Employing energy efficient design

Using energy efficiency measures
Building energy-efficiently

Description

Energy efficient design optimizes energy consumption/benefit ratios. In the construction or retrofitting of energy efficient housing (and equipment), energy efficient design principles take account of human, environmental and economic factors, architecture and building elements, use of solar energy and other renewable energy applications, monitoring systems and computer software.

Implementation

According the the Enquête-Kommission of the German Bundestag, it is technically possible to build houses which use 70-90% less energy for heating needs, to heat existing houses by using 70-80% less energy, to manufacture electrical appliances which use 30-60% less energy and to produce automobiles which use 50-60% less energy.

An 18-watt fluorescent bulb gives as much light as a 75-watt incandescent bulb but uses 75% less electricity. Some new refrigerators and air conditioners are 60% more efficient than earlier models.

Claim

Often law and habits inhibit implementing efficiency measure. It is common practice that an architect receives a percentage of the building material expenses as a fee. On this basis, an architect will be little interested in using less resources for the building and has no incentive to install systems which will save the owner money and energy during the life of the building. Similarly tenants would be reluctant to purchase expensive equipment which saves water over a long-term because they will not feel confident that the investment will have been paid back by the time they leave.