Amid the growing energy crisis and the environmental pollution worries, an Eco friendly building concept is rapidly catching up. Day after day, the technologies are constantly advancing to find better ways to tap into the natural resources and build energy efficient buildings, which not only save cost in the longer run, but also put a stop to the growing environmental concerns. The main objectives of such buildings include increasing productivity, efficient use of resources and energy and most of all reduction of pollution and waste. While some stay and watch the global warming and inevitable climate change, some are persistent on creating solutions which could somehow alter the rate at which it is happening. This article opens a small window into the whole concept of Eco friendly buildings and how it helps in taking a positive approach in saving our mother earth.
1. Planning: Building an Eco friendly building is not an easy task. A lot of efforts goes right at the beginning itself, i.e. the planning phase. The architects cannot just use anything based on availability of the material or on the cost of the same. It is the very materials they use that would finally decide how Eco friendly the building is. The planning includes understanding the climate changes, over a period of one or two years, of the place where the building is supposed to be built. The location, the nature of work that will be carried out in the building, the number of people that will occupy the building all are taken into consideration before taking up such a task.
2. Advantages: There are a huge number of advantages that can be exploited from an Eco friendly building. One major advantage is how it increases energy efficiency by reducing operating energy use. It is a myth that buildings in extreme climates cannot function without a proper heating or air conditioning unit. With Eco friendly buildings, the windows which are highly efficient and insulation in walls, roofs and floors play a major role in making this happen. Roofs are fitted with rows of solar panels to trap and use the solar energy. The placement of windows in the building is also at the optimal locations so as to increase the light entering the building and reduce the cost of electric lighting. Apart from these, there are also on the site generation of renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power, etc.
3. Waste reduction: Waste reduction is also one of the main features of an Eco friendly building. It starts right from its construction and goes throughout the life cycle of the building. Most of the buildings, while being constructed, generate a lot of waste that finally ends up in a land fill. Eco friendly buildings are constructed in such a way that only a minimal amount of waste is generated. By providing on the site solutions for waste management like compost bins, the waste generated by the occupants of the building is also managed. The proper reuse of water by recycling used water for irrigation or non potable purposes not only saves a lot of water but also helps in reducing the water pollution. Rain water harvesting is also being used in Eco friendly buildings nowadays to minimize the wastage of water.
4. Cost factor: The cost factor during the construction of an Eco friendly building is of a concern to many. The modern technologies that are being used are costlier than what would have been used in building a conventional building. Also, the onsite power generation equipment adds to the woes of increased building costs. But in the longer run throughout the life cycle of the building the costs can easily be recovered. For example, the solar panels that would be installed in such an Eco friendly building could save in electric energy consumption and the cost for installing the panels could be recovered within 10 years.
5. Future perspective: Eco friendly buildings are the future. They effectively and efficiently use methods and techniques by which the negative impact of buildings on the environment is considerably reduced. Apart from that, they take complete advantages of the naturally available, renewable sources of energy for their operation. The materials that are used in the construction of such a building may vary from place to place and so does the cost based on the materials and technologies used. But one can be sure that the operational efficiency with which an Eco friendly building runs would easily recoup the amount spent on constructing the same in no time at all. The concept is still evolving and has a long way to go in terms of technologies and materials used but it is not too difficult to believe that the Eco friendly buildings are the future for the greater good of our earth.
