GREEN BUILDINGS:
An Approach towards
Pollution Prevention
Abhilash Vijayan
Charanya Varadarajan
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Toledo
Air Pollution Research Group
Introduction
 Since the Industrial Revolution the world has witnessed
 incalculable technological achievements
 population growth
 corresponding increases in resource use
 “Side effects” of all the activities and achievements include:
 pollution, landfills at capacity, toxic waste, global warming, resource
and ozone depletion, and deforestation

All these efforts are straining the limits of the Earth’s
“carrying capacity”— its ability to provide the resources
required to sustain life while retaining the capacity to
regenerate and remain viable.
Building Industry- Facts
Population
Vegetation
Air Quality
Climate
Construction
Transportation
Watersheds
1/6 of the world’s
freshwater withdrawals
1/4 of world’s
wood harvest
2/5 of world’s
material & energy flows
Environmental and Economic Impacts of
Buildings
16
Fresh Water Withdrawals
25
Timber Harvest
30
Raw Materials Consumption
35
Global CO2 Emissions
Global Energy Use
40
Municipal Solid Waste to Landfills
40
50
Ozone depleting CFCs in Use
0
10
20
30
Percentage
Compiled from:Worldwatch Paper #124
40
50
Building Industry in US
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Represents more than 50 percent of the nation’s wealth
New construction and renovation activity amounts to
approximately $800 billion
Represents 13 percent of the GDP
Employs over ten million people
C&D debris comprise approximately 15 to 30 percent of all
waste disposed of in landfills
The resources required to create, operate, and replenish this
level of infrastructure and income are enormous, but
diminishing
To remain competitive and continue to expand and produce
profits in the future, the building industry has to address
the Environmental and Economic consequences of its
actions
Sustainability
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs
(The Brundtland Commission,1987)
SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS
A “Cradle-to-Cradle” Approach
Working Principles
Application of Sustainability
Pre-Design
On-Site
Design
Material Selection
Construction
Building Program
Site Analysis
Environmentally
Project Budget
& Assessment
Conscious
Team Selection
Site Development
Construction
Partnering
& Layout
Preservation of
Project Schedule
Watershed
Laws, Codes
Management &
& Standards
Conservation
Research
Site Material
Site Selection
& Equipment
Passive Solar
Design
Materials &
Specification
Indoor Air
Quality
Features &
Vegetation
Waste Mgmt
IAQ Issues
Source Control
Practices
O&M
Maintenance Plans
Indoor Quality
Energy Efficiency
Resource Efficiency
Renovation
Housekeeping &
Custodial Practices
Application of Sustainability –
A Superior Technology
Effect of Sustainability
Advanced Features of a
Sustainable Building
Best
Solar
Building Form
& Energy Efficient Design
Improved
Indoor Air Quality
Usage
of Green Materials
Proper
Mechanical Systems
Efficient
Proper
Lighting
Testing & Maintenance
Green Materials


Materials, production, use and disposal must be
safe for the planet. Most of the materials have
specific range of conditions in which they best work
Sustainable building materials have the following
features:
• Durable and easily maintained
• Less processing required
• Low odor
• Low emitting
• Cost-effective
• Aesthetic
Economics of Green Buildings

Reduction in lighting energy requirements by at least 50 percent

Cut heating and cooling energy consumption by 60 percent

Reduced water consumption by up to 30 percent or more
Lower building operating expenses through reduced utility and
waste disposal costs

Lower on-going building maintenance costs, ranging from
salaries to supplies

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Increase worker productivity by six to 16 percent

Higher property values and potentially lower lenders’ credit risk

Higher building net income

New economic development opportunities
Benefits of Sustainable
Construction
Sustainable
construction makes wise use of all the
natural resources and a 50% reduction in energy use
Improves
occupant health, comfort, productivity, reduces
pollution and landfill waste that are not easily quantified
A
sustainable building may cost more up front, but saves
through lower operating costs over the life of the building
Building
is designed as one system rather than a
collection of stand-alone systems with the help of the
integrated system approach
Future of Sustainable Buildings
•Further research
•Successful examples of Sustainable buildings
•Newer, efficient and healthier technologies
•Availability of computer software programs to
identify and evaluate options for a building
project
•Governmental support
•An active participation from every sector of the
society
Case Study- The Dalles Middle
School (Oregon)
(Source: http://www.energy.state.or.us/school/thedalles.pdf
Problem:
 Poorly built middle school in
a landslide area
 In 1955, to meet the sudden
influx of students, temporary
facilities were constructed
with an expectant life of 20
years, but were used for 45
years
 By 2000, the State Fire
Marshall closed down the
facility with the decision to
build a new school
Building Design

Heating and cooling are a large part of the energy use of
a school building

The high temperature ground water from the landslide
area was used to provide both heating and cooling using
geothermal principles

It is one of the first schools in the nation that is heated
and cooled with the very ground water that caused the
landslides
Lighting
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Daylighting &
SkylightingIncorporated lots of
natural light to reduce the
need for electric lighting
and the associated
increase in the air
conditioning load
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Energy efficient
fluorescent T5s installed
Natural Ventilation
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Operable windows pull
fresh air into one side of
the classroom, while
ventilation stacks pull the
air out on the opposite
side of the classroom
At extreme temperatures,
automatic backup
mechanical ventilation
systems used
Application of Concepts of
Sustainability
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Use of paints and sealers with low or no-volatile
organic compounds (VOCs)
Reclaimed ground water to irrigate the ball
fields.
Exterior lighting directed downward to reduce
night light pollution
Mechanically zoned science classrooms to avoid
exposure to hazardous chemicals
Stained the concrete walls to blend with the
colors of the natural landscape
Use of ceiling tiles produced from 75 percent
Results
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High performance school building
emerged that will prevent pollution, save
energy, natural resources and money
60 percent cost reduction in energy
expected
Students performed better with the
skylights and windows that bring natural,
non-glare light inside the classroom
Improved Indoor Air Quality and occupant
comfort due to no-VOC emissions from
building materials