Sustainable and energy efficient projects.

What accounts for sustainability and energy efficiency of a building is not just general overall design but also the proper designing and construction of its enclosure set up. What is driving this focus on energy conservation is the realization that the carbon footprint has to be reduced, as also the cost of construction.

New age construction and renovation strategies are reflective of these trends and the intense scrutiny they are subject to. It maybe through thermal insulation, better moisture control, or cutting edge technologies like better air infiltration regulation, active facades which come with automated shading and venting. Alternatively it could be the use of innovative enclosure types, like for instance double walls.

The construction of energy efficient buildings requires, what is called a systems design approach. This is an amalgam of design, technology, equipment, materials and the knowhow to put together a home that serves the occupant, structure and environment equally well. The key to doing this is the use of only environmentally friendly and energy efficient materials.

A home has to be durable, secure and easy to live in while at the same time not consume huge amounts of energy. The elements will impact on the house both internally and externally. These comprise of humidity, rain, heat, wind, and dust. In order for a building to be able to successfully withstand all these pressures, each and every home should be built with materials and technologically that have been specifically researched and tested. The environment, the location of the building, and other factors need to synergise with the environment control system that is in place inside the house. It is a fact that no two homes are alike. That explains the necessity of having whole home energy standards. This is all about using an energy efficient approach and customising it to the specific needs of the house under consideration. Energy efficient construction is all set to create new paradigms for a home building strategy.

For instance there is the all new welded steel form tie. It offers sufficient strength, better flow of concrete, and a bigger more secure attachment stud. As the concept of eco friendly buildings begins to find even greater acceptance, there has been a huge spurt in the demand for eco-friendly products. One of the leading eco friendly products in the market is eco roofing. Another interesting material is solar panels. That has become quite a hit with a lot many builders because of their unique ability to not only recover their cost but substantially lower the energy costs incurred by a building or house over its entire life-cycle. There is no reason upon the face of this earth to be consuming traditional, energy guzzling  construction products when there is a range of innovative, relatively inexpensive and most importantly environment friendly new age construction materials available in the market.

It is not really necessary that only modern technology is the way to achieve efficient and energy sustaining projects. Many of the traditional and primitive societies of the world have evolved perfectly sustainable and environmentally friendly methods of construction. We may not regard these people as modern, or their dwellings as very comfortable, but the fact of the matter is that post the industrial revolution, while there has undoubtedly been progress we have ravaged the resources of the world to the point, where continuing in the same vein will lead to annihilation of the human race. We need to re-look our priorities and think of the earth as the abode of mankind, and apportion and utilise the resources in a manner that there is no disparity. This is the information age and there is no doubt that we will find out a way to achieve our goals. But in order for us to realize what those goals are and how we shall go about achieving them, we require to pause and introspect. The blind march of technology will get us nowhere. We need to think up technology with a human heart. Perhaps we should learn from the classical Greeks, who advocated moderation- in their lifestyle, in their professional life and indeed in their homes. That is perhaps the reason why the democracy which the Greeks preached is the prevalent doctrine in the world. The grandiose Roman Empire will find no takers in the post colonial world, and indeed the post modern world order.

In the end it is all about marrying technologies to smart and innovative thinking. The enormous amount of intellectual capability that the information age fosters makes achieving any objective in the realm of possibility. Ushering in a sustainable and eco friendly construction industry should not be that difficult.