Sustainable Building Materials for Energy Efficiency

Abstract

“Choices we have and choices we make”. Selection of sustainable materials for building envelope can be a challenging task in designing green buildings keeping in view broad spectrum of factors governing their use such as availability materials in local proximity, embodied energy, life cycle cost over its operating phase, limiting cost factors, carbon footprint, strength, durability, recyclability, fire resistance or aesthetics etc. Energy conservation building code 2017 has brought out different metrics for building materials prescriptive requirements for ECBC, ECBC plus and super ECBC compliant buildings. Despite various research and development organizations, innovative use of building materials in building fabric have not taken off whereas selection and use of materials is very intrinsic to energy efficiency and green building practices. Use of proliferating glass even in residential buildings, external wall materials without any additional insulation, single paned glazed windows or poor air sealing are omnipresent. Deeper understanding of building physics and material properties is required to control building heat gain factor both from transparent fenestrations and opaque elements. The research paper attempts to draws inventory of materials and technologies for energy efficiency for reducing cooling loads of buildings for new as well as existing buildings.