Making our buildings greener
Practicing "green building" ideologies makes it possible to reduce the pressure that construction places on natural energy resources. At this time, the construction and operating requirements of buildings consumes more materials and energy than any other single activity. Increasing consumer demand, combined with the growth of human population, is reducing our worldwide natural energy resources, even as technological innovation creates new possibilities. Efficient building methods intend to provide a better quality of life and protect the environment. Until now, most of these efforts aim at reducing the energy used by specific end-use devices and systems, typically without affecting the services provided. Consequently, they succeed in reducing overall, long-term electricity consumption, often without explicit consideration for the short-term savings. Such savings are generally achieved by substituting technically more advanced equipment to produce the same level of end-use services such as lighting, heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation with less power consumption. Such an example is the TRIPLESAVE unit designed for highly efficient day-lighting, passive stack ventilating and solar heating and cooling. It comprises of an integrated structure called a light-vent pipe that allows daylight from the roof into the building and, simultaneously, allows air out of the building. The system’s performance has been extensively studied for a variety of building types and morphologies under different environmental and geographical conditions. The study showed that the system is viable for different climates and its characteristics constitute an incomparable solution for adoption by educational, office and retail buildings as well as commercial buildings. Due to its integration concept, the system is highly innovative with many advantages. Combining the stack, light pipe and solar heat pipe in one integrated entity provides great space savings and low cost expenditures for components. Unlike older products its passive design is more efficient and cost-effective since it exhibits lower demands for electricity power while at the same time it reduces considerably the environmental load. Another important characteristic is that infrared radiation is absorbed in the stack/pipe, leading to heat load reduction and stack effect strengthening. Hence, a natural living environment is created with a high quality of life. The TRIPLESAVE system is planned to be further developed into a commercial product. It is anticipated that it will directly benefit both industrial companies, building owners, as well as the construction industry, making them significantly more competitive in the international market of low-energy buildings and systems. In addition, an increased demand on components for daylighting and solar heating is also anticipated increasing the already considerable manufacturing of these devices. Last but not least, the system’s passive design, the use of solar energy and the employment of an "ozone friendly" working fluid will evidently benefit the environment. Living a healthier lifestyle is a high priority for all and is greatly affected by the quality of our surroundings. By green building or remodelling, we can improve indoor air quality, keep utility bills affordable and preserve the environment for generations to come.
