Sustainable development as a driver for innovation and employment
Sustainability is the key to market recovery and future economic growth.
ABSTRACT
Sustainability is the key to market recovery and future economic growth. Climate change and other natural disasters present an opportunity to save lives, and property. Efficiency and innovation are job creators spawning new technologies, use of building materials, and methods of building. Individuals like William Kamkwamba, “the boy who harnessed the wind” found solutions, surviving drought and famine, through innovation and perseverance during trying times. Sustainability reduces impact on the environment, benefits people, and grows wealth. This paper will discuss how to quantify sustainability with case studies the author has conducted.
INTRODUCTION
Sustainability, now a common word, is a measurable practice that allows us to benchmark and commission buildings to a new standard. The basis for new design, polices for development, and planning demonstrate resilience and leadership. To encapsulate a sustainable approach in practice, this paper will highlight specific case studies that support sustainability.
Sustainability is the key to market recovery and future economic growth. Climate change and other natural disasters are presenting opportunities to better our environment, save lives, and property. Additionally, renewables or intermittent energy sources, efficiency, and innovation are jobs creators. A great example of innovation in sustainability by an individual is William Kamkwamba, “the boy who harnessed the wind;” by creating a wind turbine, he found solutions to the multiple social and economic problems he and his family faced. Solutions, like the ones he developed, are spawning new technologies, use of building materials, as well as unique methods of building and customized living plans.
Sustainability, though motivated by climate change, is a catalyst for change, and there are examples of how humans have already exhibited the capacity for environmental changes. One well-known example is our overuse of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (aka DDT) was having a significant impact on not just land but animals. It was due to the use of DDT that the environment and birds were being destroyed; however, after several conservation efforts supported the bald eagles and the condors came back from the brink of extinction. (Carson, 1962) Additionally by regulating sulfur-rich coal, we were also able to mitigate the amount of acid rain, and consequently the ecosystems are coming back. (Brimblecombe, 20007) Another example is how the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) caused depletion of the ozone layer, so we reduced the amount of CFCs in our products. Because of that, the expansion of the hole in the ozone layer was halted, and the ozone layer is repairing itself much faster than expected. (Change) We have made these positive changes and continue to search for more innovative solutions to pressing environmental problems..
“Sustainability” since first stated in the Bruntland Report (Bruntland, 1987)has been defined in different ways for different purposes. There are many views on what sustainability is and how it can be achieved. The overall picture focuses on three main factors:
- The environment: earth, air, water, and ecosystems
- The social impacts: people, health, and culture
- Economics: profits, savings, and efficiency
Sustainability is scalable. On one end of the scale, we have the individual. The individual saves money, pollutes less, and lives in a healthier space by building a passive house, a net-zero house. Small scale makes individuals self-sufficient. It’s about building houses and businesses in a manner that makes sense. On the larger end of the scale, there are cities.
METHODS AND RESULTS
One focus of this study was on school modernization in Washington D.C. During the 2013–2014 school year, the D.C. Public School System opened two new LEED Platinum Schools. This came about because of the quantification of sustainable practices.
Building for today makes us more prepared for tomorrow. Passive design features, like additional insulation, light shelves, shade walls, and innovative heating/cooling design reduce the amount of energy that an HVAC system needs in order to adequately heat or cool a space. Less demanding HVAC systems have lower upfront installation costs and are cheaper to operate. Money saved can then be put towards adding even more energy saving features to a building. A return on investment can be calculated to illustrate the value of an energy efficient system. Passive design strategies are as intelligent as they are cost effective; they reduce upfront costs, operating expenses, and required maintenance.
Quantification of sustainability research from the D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) Modernization Program is a multiyear study that will be revisited as new technology is developed. Retrofitting and building measurements were used to establish benchmarks for energy and sustainability. After being commissioned, optimization research was conducted to enhance performance. Sustainability is the result of effective design guidelines and proper commissioning.
The DCPS Modernization Program used energy audits and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Operational Report Card (ORC) to establish its data points. The ORC evaluates a learning environment’s performance by measuring its indoor air quality, energy efficiency, visual quality, acoustics, thermal comfort, water conservation, and waste reduction.
Let’s first look at how we improved performance with air quality. Indoor air quality measures an interior environment’s temperature, relative humidity, and its carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) levels, in parts-per-million (ppm). CO and CO2 levels are compared to those found in the surrounding outdoor environment. Any level of CO above ambient conditions should be investigated, as it may be the result of improper venting of combustion equipment. High CO levels may also be the result of vehicles idling too close to air intakes or windows. CO2 levels that are more than 700 ppm above ambient levels result in a “stuffy” feeling in the room. Such elevated levels often result in groggy students. The problem is typically solved by bringing more fresh air into the classroom. CO2 is used as a proxy for ventilation in each classroom. Thus, an increase in air flow will resolve this issue.
We also addressed improvements with energy efficiency. Energy Star’s Portfolio Manager was used to measure and compare each school’s energy consumption to a national standard. Our analysis collected energy consumption data at 15 second, sub-metered intervals, which helped us determine the spikes, baseloads, peak loads, and start/finish times for each piece of equipment. By adjusting start times and temperature points, we reduced energy consumption by an additional 20%.
Energy audits also use thermography to discover air leakages. This is done by assigning an estimated R-value to a building’s envelope. Thermographs of the envelope are then taken and analyzed to determine the relative temperature differences (hot vs. cold) of an envelope’s features. Significant temperature differences indicate leakage points. Common leakage points are around window and door frames, hollow wall cavities, attic spaces, and other holes cut into the envelope. After being identified, leakage points are properly insulated and sealed.
Visual quality is especially important to evaluate in schools. Our project measured light levels at desk height, in nine locations throughout each classroom. Measurements were taken three times during a school day to determine how the light level changes in a classroom. Levels are measured in foot-candles (FC). Acceptable levels are between 35 and 50 FC. Most spaces were over lit or inappropriately lit for their purpose. Changes made to light distribution and fixture type cut back on the number of lights that each building needed by 30–40%.
In addition to improving visual quality, we also targeted improving the acoustics of the buildings. There are two elements of acoustics that were studied at each school: background noise and sound insulation. Background noise is the sound level in the room when there is no intentional sound. HVAC systems, other school equipment, and outdoor sources contribute to background noise. Levels above 45 dBA result in loud environments in which students may have difficulty learning from CHPS best practices. Measurements are taken with the HVAC both on and off, when possible, to determine if the HVAC system is the primary noise source for the room. Sound insulation is a measure of how much sound is transmitted between adjacent spaces. It is measured between the classroom and hallway, and between the classroom and an adjacent classroom. Good construction results in a reduction of at least 40 dBA between classrooms and hallways and at least 45 dBA between classrooms. Higher numbers are better for sound insulation — more sound is absorbed by walls and less is transmitted to adjacent spaces.
Sustainability also looks at water use. Water use is measured by counting a building’s fixtures and then observing each fixture’s flow rate. This metric helped us determine whether high-flow fixtures needed to be replaced by ultra-low flow fixtures. In Washington, D.C., storm water management is key to site success. D.C. requires all water from a 1.2 inch rain event to be reusable. This can be accomplished via green roofs, greywater toilet flushing, and bioswales.
Most people think of waste, or trash, when thinking of improving green practices. To determine waste production, we recorded the amount of waste that each school sent to a landfill, recycled, or composted. Our analysis enabled more appropriately sized waste receptacles to be installed and strategically placed to better accommodate the creation of a zero waste school.
Occupant satisfaction is an equally important metric. To measure satisfaction, a survey, with questions relating to each of the aforementioned categories, was issued. If over 20% of responses to questions about a specific category indicated dissatisfaction, we revisited our approach to that category.
This analysis established a benchmark for the summer modernizations of 2013 using the design guidelines. Prior to this assessment, these criteria were part of the design process but were not quantified and verified. The follow up quantification and verification of these metrics laid the ground work for a design refresh. In spring 2014, new design specifications for these component and open source building automation systems (BAS) were developed using the lessons learned from the previous year. The commissioning agents and process now include these metrics.
This exercise was able to capture and quantify areas for improvement using a five building sample size. Documenting the utility bills pre and post renovation have resulted in a 30% decrease (see graph below) in energy consumed. Beyond this base assessment, the sub-metering component added in 2014 has resulted in a further 20% energy reduction when an optimization of building use is conducted.
These bullets reflect changes in the process and design to standards.
Indoor Air Quality
► No Carbon Monoxide (CO)
► Carbon dioxide (CO2) less than 1000 ppm in an occupied classroom or work environment
Energy Efficiency
► Building Perform 30% then ASHRAE, verified via energy model and interval data
Visual Quality
► Lighting to incorporate daylight harvesting
► Design at 42FC of light on the desk during a cloudy day
► Reflective ceiling plan with distributed FC layout incorporating daylight at 50% design set.
Acoustics
► Source building materials that do not conduct sounds
► Orientation of the building and placement of program
Thermal Comfort
►Dress for the season
►Acceptable Heating Range Occupied
§ 68–75.5 Range. Set thermostat to 71 degrees with the ability to adjust locally ± 2 degrees
►Acceptable Heating Temperature Unoccupied
§ 60 degrees
►Acceptable Cooling Range Occupied
§ 73–79.5 Range. Set thermostat to 75 degrees with the ability to adjust locally ± 2 degrees
►Acceptable Cooling Temperature Unoccupied
§ 85 degrees
Water
►Ultra-low flow fixtures
►Greywater reuse
Waste
►Accessible to both front-end loaded and rear-end loaded trucks
►Right size dumpsters and design loading dock and interior spaces to optimize waste diversion.
►8 cubic yard dumpster OR compactor for paper and cardboard
►8 cubic yard dumpster OR compactor for trash
►(2–4) 96 gallon tooters for glass/plastic/metals,
►(3–10) 36 or (1–3) 96 gallon tooters for compostable waste
Quantifying sustainability added value to the DCPS Modernization Program by drastically decreasing a school’s operating costs. The planning process has been redesigned such that passive design features are now discussed at the outset. The short term cost of implementing these features is justified by the long term savings they yield.
Have Stormwater credits and do not have to pay a fee for not meeting the requirements. Reduced Watershed impact- meets DDOE-EPA requirements
Post construction verification of the systems, the commissioning process is streamlined. Optimizing the system from the start and communicating to the end user has resulted in better functioning buildings. In the case of Dunbar High School, the Building EUI is 47–62% better than the US national average.
Dunbar High School is recognized as the “Greenest School in the World,” and has received the highest distinction by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) certified LEED Platinum. The 280,000 sf school achieved 91 points, out of 110 points possible for LEED — making it the highest-scoring k-12, new school in the world. Due to this achievement:
“In the same year that the school has been certified Platinum, it has also posted the highest standardized test score gains in the entire city — this after only one year in the building. I believe that innovative design has created a synergy with the school’s educational transformation initiatives that is resulting in more successful educational outcomes for the students” — Sean O’Donnell AIA, LEED AP
Principal-in-Charge @ Perkins Eastman
The new Dunbar High School campus raised the bar for sustainable, high-performance school design in the District of Columbia and for students’ environmental stewardship. The more prominent sustainable design attributes include:
►482 kW photovoltaic array, provided through Washington, DC’s first power purchase agreement, that generates enough energy on a sunny summer day to power all classroom lights for eight hours
►Washington, D.C.’s largest ground-source heat pump (aka “geothermal”) system below Dunbar’s athletic field, with wells extending 460 feet deep
►The reopening of O Street as a sustainable model that features 6,152 sf of rain gardens able to handle a 1.2-inch storm event
►Pervasive natural light resulting from proper orientation and shading of the building
►Two 20,000 gallon cisterns and low-flow fixtures help save over 1,400,000 gallons of potable water/year.
►Enhanced acoustics that help create a high-performance learning environment
Ten months post construction and commissioning, a meeting was held between the engineer, architect, facilities, and the administration. We had a 2 hour meeting about schedule and temperature set points and operations. This resulted in changes to the building schedule around its use, reducing energy consumption in the summer by 40% and the fall semester by 20%, saving about $50,000 a year in utility costs. Where figure 1 hourglasses the day after our meeting.
This school integrates into STEAM curriculum. Science, math, engineering, and art can utilize the school as a tool for teaching. The students can use the school as a real world example using all of the aforementioned tests. Making real time changes, integrated with the operations and facilities personnel, allows students to be innovative, document changes, and enhance their learning environment.
To take efficiency to the next level would be to offset the remaining load with intermittent or renewable or intermittent energy sources. This would create a Net-Zero design. One high school design was established and approved for $18 Million, in the fall of 2012. The cost of the Net-Zero add was value engineered down to $12 Million, in December 2012. The high school was to be the largest Net-Zero building in the world, the first of its size in the humid subtropical climate zone and the first Net-Zero High School. Other issues scrapped this project but it would have had, at the heart of this Net-Zero design a Biomass boiler with an Organic Rankine Cycle. This system would have produced 8 MW of energy and provided radiant floor heating and cooling for the building. The Biomass, in this case woody debris, would have been provided by the District of Columbia’s urban forest wood waste. The wood waste is currently shipped out of the district and to a landfill. This would have eliminated the cost of exportation and provided a free source of fuel for the schools heating, cooling, and electric system. This would have saved the tax-payers $50 Million dollars in energy costs, over the life of the building.
Another study into sustainability focuses on playgrounds in D.C. Policies for a Sustainable Playgrounds in D.C. later evolved into a scope of work, for the request for proposal, related to D.C. play sites. The Harry Thomas Senior Playground in Washington, D.C. is a math-themed play area, taking the design inspiration from the Fibonacci sequence. When these numbers are used to create squares, the result is a beautiful spiral, similar to those found in fiddlehead ferns or certain mollusk shells. Other features include: new curvilinear ADA-accessible walking paths, a community garden, a fitness loop, rain gardens and bio-retention areas, two new basketball courts, one new tennis court, new custom playground equipment, artistic elements such as interpretive signage and interactive art poles, new solar-powered scoreboard, new adult fitness equipment, and a shaded picnic area.
The playground also features a green roof pavilion and an extensive storm-water management system for its new community garden. In an effort to capture 100% of the site’s 1.2 inches of storm water and recycle it back into the landscape areas and/or meet the DDOE and LEED Requirements. These requirements aim to reduce impervious cover, promote infiltration, and capture/treat storm water runoff from 90% of the average rainfall using best management and Limited Impact Development (LID) practices. This could include bioswales, a dry river bed, or sand filters. It was recently awarded the #6 spot on the “Coolest Playgrounds in the World” list and ranked second among the 50 Best Playgrounds in America by the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Zone (Planners, 2015) Policy lays the foundation for successful integration of sustainability. This demonstrates leadership, progress, and planning for the future. Sustainability lays the foundation for these types of successes with all aspects of design and construction.
Providing innovation and sustainability to the community creates a ripple effect of change and growth. Other D.C. play sites have been planted with fruit trees. These trees are of value to the community, as a source of food and as canopy cover. Food deserts exist in urban environments; therefore providing fruit trees in a public park offer free healthy choices for the community. Jobs are created for community members to care for and maintain the crop. More community gardens pop up on dirt patches and fresh local produce is grown in otherwise forgotten areas. This engages people, reduces environmental impact by consuming local resources, and decreases costs for those who can grow their own food.
Changing from the local level of D.C. parks to a national level, Costa Rica is a country that has embraced sustainable practices. Costa Rica, historically, has a robust tradition in coffee farming. A lot of the smaller farms were not finding it as profitable as they were using conventional methods of farming. In addition to the financial losses, they saw their environment was being negatively impacted. One of the negative effects from non-sustainable farming methods was that only certain birds were able to survive. As a result, some of these coffee farmers went organic. This shift took them from making ten cents a pound seven years ago, using a conventional system with a coop in certain regions, to making three dollars a pound today. That is a 3,000 percent increase. (Dieterich, 2014) With the coffee farmers in Costa Rica selling an organic coffee product, the U.S. and Costa Rican governments established trade agreements between our countries. The trade agreements make it possible for a small pop-up coffee shop to go directly to an organic farm in Central America and get their products from the farmer.
This relationship generates revenue and helps farmers in developing countries by supporting their organic coffee farms. Additionally, it’s becoming a larger cyclical event that spawns and creates business and new opportunities, not just for coffee growers, but also for entrepreneurs, owners of smaller businesses, and people living in smaller countries. Not only do they make a greater profit but it also allows them to care for the environment. In addition, the environmentally-friendly changes are creating better crops; they grow different plants, and this polyculture allows there to be more nitrogen in the soil. There is less soil erosion and run-off. There are more nutrients in the produce, which generates healthier coffee. Ultimately a better product is the result, and it is better for the environment. Both consumers and coffee plants are not being exposed to pesticides, thereby perpetuating greater coffee growth for future generations.
Costa Rica is known for being one of the best examples in the world of eco-tourism. Costa Ricans are very welcoming, so this friendliness, coupled with an amazing environment created the eco-tourism system now in place. Eco-tourism has been beneficial to Costa Rican businesses as they have been able to capitalize on bringing in tourists while protecting the environment. Local businesses decided to take advantage of this combination and through adaptability, the desire to increase profitability while protecting the environment, the eco-tourism industry in Costa Rica was created.
Costa Rica developed a certification in sustainable tourism with a ranking system that scores businesses with one to five leaves. The certification of sustainable tourism, or CST (Nations, n.d.), was designed to differentiate within the tourism sector and the businesses based on different degrees of compliance with a sustainable model of natural, cultural, social, and resource management. An eco-system resort called Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel & Nature Reserve earned CST’s highest level of certification — five green leaves. They have sustainably integrated the hotel with the surrounding natural habitat through an extensive infrastructure and a variety of services including incorporating eco-friendly management policies and operational systems that support recycling, growing their own food, producing renewable energy, implementing water savings, and reducing water pollution.
The services at Villa Blanca both internal and external are in accordance with different trends in the market. They hire from within the local community, with 96 percent of the employees being from the adjacent town, thus reinforcing the positive strong social, economic, and environmental impact. Additionally, Villa Blanca prioritizes the education of the local people, and working with the local farms to create biogas, using the cow manure to create energy. In turn this stabilizes the region while supporting the people, the environment, and their economic profitability. The benefits collectively grow, not just for the ecotourism hotel and the local community, but also for the tourists because they can see the preserved natural environment, partnered with a business, a country and a culture that is choosing sustainability all preserved and benefitting from ecotourism. Furthermore, their sustainable priorities insure the way they are operating benefits the environment, the country, their profitability and local people. By combining a cutting edge approach with innovative technology that uses biofuels and passive systems, they are protecting the local wildlife and vegetation and evolving sustainability. This progressive thinking and action has allowed them to set the bar for sustainability within the ecotourism industry, in addition to generating revenue.
Costa Rica’s sustainability platform, approach, practices and innovative designs, have had a valuable impact on economic and personal growth. Coupling this growth with sustainable modification using various technologies to create jobs, teach new skills and hone old skills while meeting the housing and energy demands that exist today, and success through sustainability is inevitable.
This inevitable success can be seen in countries like Algeria as it develops sustainability on a variety of levels; other countries can be encouraged and inspired by the success Algeria is experiencing. Incorporating sustainable technology and passive design strategy into their building practices has created an economy where the housing demands can be met with the finite resources available in Algeria. Using conventional methods of construction, Algeria was unable to meet the housing demands within time and resource constraints. However, sustainable technology has allowed them to innovatively solve housing problems.
CONCLUSION
The process of quantifying sustainability drives innovation and development on a local level, such as with a play space or school and on a global level, such as with ecotourism and coffee prices. It decreases capital, operational, and utility costs. The sustainable features discussed in this paper put metrics on best practices which add little to no cost to the project, and subsequently reduce costs in perpetuity, as defined by an ROI calculation. Sustainability is creating a better environment, supporting people, and driving better resource management, reducing costs, and improving efficiency.
Transformation toward sustainable societies both globally and locally is possible and scalable. Efficiency, renewable resources, better building practices, and preserving our environment against climatic change can be achieved. We can make changes now that will have an impact, both today and for future generations. As discussed throughout this paper there are several ways to look at sustainability; the case studies were chosen because of firsthand experience with said projects. The results of this study show that making the decision to pursue efficiency, go organic, and incorporate passive design is sustainable and beneficial on a global level.
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Nations, U. (n.d.). Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST). Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/partnership/?p=1495.
Planners, E. C. (2015). 50 Best Playgrounds in America. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodeducationzone.com/best-playgrounds-in-america/.
