pre-treatment and detention times are crucial parameters to maximise pollutant

removal efficiency.

Sedimentation ponds are important in stormwater wetlands to remove particulates, but

dense vegetated macrophyte zones are essential to enhance the removal of suspended

solids and nutrients. Ecologists and engineers need to work together to maximise the

treatment efficiency of constructed wetlands. Planners and landscape architects' must

become involved to ensure that stormwater wetlands have a multi-functional role in the

urban setting.

Constructed wetlands offer the ideal challenge to environmental engineers allowing for

the integration of engineering and ecological principles to find the technical solution to fit

both nature and society. Maximising wetlands is thus critical for achieving high

performance building in land use.

Retention ponds or “wet ponds” are ponds constructed to treat and store stormwater

runoff. Retention ponds are permanent pools of standing water and eventually empty into

a receiving water body. Forebays can be included in the design of a retention pond to

"pretreat" the stomrwater before it spills over into the major water feature. Water is

treated through sedimentation and nutrient uptake.

There are some risks associated with retention ponds. Improper installation and maintance

can lead to problems with nutrient and metal release. Depending on the size, there is the

risk of drownings if the pond is not monitored regularly or located remotely. Structural

problems may arise if the pond is not designed or constructed properly. Temperature

sensitive fish may be affected by pond disharges, which are usually warmer than

receiving waters. Also, underground utiliy placement should be considered during design

and construction. Minimising this and maximising

These approaches cover a wide range of possibilities, with the general tone being to integrate

nature and buildings, reuse sites that have already been impacted by human activities, and

minimize disturbances caused by building project. Kibert (1994) wrote that the most exciting

and underutilized resources for creating high performance green buildings are natural

systems, and they should be employed as much as possible than superficial components of the



project. The ultimate green high performance building has to integrate ecosystems with the

buildings and exchange matter-energy between human system and natural systems in ways

that are beneficial to both. Though today’s green building designers make only a minimal

effort at using natural systems for anything other than amenity, in the future they will have a

much more detailed knowledge of ecology and ecological systems, enabling them to

successfully weave nature into the built environment.

[20 Marks]



Question 2

Apply the ratings of Malaysia’s Green Building Index [GBI] to a recently completed building

of your choice. What is your GBI assessment?

Answer:

GBI is developed by Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) and the Association of Consulting

Engineers Malaysia (ACEM). It is a profession driven initiative to lead the Malaysian

property industry towards becoming more environment-friendly. GBI gains full support of

Malaysia’s building and property players.

It is intended to promote sustainability in the built environment and raise awareness among

Developers, Architects, Engineers, Planners, Designers, Contractors and the Public about

environmental issues. The rating system provides opportunity for developers to design and

construct green, sustainable buildings that can provide energy savings, water savings, a

healthier indoor environment, better connectivity to public transport and the adoption of

recycling and greenery for their projects.

Buildings are awarded the GBI rating based on the following 6 key criteria:

1) Energy Efficiency (EE)

Improve energy consumption by optimising building orientation, minimizing solar heat gain

through the building envelope, harvesting natural lighting, adopting the best practices in

building services including use of renewable energy, and ensuring proper testing,

commissioning and regular maintenance.

2) Indoor Environment Quality (EQ)

Achieve good indoor air quality, acoustics, visual and thermal comfort. These will involve the

use of low volatile organic compound materials, application of quality air filtration, proper

control of air temperature, movement and humidity.

3) Sustainable Site Planning & Management (SM)

Selecting appropriate sites with planned access to public transportation, community services,

open spaces and landscaping. Avoiding and conserving environmentally sensitive areas



through the redevelopment of existing sites and brown fields. Implementing proper

construction management, storm water management and reducing the strain on existing

infrastructure capacity.

4) Materials & Resources (MR)

Promote the use of environment-friendly materials sourced from sustainable sources and

recycling. Implement proper construction waste management with storage, collection and re-

use of recyclables and construction formwork and waste.

5) Water Efficiency (WE)

Rainwater harvesting, water recycling and water-saving fittings.

6) Innovation (IN)

Innovative design and initiatives that meet the objectives of the GBI.

Achieving points in these targeted areas will mean that the building may well be more

environment-friendly than those that do not address the issues. Under the GBI assessment

framework, points will also be awarded for achieving and incorporating environment-friendly

features which are above current industry practice.

GBI will provide an assessable differentiation to promote environment-friendly buildings for

the future of Malaysia. It is a benchmarking rating system that incorporates internationally

recognised best practices in environmental design and performance.

Green rating tools were conceived to be able to assist architects, designers, builders,

government bodies, building owners, developers and end users to understand the impact of

each design choice and solution. By so doing, the final built product would perform better in

its location whilst also reducing its harmful impact on the surroundings.

Green rating tools by its nature and role is very dependent upon location and environment and

thus climate.

Students are expected to submit a visual evaluation of recently constructed buildings of their

choice based on the six key criteria of the GBI:



• Energy Efficiency

• Indoor Environmental Quality

• Sustainable Site Planning and Management

• Materials and Resources

• Water Efficiency

• Innovation

SIME DARBY HOUSE

Visual Pictures

Image 1.1 Sime Darby House Rear View



Image 1.2 Sime Darby Idea House Elevation Top View



Image 1.3 Sime Darby Idea House Side View

Image 1.4 Sime Darby Idea House Front View



Image 1.5 Sime Darby Idea House Certification

For this case study, I’m proposing Sime Darby Idea House for the case study to be given a

GBI assessment based on the 6 key factors.

Sime Darby Idea House maximised water conservation to its full potential by harvesting both

Rain and Grey Water. They use high technology products by Pentair Residential Filtration

using water treatment such as GE Homespring. This able to treat contaminated water source

to drinking water quality. Rain Water is capture from the roof and surface run and transform

to water which is able to be use for domestic use. This reduces natural consumption.

Sime Darby Idea House also have rain water harvesting which is revolutionary in term of

water usage automation. It is fully automated water switching between rain water and

authority water. It draws water from the rain tank only when is level low and it draws from

the authority water. It is fully automatic and can be use even if there is power failure. This

helps assist in environmental consumption.



It also uses grey water harvesting by using used water from the bathroom to irrigate the

landscape. The water is treated and automated to irrigate the surrounding landscape of the

house on daily basis reducing potable water needs. The design attempt at being the first

carbon zero residence in South East Asia. It will be prefabricated in modules to save labor

costs, speed up construction process and make deconstruction of the home easy later when

required.

Some other green aspects of the home design include:

Malyan-idea-house-solar

Deep overhangs that provide shade;

Open, flexible interior spaces to accommodate a variety of uses;

Installation of a greywater system to reuse water;

Use of low-flow, water-efficient fixtures;

A green roof garden with a rainwater capture system for irrigation;

Optimal site orientation to increase ventilation and daylighting; and

A rooftop photovoltaic system to provide power the entire house;

Total water recycling has a potential to reach up to 86.5% for the entire house.

The GBI assessment made for the house will be as follows;

1) Energy Efficiency (EE) – 18 out 23 points

Sime Darby has good building orientation, has minimized solar heat gain through the building

envelope, harvesting natural lighting, and has tried adopting the best practices in building

services including use of renewable energy, and ensuring proper testing, commissioning and

regular maintenance. However there is still rooms for improvement as there are plenty of

other areas where passive solar can be used.

2) Indoor Environment Quality (EQ) – 8 out of 11 points

Sime Darby has achieved good indoor air quality, acoustics, visual and thermal comfort.

These will involve the use of low volatile organic compound materials, application of quality

air filtration, proper control of air temperature, movement and humidity. However there are

rooms of improvement where we can have more plants and green to the house.



3) Sustainable Site Planning & Management (SM) – 25 out of 39 points

Sime Darby House has selected appropriate sites however with lack planned access to public

transportation, community services, open spaces and landscaping. It is a newly developed

area and the surrounding hills was moved and soil compacted. It should have avoided and

conserving environmentally sensitive areas through the redevelopment of existing sites and

brown fields. Implementing proper construction management, storm water management and

reducing the strain on existing infrastructure capacity. Thus it still fall shorts in this category.

4) Materials & Resources (MR) – 4 out of 9 points

The house does not promote the use of environment-friendly materials sourced from

sustainable sources and recycling. Implement proper construction waste management with

storage, collection and re-use of recyclables and construction formwork and waste.

5) Water Efficiency (WE) – 11 out of 12 points

The rainwater harvesting, water recycling and water-saving fittings implemented in this Sime

Darby House deserves to get as much as possible point from this category as the water use

will be almost 90% recyclable.

6) Innovation (IN) – 4 out of 6 points

Sime Darby Innovative design and initiatives meets the objectives of the GBI which are

defining green building by ebstablishing a common language and standard of measurement

and transform built environment to reducing negative environmental impact.

No Item Anas GBI

Assessment Maximum

Points

1 Energy Efficiency 18 23

2 Indoor Environmental Quality 8 11

3 Sustainable Site Planning & Management

25 39

4 Material & Resources 4 9

5 Water efficiency 11 12

6 Innovation 4 6



Total Score 70 100

Table 1.1 Shows GBI assessment made for Sime Darby Idea House

GBI Classification

Points Sime Darby Idea

House GBI Rating

86+ Points Platinum

76 to 85 points

Gold

66 to 75 points

Silver Certified Silver

50 to 65 points

Certified

Table 1.2 Sime Darby House is Silver Certified

In order to further understand the six breakdowns see table below to see how the six

categories are further detailed out to make the points.



Table 1.3: Shows a further breakdown of the six categories.

In the appendix, it will be shown further details on how the GBI ratings is calculated based on

each aspect of and categories of the benchmarking.

High performance green buildings are still new in Malaysia and as a developing country and

the ever expanding population it seems very difficult for Malaysian contractors to re-use

existing land and buildings. Instead new areas are being open every day to ensure the

continous development especially in the Klang Valley areas. As more awareness is raised for

the green building concept, I foresee more high performance building being built.

[20 Marks]



REFERENCE

1. Betterbricks (2008) The high performance portfolio: Green Building Rating

Systems

2. Charles J. Kibert (2005) Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and

Delivery, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

3. Charles J. Kibert, (2005) Principles of Sustainable Construction, in proceedings

of the First International Conference on Sustainable Construction, 6-9 November,

Tampa, Florida, USA pp. 1-9

4. Friend, R. (2007) Securing sustainable livelihoods through wise use of wetland

resources: reflections on the experience of the Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity

Conservation and Sustainable Use Programme (MWBP), Vientianne, Lao PDR

5. Kamarudin M. Nor, Ph.D (2009) Carbon Neutral Buildings – An Overview,

University Malaya

6. Krishnan Gowri, Ph.D (2004) Green Building Rating Systems: An Overview,

ASHRAE Journal

7. Sandy Halliday (2009) Sustainable Construction, Butterworth-Heinemann

8. University of Minnesota (2009) Green Building Rating Systems: A Comparison

9. Stone, A. (2009) Buildings mimic nature to cut running costs: green pioneers:

Ken Yeang: architect’s designs reduce power consumption sharply. The Sunday

Times [UK]. 29.03.09. p.10

10. "The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change". 21 March

1994.



APPENDIX

5 GREENBUILDINGINDEX SDN BHD (845666-V)FIRST EDITION | JUNE 2009 | VERSION 1.0

GREEN BUILDING INDEX ASSESSmENT cRITERIA FoR RNc

pART ITEm mAXImUm poINTS ScoRE

1 Energy Efficiency 23

2 Indoor Environmental Quality 11

3 Sustainable Site Planning & management 39

4 material & Resources 9

5 Water Efficiency 12

6 Innovation 6

ToTAL ScoRE 100

poINTS GBI RATING

86+ points Platinum

76 to 85 points Gold

66 to 75 points Silver

50 to 65 points Certified

ASSESSmENT cRITERIAOVERAll POINTS ScORE

GREEN BUILDING INDEX cLASSIFIcATIoN

6FIRST EDITION | JUNE 2009 | VERSION 1.0 GREENBUILDINGINDEX SDN BHD (845666-V)


ASSESSmENT cRITERIA ScoRE SUmmARy

pART cRITERIA ITEm poINTS ToTAL

1

EE ENERGy EFFIcIENcy

EE1 Minimum EE Performance 3

23

EE2 Renewable Energy 5

EE3 Advanced EE Performance based on OTTV & RTTV 10

EE4 Home Office & Connectivity 2

EE5 Sustainable Maintenance 3

2

EQ INDooR ENvIRoNmENTAL QUALITy

Air Quality, Lighting, visual & Acoustic comfort

11

EQ1 Minimum IAQ Performance 2

EQ2 Daylighting 2

EQ3 Sound Insulation 2

EQ4 Good Quality Construction 1

EQ5 Volatile Organic Compounds 1

EQ6 Formaldehyde Minimisation 1

verification

EQ7 Post Occupancy Evaluation: Verification 2

3

Sm SUSTAINABLE SITE pLANNING & mANAGEmENT

Site planning & Transport

39

SM1 Site Selection 1

SM2 Public Transportation Access 12

SM3 Community Services & Connectivity 8

SM4 Open Spaces, Landscaping & Heat Island Effect 4

Site & construction management

SM5 Construction System & Site Management 3

SM6 Stormwater Management 3

SM7 Re-development of Existing Sites & Brownfield Re-development 4

SM8 Avoiding Enviromentally Sensitive Areas 2

SM9 Building User Manual 2

4

mR mATERIALS & RESoURcES

Reused & Recycled materials

9

MR1 Storage & Collection of recyclables 2

MR2 Materials Reuse and Selection 2

MR3 Construction Waste Management 2

Sustainable Resources

MR4 Recycled Content Materials 1

MR5 Regional Materials 1

MR6 Sustainable Timber 1

5

WE WATER EFFIcIENcy

Water Harvesting & Recycling

12

WE1 Rainwater Harvesting 4

WE2 Water Recycling 2

Increased Efficiency

WE3 Water Efficient Landscaping 2

WE4 Water Efficient Fittings 4

6

IN INNovATIoN

IN1 Innovation in Design & Environmental Design Initiatives 56

IN2 Green Building Index Facilitator (GBIF) 1

ToTAL poINTS 100

Anas

Typewritten Text



ENERGy EFFIcIENcy (EE)mINImUm EE PERFORmANcE | RENEWAblE ENERgy | ADVANcED EE PERFORmANcE | HOmE OFFIcE & cONEcTIVITy

23 poINTS

ITEm AREA oF ASSESSmENT DETAILpoINTS

mAXpoINTS ScoRE

EE1 mINImUm EE pERFoRmANcE

Establish minimum Energy Efficiency (EE) performance to reduce energy consumption in buildings, thus reducing CO2 emission to the atmosphere.

Apply OTTV and RTTV formulas of MS 1525 for residential buildings.

OTTV ≤ 50 W/m2, RTTV ≤ 25 W/m2

Roof U ≤ 0.4 W/m2K (Lightweight)Roof U ≤ 0.6 W/m2K (Heavyweight)

3 3

EE2 RENEWABLE ENERGy

Encourage use of renewable energy.

5

A) Low-rise (3-Storeys and below):

Where 1 kWp is generated by renewable energy, OR 1

Where 40% of building energy consumption or 2 kWp (whichever is the lower) is generated by renewable energy, OR 2

Where 60% of building energy consumption or 3 kWp (whichever is the lower), OR 3

Where 80% of building energy consumption or 4 kWp (whichever is the lower), OR 4

100% of building energy consumption or 5 kWp (whichever is the lower) 5

B) Hi-rise (Above 3-Storeys):

Where 0.5% of building energy consumption or 5 kWp (whichever is the higher) is generated by renewable energy, OR 1

Where 1.0% of building energy consumption or 10 kWp (whichever is the higher), OR 2



Where 2.5% of building energy consumption or 40 kWp (whichever is the higher) 5

EE3 ADvANcED EE pERFoRmANcE BASED oN oTTv & RTTv

Establish EE Performance to reduce dependence on Energy to keep indoor environment at satisfactory comfort level.

Computed OTTV and RTTV to show lower dependence on Energy to maintain indoor thermal comfort.

10

OTTV ≤ 46 W/m²Lightweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.35 W/m²K Heavyweight Roof U-value ≤ 0.5 W/m²K

2


4


6


8


10

EE4 HomE oFFIcE & coNNEcTIvITy

Encourage dual use spaces and working from Home thereby discourage avoidable commuting.

2Multiple-use type developments, ORHigh speed internet access available at homes > 1MB/s 2

EE5 SUSTAINABLE mAINTENANcE

Ensure that the building’s energy related systems will continue to perform as intended beyond the 12 months Defects & Liability Period. Document Green Building Design features and strategies for user information and guide to sustain performance during occupancy.

3buildings With common management:

Provide a designated building maintenance office equipped with facilities (including tools and instrumentation) and 1. inventory storage; Provide evidence of documented plan for at least 3-year facility maintenance and preventive maintenance budget; 2. OR

3

buildings Without common management:Provide a evidence of documented plan for at least 3-year preventive maintenance budget.1.

3

ENERGy EFFIcIENcy (EE) ToTAL 23

1



INDooR ENvIRoNmENTAL QUALITy (EQ)AIR QUAlITy, lIgHTINg, VISUAl & AcOUSTIc cOmFORT | VERIFIcATION

11 poINTS


mAXpoINTS ScoRE

AIR QUALITy, LIGHTING, vISUAL & AcoUSTIc comFoRT

EQ1 mINImUm IAQ pERFoRmANcE

Establish minimum indoor air quality (IAQ) performance to enhance indoor air quality in building, thus contributing to the comfort and well-being of the occupants.

2Meet the minimum requirements of ventilation rate in the local building code 1

Provide cross ventilation for all public and circulation spaces 2

EQ2 DAyLIGHTING

Encourage and recognise designs that provide good levels of daylighting for building occupants.

Demonstrate that a nominated percentage of the Habitable Rooms as defined under UBBL has a daylight factor in the range 1.0 – 3.5% as measured at floor level;

2if > 50% of Habitable spaces, OR 1

if > 75% of Habitable spaces 2

EQ3 SoUND INSULATIoN

Encourage and recognise building that is designed with adequate insulation between dwelling units.Ensure that the air bourne sound penetration between spaces are controlled within the following criteria;

2Inter dwelling sound penetration between dewelling units < 45 dBAeq. 1

Intra dwelling air bourne sound penetration between walls in the same dwelling unit should not exceed the following values:

Bedroom < 40 dBAeqOther areas < 30 dBAeq

1

EQ4 GooD QUALITy coNSTRUcTIoN

Encourage and recognise good quality construction – first time right – that does not require re-work that wastes materials and labour.

1Subscribe to independent method to assess and evaluate quality of workmanship of building project based on CIDB’s CIS 7: Quality Assessment System for Building Construction Work (QLASSIC). Must achieve a minimum score of 70% 1

EQ5 voLATILE oRGANIc compoUNDS

Encourage and recognise projects that reduce the detrimental impact on occupant health from finishes emitting internal air pollutants. Reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants. Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content to comply with requirements specified in international labelling schemes recognised by GBI.

0.5 point is awarded for each of the following up to a maximum of 1 point:

Low VOC paint and coating1. Low VOC carpet or flooring2. Low VOC adhesive and sealant 3. OR no adhesive and sealant used.

1 1

EQ6 FoRmALDEHyDE mINImISATIoN

Reduce the exposure of occupants to formaldehyde and promote good indoor air quality in the living space. Products with no added urea formaldehyde are to be used.

0.5 point is awarded for each of the following up to a maximum of 1 point:

Composite wood and agrifiber products defined as: particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, 1. wheatboard, strawboard, panel substrates and door cores;Laminating adhesives used to fabricate on-site and shop-applied composite wood and agrifiber assemblies;2. Insulation foam;3. Draperies4.

1 1

vERIFIcATIoN

EQ7 poST occUpANcy EvALUATIoN: vERIFIcATIoN

Provide for the assessment of comfort of the building occupants over time.

2

Commit to implement a post-occupancy comfort survey of building occupants within a period of 12 months after occupancy. This survey should collect anonymous responses about thermal comfort, visual comfort and acoustic comfort in a building. This should include an assessment of overall satisfaction with thermal, visual and acoustic performance and identification of thermal-related, visual-related and acoustic-related problems.

1

Develop a plan for corrective action if the survey results indicate that more than 20% of occupants are dissatisfied with the overall comfort in the building. This plan should include measurement of relevant environmental variables in problem areas. 1

INDooR ENvIRoNmENTAL QUALITy (EQ) ToTAL 11

2



SUSTAINABLE SITE pLANNING & mANAGEmENT (Sm)SITE PlANNINg & TRANSPORT | SITE & cONSTRUcTION mANAgEmENT

39 poINTS


mAXpoINTS ScoRE

SITE pLANNING & TRANSpoRT

Sm1 SITE SELEcTIoN & pLANNING

Proposed development is appropriate for the site and complies with the Local Plan or Structure Plan for the area.

The proposed building must comply with the following requirements:

The Structure Plan for the area 1. AND/OR The Local Plan where available

Infrastructure requirement is available for the area.2.

1 1

Sm2 pUBLIc TRANSpoRTATIoN AccESS

Encourage the selection of sites close to transport hubs and the planning of new housing areas to encourage the use of public transport. This is to reduce the current and future heavy dependence on private transport, which is the greatest contributor to Green House Gas (GHG) emission.

Points are awarded according to proximity of the development to public transport hubs and quality of the access to the transport hub. For new housing areas, the provision of transport hubs for the housing concerned with proper shelter, amenities, shuttle facilities and parking facilities are encouraged. Points are awarded according to the subsection categories.

NoTE: SELEcT EITHER Sm2A & Sm2B OR Sm2c & Sm2D

12

Sm2A

Distance from mass Transport Station/Hub to building within 1km (50% of points if from Shuttle Bus Stop)

0 - 250m 8

8251 - 500m 6

501 - 750m 4

751m - 1km 2

Sm2B

Walkway from building to mass Transport Station if less than 750m from mass Transport Station

Dedicated footpath 2

4

Covered walkway 3

Covered walkway that incorporates provision for the handicapped 4

OR

Sheltered and secured waiting area for shuttle van or bus in the residential building if more than 750m from Mass Transport Station 4

Sm2c

Transport Terminal within the Residential Area with covered seating and waiting area for a minimum of 10% of the total number of residential units

Score is average of points of all residential units in the residential area as for Sm2A 8 8

Sm2D

Walkway from building to Transport Terminal if less than 750m from Transport Terminal:

Dedicated footpath 2

4

Covered walkway 3

Covered walkway that incorporates provision for the handicapped 4

OR

car park provision next to Transport Terminal:

Car park provision for at least 20% of total number of residential units not more than 250m from the Terminal 4

OR

Designated bicycle lane provision in at least 90% of the Residential area and a Secured bicycle parking area in the Transport Terminal for 10% of the total number of residential units:

Provision of Bicycle Lanes 2

AND Provision of Bicycle Parking Area 2

Continued on next page >>

3

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mAXpoINTS ScoRE

Sm3 commUNITy SERvIcES & coNNEcTIvITy

Encourage the selection of sites close to basic community amenities and the planning of new residential areas to encourage the provision of local amenities. This is to reduce the current and future heavy use of private transport after working hours, which is the greatest contributor to GHG emission.

Points are awarded according to proximity of the development to community amenities. Points are awarded according to the subsection categories.

8

Sm3A

Basic Amenities as listed below are provided or are available within 750m of the residential units(Less 1 point if more than 750m away):

1. Grocery Store or Mini-market 2. Restaurant or Coffee Shop3. Surau or Mosque 4. Playground or Public Park

4

Sm3B

Other Amenities as listed below are provided or are available within 750m of the residential units(0.5 point per item or equivalent up to maxiumm of 2 points. Less 0.5 point if more than 750m away):

1. Clinic or Medical Center 2. Police Station or Police Pondok3. School or Creche 4. Bank, Post Office or ATM

2

Sm3c

Additional Amenities as listed below are provided or are available within 750m of the residential units(0.5 point per item or equivalent up to maxiumm of 2 points. Less 0.5 point if more than 750m away):

1. Library 2. Community Center or Hall 3. Wet Market or Supermarket 4. Barber Shop 5. Laundry

2

Sm4 opEN SpAcES, LANDScApING AND HEAT ISLAND EFFEcT

Development should have smaller footprints and more landscaping, thereby reducing the well known effects of heat islands around hard scaped areas.

4Provision of landscaping with indigenous plants to 10% of total development area 1

Provision of additional similar landscaping of every extra 5%: 1 point up to a maximum of 3 points 3

SITE & coNSTRUcTIoN mANAGEmENTSm5 coNSTRUcTIoN SySTEm & SITE mANAGEmENT

Encourage IBS and reduce on-site construction. Reduce material wastage and construction wastage to landfill sites. Reduce the polluting effects of construction and from workers during construction.

3

Reduce pollution from construction activities by controlling pollution from waste and rubbish from workers. Create and implement a Site Amenities Plan for all construction workers associated with the project.

The plan shall describe the measures implemented to accomplish the following objectives:

Proper accommodation for construction workers at the site or at temporary rented accommodation nearby.1. Prevent pollution of storm sewer or receiving stream by having proper septic tank.2. Prevent polluting the surrounding area from open burning and proper disposal of domestic waste.3. Provide adequate health and hygiene facilities for workers on site.4.

1

CIDB IBS score ≥ 50%, OR 1

CIDB IBS score ≥ 70% 2

Sm6 SToRm WATER mANAGEmENT

Manage surface water run off from developments. Reduce the pollution and storm water loading of the river systems from the development.

Reduce flood risk. Retain rainwater for recycling and appropriate use. 3Complies with MASMA minimum requirements 1

Exceeds MASMA requirements by 30%: entitled to 2 additional points pro rated for lower values 2

Sm7 RE-DEvELopmENT oF EXISTING SITES & BRoWNFIELD SITES

Discourage development in environmentally sensitive areas. Encourage re-development of existing sites. Reward rehabilitation of Brownfield site and development in the rehabilitated sites.

4Re-development of exisitng sites or refurbishment of existing building 2

Rehabilitation of brownfield sites 2

Sm8 AvoIDING ENvIRomENTALLy SENSITIvE AREAS

Avoid development of inappropriate sites and reduce the environmental impact from the location of a building on a site.

2

Do not develop buildings, hardscape, roads or parking areas on portions of sites that meet any one of the following criteria:

Prime agriculture land as defined by the Town and Country Planning Act•Land that is specifically identified as habitat for any species threatened or endangered lists•Within 30 meters of any wetlands as defined by the Structure Plan of the area. •

OR within setback distances from wetlands prescribed in state or local regulations, as defined by local or state rule or law, whichever is more stringent:

Previously undeveloped land that is within 15 meters of a water body, defined as seas, lakes, rivers, • streams and tributaries which support or could support fish, recreation or industrial use.Land which prior to acquisition for the project was public parkland, unless land of equal or greater value as parkland is •accepted in trade by the public landowner.Land which is classified as Class IV (steeper than 30 degrees)•

2

Sm9 BUILDING USER mANUAL

Document Green Building Design features & strategies for user information and guide to sustain performance during occupancy.

Provide a Building User Manual which documents passive and active features that should not be downgraded.2 2

SUSTAINABLE SITE pLANNING & mANAGEmENT (Sm) ToTAL 39




mAXpoINTS ScoRE

REUSED AND REcycLED mATERIALS

mR1 SToRAGE & coLLEcTIoN oF REcycLABLES

Facilitate the reduction of waste generated by construction that is hauled and disposed off in landfills and recycling after occupancy.

2During Construction, provide dedicated area(s) and storage for collection of non-hazardous materials for recycling. 1

During Building Occupancy, provide permanent recycle bins. 1

mR2 mATERIALS REUSE AND SELEcTIoN

Reuse building materials and products in order to reduce demand for virgin materials and to reduce waste, thereby reducing impacts associated with the extraction and processing of virgin resources. Integrate building design and its buildability, with careful selection of building materials in relation with embodied energy and durability of the materials to lower carbon content and better building life cycle.

2Use salvaged, refurbished or used materials such that the sum of these materials constitutes at least 1% (based on cost) of the total materials for the project. The used, refurbished and new building materials concerned are to be assessed for eco preferred content, durability, the product manufacturer’s environmental management system and whether the product is modular and/or designed for disassembly. To include reusability and the number of cycles on the usage (minimum 15 cycles) of temporary materials; such as temporary formwork system, temporary framing or support system, etc.

0.5 point for 1.0% and additional 0.25 point for every additional 0.5% up to a maximum of 2 points.

2

mR3 coNSTRUcTIoN WASTE mANAGEmENT

Divert construction debris from disposal in landfill and incinerator. Redirect recyclable recovered resources back to manufacturing process. Redirect reusable materials to appropriate sites.

2

Recycle and/or salvage at least 50% of non-hazardous construction debris. Develop and implement a construction waste management plan that, at a minimum identifies the materials to be diverted from disposal and whether the materials will be sorted on site or co-mingled.

Quantify by measuring total tonnage of waste or truck loads of waste disposal.

1 point for 50% and additional 0.25 point for every additional 5% up to a maximum of 2 points.

If project uses high level of prefabrication with IBS score > 70, 1 point for every 10% increase in prefabrication up to a maximum of 2 points.

2

SUSTAINABLE RESoURcES

mR4 REcycLED coNTENT mATERIALS

Increase demand for building products that incorporate recycled content materials, thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.

1Use materials with recycled content such that the sum of post-consumer recycled plus one-half of the pre-consumer content constitutes at least 10% (based on cost) of the total value of the materials in the project. Recycled content shall be defined in accordance with the International Organization of Standards Document.

0.5 point for 10% and 0.25 point for every additional 5% up to a maximum of 1 point.

1

mR5 REGIoNAL mATERIALS

Increase demand for building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured within the region, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation

1Use building materials or products that have been extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured, within 500km of the project site for a minimum of 20% (based on cost) of the total material value. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components shall not be included. Only include materials permanently installed in the project.

0.5 point for 20% and 0.25 point for every additional 5% up to a maximum of 1 point.

1

mR6 SUSTAINABLE TImBER

Encourage environmentally responsible forest management:

Where ≥ 50% of wood-based materials and products used are certified.

These components include, but are not limited to, structural framing and general dimensional framing, flooring, sub-flooring, wood doors and finishes. To include wood materials permanently installed and also temporarily purchased for the project. Compliance with Forest Stewardship Council and Malaysian Timber Certification Council requirements.

Where the project has no timber content, this credit may be transferred to MR5

1 1

mATERIALS & RESoURcES (mR) ToTAL 9

mATERIALS & RESoURcES (mR)REUSED AND REcyclED mATERIAlS | SUSTAINAblE RESOURcES

9 poINTS4



WATER EFFIcIENcy (WE)WATER HARVESTINg & REcyclINg | INcREASED EFFIcIENcy

12 poINTS


mAXpoINTS ScoRE

WATER HARvESTING & REcycLING

WE1 RAINWATER HARvESTING

Encourage rainwater harvesting that will lead to reduction in potable water consumption:

4

Rainwater harvesting that leads to ≥ 10% reduction in potable water consumption, OR 1

Rainwater harvesting that leads to > 30% reduction in potable water consumption, OR 2

Rainwater harvesting that leads to > 40% reduction in potable water consumption, OR 3

Rainwater harvesting that leads to > 50% reduction in potable water consumption 4

WE2 WATER REcycLING

Encourage water recycling that will lead to reduction in potable water consumption:

2

Treat and recycle ≥ 5% wastewater leading to reduction in potable water consumption, OR 0.5

Treat and recycle ≥ 10% wastewater leading to reduction in potable water consumption, OR 1

Treat and recycle ≥ 20% wastewater leading to reduction in potable water consumption, OR 1.5

Treat and recycle ≥ 30% wastewater leading to reduction in potable water consumption 2

INcREASED EFFIcIENcy

WE3 WATER EFFIcIENT LANDScApING

Encourage the design of system that does not require the use of potable water supply from the local water authority:

2Reduce potable water consumption for landscape irrigation by ≥ 50% (e.g. through use of native or adaptive plants to reduce or eliminate irrigation requirement, OR 1

Do not use potable water at all for landscape irrigation 2

WE4 WATER EFFIcIENT FITTINGS

Encourage reduction in potable water consumption through use of efficient devices:

4

Reduce annual potable water consumption by > 10%, OR 1



Reduce annual potable water consumption by > 50% 4

WATER EFFIcIENcy (WE) ToTAL 12

5



INNovATIoN (IN)INNOVATION INITIATIVES | mAINTENANcE PROgRAm & gREEN bUIlDINg INDEx FAcIlITATOR

6 poINTS


mAXpoINTS ScoRE

IN1 INNovATIoN IN DESIGN & ENvIRoNmENTAL DESIGN INITIATIvES

Provide design team and project the opportunity to be awarded points for exceptional performance above the requirements set by GBI rating system:

1 point for each approved innovation and environmental design initiative up to a maximum of 5 points, such as:

Innovative planning that displays “less is more” and “small is beautiful”;•Rehabilitation of existing buildings for re-use in innovative ways;•Innovative use of building features to passively cool the building•Heat recovery system (contributing to at least 10% of total required capacity);•Mixed mode / low energy ventilation system;•Waterless urinals (fitted to all male toilets);•Central waste conveyance system;•Central vacuum system•

5 5

IN2 GREEN BUILDING INDEX FAcILITAToR (GBIF)

Green Building Index Facilitator to support and encourage the design integration required for Green Building Index rated buildings and to streamline the application and certification process.

1

At least one principle participant of the project team shall be a Green Building Index Facilitator. 1

INNovATIoN (IN) ToTAL 6

6

Wind Turbine Power Plants

Solar Power Plants

Solar Power Plants

Tidal wave power generation

Tidal wave power generation

Passive solar design

Heat Island Effect

Stormwater management

Stormwater management

anas alam faizli, master of proj mgmt: assignment sustainable construction, emsc5103

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