"Challenge of Environmental Advocacy in Construction Industry."

Durreesamin Journal (ISSN: 2204-9827) December Vol 4 Issue 3, Year 2018 CHALLENGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY RVGOMESERIA 23 NOVEMBER 2018 | ENRM252 D/MENRM UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES Insight The construction is one of the most intensive industrial practices and businesses in the world, and that is true, and I do have no arguments in such a way that Construction within the community is a must for country’s socio-cultural development, economic aspects, and market values. I am highlighting the above picture where the Philippine New Clark City covered image by the CNN is one of the examples where sustainability has been addressed. As Building and Construction Engineering experienced, we learned that within the construction, using heavy equipment has been used, where more energy encompasses to build buildings and infrastructure development each day compared to the joint transportation in traditional norms. In the construction, of course, cement is the standard and primary material being used in the erection of building and infrastructure construction. However, the cement is made by heating limestone to more than 2600 degrees Fahrenheit. And as compared, in producing 1-ton of cement by the manufacturer, which is roughly equivalent to a ton of carbon dioxide emission from the burning of fossil fuels used that have been tagged by the US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) as one of the third largest sources contribution of greenhouse gas to the rvgomeseria environmental advocacy& conservation upou page 35 of 92 Durreesamin Journal (ISSN: 2204-9827) December Vol 4 Issue 3, Year 2018 environment. Another factor is Steel. It is another one of the major component used in the construction business which consumed as much as or roughly 8% to 10% energy used by the manufacturers that contribute greenhouse gas. After the construction stage is finished, the building maintenance costs to 40% energy have been used for lighting, air conditioning, heating, and other building electrical components consumptions for the building facility. The maintenance is responsible as well provides 30% of the world carbon emission as the world are more concern with climate change. However, many of the stakeholders are coming up with their concerned on how to minimize with the direct impact to the environment that has to be constructed a building which has to be eco-friendly to the environment. And as an environmental advocate, I wish that all government agencies must cooperate with the policy-making that has been issued and implement them well so that we can have an eco-environment for the building facility. Sustainable Standards and its Application In the construction industry, we have the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC) that promotes green building strategic principles as well as sharing of knowledge of green building practices to ensure a sustainable environment. And from their website, the PHILGBC was organized only to serve in the promotion of a holistic and market-based green building practices that includes facilitating the sharing of green building information and practices as well as serving as a non-partisan venue for the development of a green building rating system in the building industry in the Philippines like the Philippine New Clark City. Because I am concerned with sustainability, and as an environmental advocate where I can do it much within my field where I am involved in the construction industry, the good thing is, the PHILGBC is continuously developing and improving the BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) Rating System. The purpose is to facilitate greener building, and measures how a structure excels above and beyond the existing local environmental regulations and standards. The BERDE’s framework considers with a 9-core area that needs to be measured as the fundamental criterion for greening the building certification of the following criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Water Efficiency and Conservation, Waste Management, Use of Land and Ecology, Management, Green Materials, Transportation, Indoor Environment Quality, and, Emissions. At ANC source during the interview with Arch. Ramon Rufino explained about their building design called Neclima (Figure 02) to be BERDE Certified by providing with the following features in reducing the energy approaches using the façades architecturally as follows; Using particular design in the curtain wall, He explained that they provide a double pane of glass with argon gas in between the glass. The purpose of the argon gas in to control the amount of heat that comes into the building in reducing the temperature coming from outside for energy savings in air conditioning system Special coating in one of the layer of the glass that rejects heat coming into the building, rvgomeseria environmental advocacy& conservation upou page 36 of 92 Durreesamin Journal (ISSN: 2204-9827) December Vol 4 Issue 3, Year 2018 Low eco-coating paints, The sunshades with aluminum wraps around it in the entire structure where the solar heat reduces the heat coming from inside of the building as well as to control the temperature and thereby reducing the amount of energy to be cooled the interior building facility, The building design has been developed in coordination with the International group and the local’s architects and engineers, and local consultants in further developing the strategic principles to make the green building concept a reality in the Philippines. Additional green building concept features have been adopted and included in the building design concerning air conditioning system design where the condensate water produced has been collected as gray water principles and distributed to be used for other building purposes. The concept is to reduce of the water consumption held in standard form and the energy that usually the building needs functionality to deliver the requirement, however, with the use of harvesting principles as it was implied and included in the building design. Figure 02, The Neclima Building for BERDE Certification Another idea is the fuel tank where being used as a backed-up for the requirement of a standby generator set in the building. In standard design, which the fuel tank has been designed with the component of steel, however, and as discussed earlier, steel production contributes roughly 8% to 10% energy used by the manufacturers that add greenhouse gas in the environment as well as it brought rusty components that need for replacement after 10 to 15-years. And thereby, instead of using steel tank, the green building concept has been changed to fiberglass that will last for 30-years with automatic leak detection so that the fuel will not immediately go to the soil within the environmental concerned, and thus, maintenance can be fixed anytime. Additional features have been included in the building is the air waste or the air return coming from the air conditioning system. The element has been used for recirculation in the form of delivering it to the front of the lobby that will serve as an air curtain whereby or upon entering rvgomeseria environmental advocacy& conservation upou page 37 of 92 Durreesamin Journal (ISSN: 2204-9827) December Vol 4 Issue 3, Year 2018 in the building to trap the outdoor air coming into the indoor building facility. The principles where the air return from the air conditioning system and with the treated fresh air from outdoor is being mixed to have an air change process. Whereby the excess air will be using either in the toilet or as per Mr. Ramon explained having a cool breeze at some point to have a comfortable lobby area rather than extracting the air outside. However, the payback needs to understand and the importance of the benefits in applying the green building principles in the present building projects in the Philippines using the BERDE Rating Systems application that will be held encompassing the necessary incentives that may be applied for any green building projects. The Green Building Rating Systems have enumerated and identified aside from we have in the Philippines with BERDE Rating systems, however, where now exists globally of the following agencies in promoting green building design as follows; ● Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – USA ● Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) – United Kingdom ● Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) – Hong Kong ● Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Agency (CASBEE) – Japan ● Green Star – Australia ● BCA Green Mark – Singapore ● International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE) – Canada ● Green Globes – Canada, USA As well as the application of having incentives, lower insurance premiums, and the government initiatives in encouraging in promoting the green building, however, more likely is from the voluntary sides compared to the LEED System, BERDE only answers to the ecological needs of the Philippine environment. The BERDE Standards have been lifted from the ideas amongst from the 80-numbers practicing around the globe; however, the BERDE adopted the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system where most of the Engineers and the Architects are using and applies in the country. But currently, the PHILGBC is trying to provide a rating system which is suited for the Philippine environmental aspect concerning green building design and construction. The Solar Powered Air Conditioner and the Application Clean and green where more groups have been initiated for this kind of application where become conscious in the environment concerned to promote the alternative sources of energy which is affordable and transformative using the Solar Powered Air Conditioners incorporating the intelligence controller system whereby reducing the carbon footprint in the environment and saving energy as well. However, with the realization that fossil fuels which are not sustainable in the environment we are living with, the privates and public institutions initiates in promoting the required on how to reduce the carbon footprint financially and environmentally. And most companies are looking for the alternatives, and one of them is using solar as the new global trend in energy that was being applied to all facilities where applicable. One of the examples that the Solar Powered Air Conditioner has been introduced is in the La Consolacion College of Manila. The reason is due to the electrical rates of the electric bills that have been received in the congregation for them to construct an environmentally friendly which is harnessing from the sun with solar powered air conditioners. With this method is saving the business from the electrical crisis with the largescale solar solutions that have been tailored-fit in the educational institution. rvgomeseria environmental advocacy& conservation upou page 38 of 92 Durreesamin Journal (ISSN: 2204-9827) December Vol 4 Issue 3, Year 2018 The application of solar panels has been designed in the La Consolacion College of Manila is to absorb the sunlight as a source of energy to generate electricity or the heat required for the system to operate. It is good for the congregation as they decided for this kind of alternative where looks like they are committed as an example in Manila to sustainable development and renewable energy application. Thus, this will help them reduce the electricity costs from Meralco Electricity and the carbon footprint in sustaining a sustainable environment. Figure 03, Solar Panel for Solar Powered Air Conditioner of La Consolacion College The system application arrived in transforming to an alternative energy source using the Solar Powered Air Conditioners because of unexpected electric bills consumed by the educational institution. However, it is going green with solar power using the sun to cool the school buildings. The cost is too expensive, however, in the long run, will save much more in their operational cost compared to having Meralco as the source of electric energy for the school. Also, the system mitigated on how it will work and the plan on how the system will facilitate in the educational facility to minimize and maximize the space requirement. The Drawing Board Arch. Raymond Andrew of UP College of Architecture discussed the importance of integrating the green building architecture in the curriculum. The impact to the environmental solution in acquiring a sustainable architecture in reducing the carbon footprint and incorporating environmental architecture in a way that the students or even the oldies architect in upgrading the conceptual value of a sustainable green building. However, this is to enlighten the importance of the green building to revitalize and enhance the ideas of the green building using less energy requirement. With green principles, overall wherein the carbon-conscious urban world, the developers, contractors, architects and the engineers as well as the building code authority have started advocating the green architecture or even the general approaches that will sustain the needs of the environment into a sustainable building environment not only in the Philippine soil but the whole world. Likewise, in Qatar, with all the services and the building perspective as far as sustainability is concerned in the construction rvgomeseria environmental advocacy& conservation upou page 39 of 92 Durreesamin Journal (ISSN: 2204-9827) December Vol 4 Issue 3, Year 2018 industry, I made the design in align with the environmental aspect following the LEED and Qatar GSAS principles, e.g., hospital as shown below. Figure 04, HPH Psychiatry Hospital for Sustainable Building Conclusion As a conclusion, as an Environmental Advocate, Green Building adoption in the construction industry is a good impression that every country has been doing their best and initiatives in practicing a sustainable green building to reduce the building carbon footprint that is commonly produced by the existing conventional design as we can experience from there. However, most importantly, the PHILGBC Council is continuously developing and improving the green building policy. Through the BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) Rating System, where has to facilitate greener building. Measuring how will the building excels above and beyond the existing local environmental regulations and standards as well as the incentives being generated with the green principles that might help individuals, the institutions, the country and the whole world in sustaining a sustainable environment in the construction industry. With the scientist, the realization of the fossil fuels is not sustainable in the environment; it is the La Consolacion College initiatives in promoting the required on how to reduce the carbon footprint. Through the innovative technology, using the Solar Powered Air Conditioners in the educational facility in harnessing the free energy gifted to us from the sun that has been applied successfully in transforming to an alternative energy source in the country. Likewise for the Philippine New Clark City, where they called as the green city which has been designed in conformance to BERDE and LEED principles. In the construction industry, the green building concept features where have been adopted and included in the building design. The conceptual analysis regarding air conditioning system design, harvesting the condensate water and rainwater, harnessing the sun's energy, green building materials, and the application of green building architecture are the main factors in the green building application. And as discussed in the given link to understanding the principles are the great pleasure to know things for the sake of our environment in forming a sustainable rvgomeseria environmental advocacy& conservation upou page 40 of 92 Durreesamin Journal (ISSN: 2204-9827) December Vol 4 Issue 3, Year 2018 environment for the country overall. Hence, as a practicing building and construction engineer, it is my advocate in the implementation of a sustainable environment, however, a difficult task but this is one of the challenging parts of my career. Figure 05, Clark City View courtesy image from Reuters References CM 655, Sustainability and Building Information Modeling Course; Master of Science in Construction Management; Polytechnic University of the Philippines; 2017 (1.14 GPA) ENRM 252, Environmental Advocacy; Master of Environment and Natural Resources Management; University of the Philippines (UPOU), 2018 rvgomeseria environmental advocacy& conservation upou page 41 of 92