POLICY
Ambitious but achievable
GBCSA recently released a new guide to developing net-zero carbon buildings, which seeks to prove that net-zero carbon in buildings can be achieved and offers an overview of this concept in South Africa.
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eliance on fossil fuels to power our buildings and cities is damaging the health of our people and environment, but this can be overcome with a move to net-zero carbon buildings. They are completely viable today and crucial for the future. The GBCSA defines a net-zero carbon building as “a building that is highly energy-efficient, with the remaining energy requirement generated from renewable energy, preferably on-site, or off-site where necessary”. The critical mass of net-zero carbon buildings is required to meet political and planetary climate goals. The built environment currently produces one-third of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. This sector must drastically reduce the amount of CO2 it generates and it has the potential for significant greenhouse gas emissions reduction at a lower cost than other sectors. It is possible and imperative for us to achieve netzero carbon buildings, and with determination and
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enabling building standards, policies and legislation, it can be implemented far and wide. The biggest challenges facing the uptake of net-zero buildings are those of perception (when people think it’s more difficult than it is), technical challenges as well as financial challenges. All of these are being rapidly overcome. The main aim when targeting net zero is to drive the energy consumption of a building as low as possible. This is done by addressing the main consumers of energy such as heating, cooling, lighting and equipment. Using passive design strategies that work closely with the prevailing climate and context, not only helps to create comfortable buildings for people but also ones that are energy efficient. Building performance simulations make it easier than ever today to understand and predict the way a building will operate, allowing us to intervene and ultimately design and construct the best spaces
POSITIVE IMPACT ISSUE 0.8
