Greener buildings with an app
Sustainable energy use is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Fossil fuel supplies are shrinking, delivery can be unreliable, costs are unpredictable and climate change threatens to pass the point of no return. The EU-funded ENBUS (Energising the building sector!) initiative developed a new smartphone app to help home renovators evaluate various building options. The researchers worked to encourage awareness and adoption of energy-efficient building systems by providing information and easy-to-use tools. ENBUS has made the app freely available, and enables comparison of potential energy savings for different product groups: windows, insulation, ventilation and heating. ENBUS studied and identified current technologies and upcoming trends for energy efficiency in the building sector. The app prototype was presented at the Ecobuild 2014 conference, one of the largest international events for sustainable design and construction of new and refurbished buildings. The researchers developed a business model for the app to ensure businesses and companies will want to use it to present and update their products. Although the app is focused on homeowners, it provides an impetus for small and medium-sized enterprises in the construction sector to include their product portfolios and tap into a growing market. To help that happen, researchers have developed innovative business and financing models to stimulate greener construction. The app provides a wide range of home improvement choices, allows product comparisons, and provides guidelines for renovators to choose the best products. It also provides a calculation of the potential energy savings associated with a decision such as replacing the windows. Apps are a great way to link producers to consumers, and ENBUS plans to use this powerful platform to bring sustainable products to energy-conscious homeowners. The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store or the project website.
Keywords
Buildings, construction, sustainable energy, ENBUS, smartphone app, renovators