BUILDINGS OF THE FUTUREDesigning Environmentally Responsible, High‐Performance MEP Solutions

PRESENTED BY ‐MR. SAGAR KULKARNI ‐ LEED AP, WELL AP, CEM, CEA, MANAGING DIRECTOR

CONTENTS

• Sustainable Development – The Current Global Scenario• Reasons for Slow Adoption• The Resulting Environmental Impact• Achieving Sustainability – A Practical Perspective• Energy Consumption Analysis - Residential Sector• The Role of HVAC Systems in Building Efficiency• Advantages of Smart HVAC Systems in Green Buildings• Principle Non-Conventional Options of Air-conditioning in the UAE• Geothermal Cooling as an Alternative Option for Air-conditioning• Solar Cooling as an Alternative Option for Air-conditioning• Seawater Cooling as an Alternative Option for Air-conditioning• Retrofitting Existing Buildings for Sustainability

• Building a Green Future1

Green building statistics for 2017 –

• Drive towards zero-emissions buildings in the UAE• Dubai ranks 3rd in the global list of top 10 green cities• India GBC registered 500 new green projects, tally reached 4800• Canada GBC reached 1 billion square feet of LEED space• New Zealand GBC announced 20,000 new homes to be green-building certified• The BEAM Plus Existing Buildings assessment tool in Hong Kong received 10 times more registration

in 2017, a 1000% increase

HOWEVER• Rising floor area outpaces the energy-efficiency efforts• Final energy use in buildings increased from 119 EJ in 2010 to almost 125 EJ in 2016 (1EJ = 1018 Joules)• Similarly, CO2 emissions by buildings also increased from 3.1 GtCO2 in 2010 to 3.7 GtCO2 in 2016• But most importantly, adoption of sustainable development practices is slow

Sustainable Development – The Current Global Scenario

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Reasons for Slow Adoption of Sustainable Development

• Lack of awareness amongst end users• High initial cost• Lack of information and established authentic data

• Lack of established guidelines with Authorities • Lack of skilled manpower and Subject Matter Experts• Continued use of less-efficient technologies• Weak investment in sustainable buildings, especially in the residential sector• The result – increased environmental impact

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• Buildings and construction together account for 36% of global final energy use and 39% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissionsincluding upstream power generation

• The energy intensity per sq.mt. of the global buildings sector needs to improve on average by 30% by 2030 (compared to 2015) to be on the track of global climate ambitions set forth in the Paris Agreement

The Resulting Environmental Impact

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Presentation Title

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• Global use of energy in buildings has grown by 1% per year• Global use of electricity in buildings has grown by 2.5% per year• Global buildings-related CO2 emissions continue to rise by nearly 1% per year• More than 4 million deaths are annually attributed to illness from household air pollution

Conclusion - Despite progress, energy efficiency improvements since 2010 have not been enough to offset strong growth in energy demand from rising population, floor area and buildings sector activity.

[Source: Global Status Report 2017, UN Environment]6

Achieving Sustainability – A Practical Perspective

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Presentation TitleSustainable Development Goals for Green Projects

• Improve people’s health and well-being• Use affordable, clean energy• Use green infrastructure to create jobs and build the economy• Spur innovation and contribute to climate-resilient infrastructure• Become the fabric of sustainable communities and cities• Use circular principles, where resources are not wasted• Produce fewer emissions, help combat climate change• Improve biodiversity, save water resources, and help protect the forests• Create strong global partnerships

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Presentation Title

• Today, we have spread the message of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle; people are taking up the cause of sustainable development. But is that enough?

• At every step of the building cycle, there is a decision to be made.

• We, whether as individuals or as communities, cannot function in isolation.

• As a fraternity, we need to start looking at sustainable solutions, at green building, as a continuous process, right from design level, to the occupation level.

• We need to follow the mantra:

Renewable. Sustainable. Doable.

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Advantages of Green Homes

Source: UK Green Building Council10

Presentation Title

• According to the Annual Statistics Report for 2017 by DEWA, nearly 75% of the total electricity consumption was by the residential sector

• 80% of this electricity is used for space cooling

• Increase in interior cooling results in increase in exterior temperatures, which in turn again necessitates greater interior cooling

• To control electricity consumption, environment-friendly space cooling solutions need to be used

• Here, smart HVAC systems come into the picture

Energy Consumption Analysis – Residential Sector

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Source: DEWA Annual Statistics 2017, https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/about‐dewa/about‐us/dewa‐publications/annual‐statistics

Figure 7 : Share of global energy - related CO2 emissions by sector, 2015

Residential (direct)6%

Residential (direct)1.1%

Non-Residential (direct)...

Non-Residential (Indirect)...

Transport22%

Other9%

Other Industry30%

Construction Industry11%

Buildings28%

Source: Derived with IEA (2017), World Energy Statistics and balance, IEA/OECO, Paris.www.iea.org/statistics

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Presentation Title

13 Source: IEA(2017), World Energy Statistics and Balances, IEA/OECD, Paris. www.iea.org/statistics

Presentation Title

• Use of Smart HVAC Systems reduces the total energy consumed and hence, the carbon footprint of the building• Smart HVACs use sensors to integrate with building automation

• Sensors detect data about building conditions in real-time and accordingly modify ambient temperature, humidity, and ventilation

• Example: • Proximity, occupancy, and thermal sensors detect the presence and number of people in the room and vary

the room temperature accordingly, to ensure maximum comfort at reduced energy costs• Light sensors detect ambient natural light and adjust HVACs according to ergonomic considerations• Demand Controlled Ventilation allows manipulation of indoor cooling based on data from occupancy sensors.

Utilization below design-based occupancy results in lesser cooling of the room• Smart HVAC technology can reduce energy usage by up to 27% in homes and 23% in offices• A step further - using non-conventional sources of energy for generating electricity

The Role of Smart HVAC Systems in Building Efficiency

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Presentation Title

• Low maintenance and operation costs• Maximum energy efficiency for reduced environmental impact• Enhanced indoor air quality• Absolute comfort and security• Optimised natural lighting and well-designed supplementary lighting for ergonomic living spaces• Increased productivity in offices• Overall physical and mental well-being

Advantages of Smart HVAC Systems in Green Buildings

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Presentation TitlePrinciple Non-Conventional Options for Air-conditioning in the UAE

Geothermal Cooling Seawater CoolingSolar Cooling

• A GSHP transfers heat to or from the ground, using the earth as a heat source in winter and heat sink in summer.

• Constant underground temperatures aid in efficient heating/cooling all year round.

• Zero impact on environment.

• Solar evacuated tube collectors collect solar energy. The energy collected is transmitted into a solar absorption chiller by means of a heat transfer fluid (HTF).

• The HTF ensures maximum heat transfer and results in energy-efficient air cooling.

• Cold seawater drawn from the harbour floor is circulated through titanium heat exchangers in the basement of the building, and then returned to the ocean floor.

• The building’s cooling water is chilled by the seawater in the heat exchangers, and then pumped throughout the building.

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Presentation TitleGeothermal Cooling as an Alternative Option for Air-conditioning in the UAE

Advantages of Geothermal Cooling:

• Closeness of the water table to the surface makes geothermal cooling ideal for a dry climate like the UAE

• Zero environmental pollution• 300% efficiency• Quiet operation and compact size of

pump• Minimal landscape footprint• Fewer moving parts, hence lesser

maintenance issues• Not weather-dependent• Suitable for all types of buildings• Does not require change in building

architecture• No cost fluctuations, unlike fossil fuel

prices

Roof Floor

First Floor

Ground Floor

EarthSaddle Fitting

Reducer

‘U’ Bend

HDPE/Polyethylene Pipe

90 Elbow

HeatPump(1W+1S/B)

Refrigerant Pipe

Refrigerant Pipe Roof Floor

First Floor

Ground Floor

Basement Floor

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Presentation TitleTypes of Geothermal Cooling Systems

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Presentation TitleComparative Study of Geothermal v/s Conventional Cooling System

DXG SHE – Direct Exchange Geothermal Source Heat Exchanger

ACSWGSHE – Air Conditioning System With Ground Source Heat Exchanger

19 Source: IEA(2017), World Energy Statistics and Balances, IEA/OECD, Paris. www.iea.org/statistics

Presentation Title

However, there are many existing problems thatreduce the viability of the solution - for clients,contractors, consultants, and authorities.

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Presentation TitleSolar Cooling as an Alternative Option for Air-conditioning in the UAE

Advantages of Solar Cooling Systems

• Abundant natural sunlight with a mean annual solar radiation of 2285 kWh/m2

• Innovation in PV cells increases efficiency of the system• Least ideological and bureaucratic resistance• 40%-60% savings on energy bills• Low maintenance costs

Source: Alternative Energy Tutorials

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Presentation TitleTypes of Solar Air Cooling

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Solar Vapour Absorption Air Conditioning

Solar Vapour Compression Air Conditioning

Solar Hybrid Air Conditioning

Presentation TitleComparative Study of Solar v/s Conventional Cooling System

Graph to show Power usage in different air conditioning systems

Solar Hybrid A/C Inverter A/C Standard A/C

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1

2

3

4

0

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Presentation Title

The problems that reduce the viability ofsolar energy as a source of cooling arementioned as follows.

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Seawater Cooling as an Alternative Option for Air-conditioning in the UAE

Advantages of Seawater Cooling:

• Close vicinity of the sea makes seawater cooling an excellent option for the UAE

• High energy-efficiency• Reduction in energy consumption by 80%-

90%• Less use of fossil fuels, preventing pollution• Long-term costs are half that of conventional

systems• Short payback period• Unlimited supply of seawater• Reduction in freshwater use, as compared to

conventional AC systems• Seawater at outlet can be used for secondary

applications Source: Abimbola Olukemi Windapo for Research Gate25

Presentation TitleComparative Study of Seawater v/s Conventional System

Electricity costs are 1/10th that of traditional HVAC systems.Source: MAKAI Ocean Engineering

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Source: MAKAI Ocean Engineering27

It’s important to note that there is adramatic economy of scale as thesize of the pipeline increases.

The reason is that the cold water pipecosts per liter of water delivereddecreases as the pipeline sizeincreases and temperature rise vialarge pipelines is practicallynegligible.

The figure to the right illustrates five SWAC scenarios of varying overall size; the two bars compare the lifetime cost difference between conventional AC and SWAC.

Source: MAKAI Ocean Engineering28

The adjacent figure illustrates the difference inlifetime costs for a conventional AC system anda typical SWAC system.

The costs are broken down into capital, operating (energy) and maintenance. The primary cost of a SWAC system is in the initial capital cost.

The operating and maintenance costs are small. For a conventional AC system, the primary cost is in the power consumed over its lifetime.

Hence, SWAC systems are ideal for base load AC that has high utilization and conventional AC may be better for situations of infrequent use.

The challenges associated withthe use of seawater cooling canbe seen as follows.

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Chief Problem Identified - Lack of detailed, centralized information about the various geographical, social, economic, and global parameters that affect implementation of technology.

The Solution?• A centralized forum of consultants, contractors, and government authorities • Pooled resources to maintain information required for implementation of smart technology• Detailed data libraries• Pre‐ and post‐development efficiency comparison charts to obtain information about the practical 

outcome of the technology, basis for further project calculations• Rapid adoption of renewable energy sources to reduce global environmental impact • Implementation of sustainable technology, as practically and economically feasible, to preserve the earth 

for future generations

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Retrofitting Existing Buildings for Sustainability

• The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy aims to reduce energy demand by 30% by 2030. • Sustainable retrofitting and refurbishing of buildings is a core strategy to achieve this goal• DEWA plans to retrofit 30,000 buildings, thus saving $22.33bn in future costs• Advantages of sustainable retrofitting:

• Long-term cost savings• Increased comfort and well-being• Lower greenhouse emissions• Improved water self-sufficiency• Preservation of culture and heritage• Future-proof buildings

• Retrofitting of DEWA’s buildings resulted in:• 31% reduction in current energy consumption, i.e. 5 GWh per year

[Source: Etihad ESCO Project Report]• Savings of 2.6 million Dhs• 2,245 tons of CO2 emissions avoided

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The Future of Construction - Net-Zero Energy and Nearly Zero Energy Buildings

• Nearly Zero Energy Buildings are an integral part of the UAE’s sustainability strategy

• Mainstream construction in the UAE now gearing towards nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs)

• Ideal energy consumption limit – 150 kWh/m2/year

Source: EmiratesGBC Defining nZEBs in the UAE 201732

Building a Green Future

• Buildings are meant to last lifetimes, but what if there is no one left to live in these?• As developers we have a responsibility towards the people of today as well as the people of tomorrow.

• The time is today, seizing the moment is important. Delaying now will have dire consequences for the future, which will be irreversible.

• Let’s resolve to seize the day and start working towards sustainable development right from now!33

THANK YOUFOR ATTENDINGTHE PRESENTATION Please don't forget to collect your CPD certificate during the event from the CPD collection area.