A Review of Buildings’ Energy Challenges

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

The built environment has been reported at attributing 48% of all energy consumption in the US witharound 75% of all the electricity produced in the US and 20–40% of the total energy consumption inEurope and other advanced countries. The built environment is responsible for about half of thegreenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and 30–40% of the total carbon emissions in the UK. Buildings alsocontribute indirectly to greenhouse gas emissions. Production of construction materials is primarilydependent on conventional energy sources in many parts of the world. Construction sector in India emitsabout 22% of the total annual emission of CO2. Out of the emissions from the construction sector, around80% are resulting mainly from the products/industrial processes of energy intensive building materials(i.e. cement, lime, steel, bricks and aluminum.) Over the next three decades, the building stock isprojected to grow extensively, which creates an extraordinary opportunity to achieve significantemissions reductions in the building sector. Pressure to slash CO2 emissions continues to mount withgrowing levels of legislation and incentives to preserve our environment. To meet these targets,considerable research into energy efficiency is underway. The review in this study identifies the role ofcity planning and buildings in global carbon emission and solutions to reduce it with appropriatetechnologies and materials. This review helps in developing an insight about buildings’ role in carbonemission. Keywords: Energy efficiency, office buildings, GHG, CO2 emissions, UAE