Sustainable Building Design

Chapter 4Energy

Hugo Hodgson¹, Miles Keeping², Katharine Marsden³, David Pearce⁴ and David Shiers⁵

¹Carter Jonas, London, W1G 0BG, UK

²Hillbreak Ltd., Buckinghamshire, HP18 9TH, UK

³Strutt & Parker, London, W1J 5LQ, UK

⁴Arup Associates, London, W1T 4BQ, UK

⁵School of the Built Environment,, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK

In most countries, advances in manufacturing, technology, heating and cooling systems in buildings and transport, continue to drive an increasing demand for energy which is still largely met by the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). Although the development of alternative, ‘renewable’ sources of energy such as solar, wind and water, now make a significant contribution to energy production in many parts of the world, serious concerns remain about the emissions of carbon dioxide, other gases and pollutants which result from the use of fossil fuels.

The Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research Emission Database shows that emissions of CO₂ were 33.4 billion tonnes in 2011, 48% more than those of 20 years ago (EC, 2011). The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has estimated that over the past century, the global level of CO₂ in the atmosphere has increased by more than 39%, from 280 ppm during the pre-industrial era to the record high level of 400 ppm in May 2013 (IPCC, 2007).http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032114005450https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiBiB4DaYOMhttp://www.EnergyPLAN.eu ...