Health and comfort: the human factor
With almost 200 case studies from 36 different countries, the 2019 Green Solutions Awards provided a fine example of what is being done today to build more sustainable cities and territories. First opus of our trend analysis. 1.1. Residential: indoor air quality and thermal comfort become important While well-being in buildings seemed to be a concept reserved for the tertiary sector, the residential sector is taking up this issue year after year. Indoor air quality and thermal comfort are taken into
Decarbonizing Europe: time to turn up the heat!
Decarbonizing the heat sector is imperative to meeting carbon emissions reduction objectives across Europe. However, progress so far has been sluggish in most European countries. Sweden is an exception with 80% of its heat coming from locally sourced and abundant biomass. It sets an example for other European countries, where using local resources and heat networks can help decarbonize the heating sector, whilst also providing the characteristics that institutional investors look for in sustainable
If we want liveable cities in 2060 we'll have to work together to transform urban systems
Urban greening is just one aspect of the transformation required to ensure our future cities are sustainable, liveable places. Matt Leane/Shutterstock Tayanah O'Donnell, Australian National University; Bob Webb, Australian National University; Chris Ryan, University of Melbourne; Eleanor Robson; Jago Dodson, RMIT University et Kate Auty, University of Melbourne Not everyone wants to live in the inner city and it’s insulting to describe the outer suburbs as the fringe. This was just one view from
Riding in the right direction: a Turkish city goes back to cycling
Tepebaşı is a town of Eskişehir in western Turkey embracing a return to urban cycling albeit with a novelty – the bikes are electric A few decades ago, the town enjoyed a relatively high proportion of non-motorised transport due its geographical and industrial features. However, other more polluting modes of transport gradually took over – something the municipality is now keen to reverse. As part of the EU-funded REMOURBAN project, the municipality has introduced an e-bike-sharing scheme along
[Save the date] The date is set on the 4th of November at Batimat to discover the Green Solutions Awards 2019 winners
Who are the international winners of the 2019 Green Solutions Awards? You will get the answer on the 4th of November, at Batimat, partner of the competition! A ceremony bringing together, from all over the world, the pioneers in sustainable construction will be organised from 11am to 1pm to reward these most advanced professionals whose solutions, replicated on a large scale, make it possible to fight global warming. Join! And discover the winning buildings, districts and infrastructures of the
One-stop-shops for deep energetic refurbishment of private buildings
One-stop-shops (OSS) are easily accessible tools for overcoming market fragmentation on both demand and supply side. They can offer holistic renovation solutions for building owners, covering evaluation of energy use, advice on interventions and access to finance and contractors. OSSs have been advocated by the European Commission through both the 'Smart financing for smart buildings' initiative and the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, where they are expected to become key tools
Passivhaus: the most represented label in the 2019 Green Solutions Awards
With 192 case studies in 36 countries, the 2019 Green Solutions Awards have been an unexpected success and have seen strong international growth. The most represented label is Passivhaus, with no less than 15 case studies from 11 countries as different as Australia, Mexico or Sri Lanka. It is interesting to look at the diversity of Passiivhaus-certified case studies, as this illustrates a trend observed within the Green Solutions Awards over the past two or three years: sustainable construction
The Paris-Saclay heat and cold exchange network: an innovative model for the energy transition
The Paris-Saclay heat and cold exchange network has been designated as a demonstrator as part of the European D2Grids project. The latter aims to encourage the development of 5th generation heating networks. Demonstrators of thermal systems and advanced demand management will be tested on the Paris-Saclay network to optimize its production and the energy consumption of buildings. Based on an IoT (Internet of Things) infrastructure deployed in parallel with energy networks that will collect all data
Micromobility and Car Parking
In this episode, Horace and Oliver discuss Donald Shoup’s work, The High Cost of Free Parking, and why micromobility offers such a compelling counter to the dominant mindset that has existed around parking for the last 70 years. Specifically, we cover: the financial and spatial impact of parking minimums in the US The Catch-22 of parking legislation - parking creates sprawled landscapes that increases the need for them to move around. The importance of pricing parking appropriately The odd
The International Clean Energy Challenge – Solved!
The Energy Agency of Upper Austria (OÖ Energiesparverband), with the support of the Upper Austrian Government and their corporate and institutional partners (see below), organized a 5 days-event (22-26 July) for young professionals from across the globe to bring new solutions for clean energy and break current barriers. The “International Clean Energy Challenge” or “33 under 33” under his initial name, was launched based on the conviction that international multidisciplinary cooperation is key to
In a moment of urgency, put energy efficiency first
As the world increasingly benefits from the price revolution in renewable energy and the world’s largest investors come to grips with the phase-down of fossil fuels, it has become clearer that we have the technology and the finance necessary to realise the Paris Climate Agreement. Despite this opportunity, we are not acting with the urgency that the global climate emergency requires. Last year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on global warming warned that if we’re
5 Benefits Of Using Clay Pebbles In Hydroponic
Have you ever heard of growing plants without using soil? This is a very practical and popular concept emerging all over the world. States and business-facing challenges with water and plantation are constantly looking for new ways to make the best use of what they have. Fortunately, with the help of modern research and the invention of Expanded Clay Aggregate (ECA), it has become possible. These clay pebbles are nothing but the tiny clay balls undergone high-temperature heat. When fired in a kiln
Buildings to save energy with mesh and management
Much of our building stock was designed and built before global warming, environmental protection and recycling became foremost in our minds and behaviours. It represents around 40% of energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions Revamping building envelopes, making façades and roofs more energy-efficient, is a key measure in retrofitting existing stock. Combined with a smart energy management system, building envelopes can slash energy consumption while improving indoor comfort. One expert who
How to keep buildings cool without air conditioning – according to an expert in sustainable design
The warmer it gets, the more people crank up the air conditioning (AC). In fact, AC is booming in nations across the world: it’s predicted that around two thirds of the world’s households could have an air conditioner by 2050, and the demand for energy to cool buildings will triple. But unless the energy comes from renewable sources, all that added demand will generate more greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming – and of course, to hotter summers. It’s a vicious cycle – but
Shaping the transition towards a circular economy
In recent years, the term “circular economy” has become increasingly widespread and has also reached the construction industry. There are a variety of levers for implementing the concept in the construction and real estate sector. In the report “Circular Economy – Closing loops means being fit for the future“, the DGNB has gathered these levers and addresses the relevant stakeholders whose support and participation is required for a transition towards a circular economy. Furthermore, the DGNB provides
