Energy efficiency in buildings is critical to help reduce the overall environmental footprint and operational costs for building owners. It can be accomplished in many ways, including utilizing the right insulation materials and air-sealing techniques.
Using green construction materials reduces fossil fuel consumption, unwanted emissions and provides a better quality of life for the occupants of the building. This can be done by incorporating phase change materials such as encapsulated expanded polystyrene.
Insulated Concrete
Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) are an energy-efficient alternative to wood-framed walls. The system uses styrofoam blocks that are joined together to form the foundation of a building, then filled with concrete to create the wall. The blocks remain in place even after the concrete is poured, providing insulation and helping to keep the concrete stable. The walls can be finished with drywall and siding for a traditional look.
ICFs require more energy to make than wood-frame construction, but they save on operational energy over the lifetime of a home or commercial building. The foam insulation provides a layer of insulation that significantly reduces heat transfer in and out of the structure. The concrete core also adds thermal mass, which helps to regulate temperature and reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling systems.
While ICFs provide significant energy savings, they are not without drawbacks. For example, they don’t allow for as much flexibility in the placement of electrical and plumbing lines. And, many ICFs on the market come with plastic connectors rather than rebar, which can weaken the concrete. This is especially true in corners, where ICFs can be vulnerable to structural instability due to wall seams. However, these disadvantages are being addressed as manufacturers move to adopt better standards and educate builders on best practices.
Recycled Steel
The steel industry has a long history of recycling, and it takes less energy to produce new metal from recycled scrap than it does to mine new raw materials. This helps reduce energy consumption and pollution. It also conserves natural resources and prevents excessive greenhouse gas emissions.
Recycled steel is a building material that’s used in everything from automobiles to office buildings and duct work. It’s durable and resists the effects of weather, earthquakes, and winds better than other types of building materials like lumber. In addition, it requires less maintenance, which further reduces the amount of energy required to maintain a building’s structure and systems.
In terms of embodied energy, steel is more efficient than aluminum or glass because it takes less energy to produce new steel from scrap. It also has a high recycle rate, which further decreases the need for new raw materials.
Another energy-efficient building material is industrial hemp. This sustainable material acts as an insulation and has a high thermal efficiency. It regulates temperature to prevent excess heating and cooling, which lowers energy costs and cuts reliance on mechanical heating and cooling systems. It also promotes air circulation and is water-resistant.
Recycled Glass
You can find recycled glass in a wide range of building and design products. From Mason jars to glass countertops and wall panels, this time-tested material is increasingly being reclaimed by builders and designers. Using it reduces construction costs, cuts energy consumption, and lowers carbon emissions.
Recycling glass requires less energy than manufacturing new products from raw materials. It also helps reduce the environmental damage that comes from landfills, where waste products contaminate soil and water. However, the process does consume energy. For example, heating glass in furnaces to liquefy it uses between 2.5 and 5 kWh/kg, according to the Glass Packaging Institute.
The most efficient way to recycle glass is through multistream collection, in which consumers separate the material from other recyclables. This method avoids contamination and makes it easier for processors to identify the high-quality material that can be recycled into new products. It also eliminates the need for a separate glass recycling bin and reduces labor costs. Currently, only 40% of glass from single-stream collection ends up in new products. The number surpasses 90% with multistream collections.
Unfortunately, the recycling market for glass has been slowed by high demand for aluminum and plastic bottles, which are cheaper to transport and store than glass. Additionally, glass is heavier than plastic and more prone to breakage during transportation.
Hemp
Hemp is a sustainable building material that can reduce energy consumption and costs. It requires less energy to produce than traditional construction materials and produces fewer greenhouse gases during manufacturing. In addition, hemp is renewable and can be quickly replenished. This makes it a more environmentally-friendly option than other, slower-growing, non-renewable resources.
Sustainable materials can also enhance a home’s thermal performance, reducing energy requirements and heating and cooling costs. Hemp building insulation products like PlantBatt, HempWool, and AcoustiBatt can regulate temperature and reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling systems.
When combined with passive design strategies, sustainable materials can create a more energy efficient building. This can lower a building’s reliance on artificial lighting, heating, and ventilation systems, resulting in significant energy savings.
The building sector is responsible for 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally, and this figure is expected to double in the next 20 years. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is essential for reducing these emissions, and innovative new building materials are necessary to achieve this goal.
One such new construction material is lime hemp concrete, which combines the benefits of concrete with hemp straw. Hemp straw has a very low thermal conductivity and high thermal capacity, which makes it an effective insulator. Hempcrete can be used in place of drywall or fiberglass insulation and can offer superior R-values when compared to other building materials. Hempcrete is also moisture-resistant, which can prevent the buildup of mold and mildew.